Beginner Seasoned
Pick your zone and the dates re-calibrate.
The Guide Herbs Vol. 003

Rosemary

in Zone 9, this week

Rosemary is an evergreen shrubby herb with fragrant, needle-like leaves and small blue flowers. It comes from the dry Mediterranean, so it loves sun and hates wet feet. You grow it mostly for the leaves, which you can snip year round in mild climates. It is less cold hardy than sage or thyme: it lives outdoors year after year only in warmer areas (about zone 7 or 8 and up), and in cold-winter places most people grow it in a pot and bring it inside for the winter. Give it full sun, fast-draining soil, and go easy on the water, since too much water is the fastest way to kill it. Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus, formerly Rosmarinus officinalis) is a woody evergreen Mediterranean subshrub in the mint family, grown mainly for its aromatic, needle-like culinary leaves and secondarily for its small blue flowers. It comes in upright forms that reach several feet and low trailing forms that spill over walls. Unlike hardier culinary perennials such as sage and thyme, rosemary is relatively cold tender: it is reliably perennial only in mild zones (roughly zone 7 or 8 and warmer, with the hardy cultivar Arp pushing into zone 6), and in colder regions it is grown as an annual or overwintered indoors in a pot. It wants full sun, lean sharply drained soil, and little water; overwatering and wet, poorly drained soil, not cold alone, are its most common killers.

Rosemary mature plant
Fig. 01 · Rosemary, mature Zone 9
Container
5 gal
min 2 gal pot
Sunlight
Full sun
6-8 hrs daily
Water
Low
Spacing
24 in
between plants
Soil pH
6-7
slightly acidic
Today · in your zone

What's happening right now

October 21 · Zone 9 · Stage 01 · Plant out

Off-season for rosemary in zone 9.

Seasoned
Microclimate · Zone 9a vs 9b

Your zone, at a finer grain

Zone 9 averages a last frost around March 1. Within Zone 9, the colder half (9a, winters down to 20°F) runs about a week later. The warmer half (9b, winters down to 25°F) runs about a week earlier. The plant app picks your subzone from your ZIP.

SubzoneLast springFirst fallGrowing daysWinter minFruits reliably
9aMar 8Nov 24~26120-25°FYes · two seasons
9bFeb 28Nov 30~27525-30°FYes · two seasons

Averages from 8 weather stations per subzone, drawn from NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals. Your actual frost date can vary by up to two weeks based on elevation, proximity to water, and local topography.

Source: NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals Methodology
Your climate region in Zone 9
The growing year

Your rosemary year, month by month

Grown as a perennial CA: Interior Valley, Zone 9

Rosemary lives outdoors year-round in zone 9. Give it full sun and fast-draining soil, water deeply but rarely, and trim to shape after it flowers. The main danger here is too much water, not cold.Perennial. Zone 9 is within rosemary's hardy range, so it grows as an evergreen perennial in the ground. Give it full sun and sharply drained, lean soil, water deeply but infrequently, and shape it lightly after bloom. Overwatering, not cold, is the main risk here.

Once established, lavender settles into the same rhythm year after year: a winter rest, fresh spring growth, an early-summer bloom you cut for fragrant bundles, then a hard cut-back that keeps the plant compact and flowering for years.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
▲ We are here
Rosemary’s year
growing
bloom
prune
growing
Plant
plant
plant
BloomGrowingPrune
Plant
Feb - Mar or Oct - Nov
Bloom
Feb - Apr
Cut back after bloom Trim rosemary to shape it after it flowers, or in spring, cutting only into the green leafy growth. It usually will not grow back from bare woody stems, so never cut into the old wood. Snipping sprigs as you cook keeps it bushy, but do not cut it back hard right before winter.Shape rosemary and control its size after the main bloom, or in spring, by cutting into soft green growth only. Rosemary does not reliably resprout from bare, leafless wood, so never cut hard into the old woody base. Regular light harvesting doubles as pruning and keeps the plant bushy; avoid a hard cut heading into a hard freeze.
The season, mapped

Seed to garden

The easy, reliable way to grow rosemary is to buy a small plant or take a cutting from an existing one. Growing it from seed is slow and unpredictable, and seed-grown plants often do not match the parent, so most gardeners skip it. If you do want to try seed, surface-sow it and do not cover it, since the seed needs light to sprout, keep it warm around 70°F, and start indoors about 10 weeks before your last frost; expect slow, uneven germination.Rosemary is almost always started from a nursery transplant or from stem cuttings, not from seed. Seed germinates slowly and unevenly and can take about three years to reach a mature plant, and named cultivars do not come true from seed, so growers propagate them from cuttings. Take tip cuttings a few inches long, root them with warmth (bottom heat around 70 to 75°F), and they root in a couple of weeks. To grow from seed instead, surface-sow at about 70°F since the seed needs light, starting indoors roughly 10 weeks before the last frost; germination is slow and uneven and the seedlings size up gradually, which is why most growers still choose cuttings.

  1. 01
    Plant out
    Feb - Mar or Oct - Nov
Start method
Nursery transplant
Soil temp
70-70°F
From seed to fruit

The growing journey

Stage 01 · Plant out
01
Plant out
A small bushy plant with green needle-like leaves and roots that hold the potting soil together when you slide it out.A compact young plant with firm, needle-covered stems and roots filling the nursery pot, ready to set out once frost has passed.
Gently loosen the roots, plant so the top of the rootball is level with the soil, and water once. Skip the fertilizer and rich compost.Loosen the rootball, set the crown level with the soil surface, and water in once to settle the roots. Do not add rich compost or fertilizer; rosemary wants lean ground.
FROM PLANT · Rosemary does best in poor, dry soil, so do not add fertilizer or rich compost. Give it your sunniest spot, and if your soil is heavy or your area is humid, plant it on a little mound or raised bed so water drains away.Plant rosemary lean and dry, not rich. Skip the compost-and-fertilizer routine other plants want, give it your sunniest, sharpest-draining spot, and on clay or in a humid region build a mound or raised bed. Wet, poorly drained soil is what kills rosemary.
FROM PLANT · Leave about 24 inches between plants. That space lets air move around each one, which helps prevent the leaf problems rosemary can get when it stays damp.Space plants about 24 inches apart for airflow. Good air circulation between plants is one of the simplest ways to head off the foliar disease rosemary can get in damp or crowded conditions.
02
Establishment (year one)
New green needle growth filling in. You want it bushy and full, not tall and bare.Steady new green growth on the stem tips. The plant should be filling in bushy rather than stretching.
Water fairly often until it takes hold, then water deeply but less often. Pinch the tips to help it grow bushy, and only snip a little. Do not feed it.Water regularly until the plant is settled, then taper to deep, infrequent watering. Pinch the growing tips to build a bushy shape, and harvest only lightly. Hold off on fertilizer.
FROM PLANT · The first year is about growing roots. Water fairly often until it takes hold, then water deeply but less often. Pinch the tips so it grows bushy. It takes a couple of years to reach full size.Year one is about roots, not size. Water regularly until the plant is settled, then taper toward deep and infrequent. Pinch the growing tips to build a bushy framework; a plant reaches full size in about three years.
FROM PLANT · Try not to feed it. Rosemary needs very little, and too much fertilizer gives you soft leaves with weaker flavor. The same is true for water, where more is not better.Resist the urge to feed. Rosemary has low fertility needs, and over-fertilizing produces soft, lush growth with weaker flavor and fewer flowers. The same goes for water: more is not better.
03
Growing and harvest
Fresh green growth on the tips, which is the tender part to cook with.Soft green new growth at the stem tips, the best part for cooking and for cuttings.
Snip sprigs from the green tips as you need them, but do not take more than about a fifth at once. Pinch the tips to keep it full, and water deeply but not often.Snip sprigs from the soft green growth as needed, taking no more than about 20 percent at a time, and pinch tips to keep the plant bushy. Water deeply but infrequently.
FROM PLANT · Snip sprigs as you cook, but take no more than about a fifth of the plant at a time. Regular light cutting keeps rosemary bushy and gives you fresh leaves.Harvest little and often. Snip sprigs from the soft green growth as you cook, taking no more than about 20 percent of the plant at once, which both supplies the kitchen and keeps the plant bushy.
FROM PLANT · In hot dry spells, spray the plant with water now and then to keep spider mites away. Rosemary is drought tolerant, but do not let it get badly stressed for too long.In hot, dry weather, hose the plant off now and then to discourage spider mites, and never let it sit drought-stressed for long stretches even though it is drought tolerant.
04
Bloom
Little blue flowers along the stems and lots of bees. It is a good time to cut sprigs for cooking.Small pale blue (sometimes pink or white) flowers along the stems, and busy bees. This is a good time to harvest for the best flavor.
Enjoy the flowers and cut sprigs for the best flavor. Keep watering deeply but rarely, and do not fertilize.Enjoy the flowers and the pollinators, and harvest sprigs for peak flavor. Keep watering deep and infrequent and do not feed.
FROM PLANT · The leaves taste strongest right before and during flowering, so this is a great time to cut sprigs to use fresh or to dry. Cut in the morning after the dew dries.Leaf flavor and oil are strongest just before and during flowering, so this is the prime window to harvest for fresh use and for drying. Harvest in the morning once any dew has dried.
FROM PLANT · Leave some flowers for the bees, which love them. On your own unsprayed plants, the flowers are edible too, not just the leaves.Leave some flowers for the bees. Rosemary blooms are a strong pollinator draw and, on English-clean unsprayed plants, both flowers and leaves are edible.
05
Shape and light prune
A plant done with its main flowers that has gotten a bit loose. Notice the bare woody stems lower down and do not cut into those.A plant that has finished its main bloom and could use shaping. Below the green growth are bare woody stems; those are your no-cut zone.
Trim into the green growth to shape it, and use what you cut in cooking. Do not cut into the old wood, and do not prune right before a hard freeze.Trim lightly into green growth to shape and size the plant, using the trimmings in the kitchen. Avoid a hard cut into old wood, and do not prune heading into a hard freeze.
FROM PLANT · Shape rosemary by trimming only the green, leafy parts. It usually will not grow back from bare woody stems, so never cut hard into the old wood.Shape rosemary by cutting into green, leafy growth only. It does not reliably resprout from bare, leafless wood, so never cut back hard into the old woody base the way you might a fast-renewing shrub.
FROM PLANT · Do your shaping after it flowers or in spring, not right before winter. Cutting it back late leaves this cold-sensitive plant open to freeze damage.Time shaping cuts after the main bloom or in spring, not right before winter. A late-season hard cut leaves the cold-tender plant vulnerable to freeze damage.
06
Winter (cold zones)
A plant that has stopped growing. In mild areas it stays green; in cold areas a plant left outside will turn brown and die after a hard freeze.A plant that has stopped putting on new growth. Outdoors in mild zones it holds its green needles; in cold zones a tender plant left out will brown and die after a hard freeze.
In warm areas, stop watering and feeding and save trimming for spring. In cold areas, bring potted rosemary inside to a bright, cool spot before hard frost, water only when dry, and do not feed it.In hardy zones, stop watering and feeding and leave hard pruning for spring. In cold zones, bring container plants to a bright, cool indoor spot before the first hard freeze, water only when dry, and do not feed.
FROM PLANT · In cold areas, bring potted rosemary inside before the first hard freeze and keep it in the brightest, coolest spot you have. Indoors, give it good light, do not overwater, but do not let it dry out completely either.In cold zones, bring container rosemary indoors before the first hard freeze to a bright, cool spot; it prefers cool nights around 40 to 50°F. Indoors the challenges are enough light, not overwatering, and not letting it dry out completely.
FROM PLANT · If you want to leave rosemary outside in a borderline-cold area, choose a tough type. Arp can handle zone 6 and Hill Hardy zone 7 if the soil drains well and the spot is sheltered.Pick a hardy cultivar if you want to leave rosemary outdoors in a cold-marginal zone. Arp survives into zone 6 and Hill Hardy into zone 7 with sharp drainage and a sheltered, south-facing site.
Beginner
Know your soil

Your soil

Identify yours

Not sure what soil you have? Grab a small handful of damp soil from your garden bed and squeeze it. If it crumbles apart easily, it's sandy. If it holds together but breaks when you poke it, it's loam (what most vegetables want). If it stays in a hard, slippery ball, it's clay.

What this crop wants

Rosemary likes poor, dry, gritty soil and full sun. Rich, damp soil and heavy clay make it weak and rot-prone, so the goal is fast drainage, not fertility. If your soil is heavy, plant rosemary on a mound or raised bed and mix in coarse sand or grit so water drains straight through.

If your soil doesn't match

You have sandy soil

Mix 2-3 inches of compost into the top 6 inches of your bed before planting. Compost holds moisture (which sandy soil drains too fast) and adds the nutrients sandy soil tends to lack. Repeat each season. Compost breaks down over time.

You have clay soil

Mix 2-3 inches of compost AND a few inches of coarse sand or perlite into the top 6 inches of your bed. The compost feeds the plants; the sand breaks up the clay so air and water can move through. Don't add sand without compost. It can compact like concrete.

Containers and raised beds

If amending your soil sounds like too much work, or if your soil is heavy clay, full of rocks, or contaminated, build over it. A raised bed at least 12 inches deep filled with a 50/50 mix of compost and sandy loam gives you ideal growing soil with no battles. A 5-gallon container with quality potting mix does the same for one plant at a time. Both bypass your native soil entirely.

Learn more about your soil
The specs

Care guide

The numbers that matter, at a glance.

Sunlight
Full sun · 6-8 hrs/day
Water
low
Spacing
24 inches
Soil pH
6 to 7
Container OK?
Yes · 2+ gal pot
Germination temp
70-70°F
In a pot

Yes, 2 gallons and up

Rosemary does fine in a pot, which is handy if your winters are cold, since you can bring it inside. Use a wide pot with holes in the bottom and a gritty mix, let it dry between waterings, and tip out any water in the saucer.Rosemary grows well in containers, which is the standard way to keep it in the coldest zones where it is treated as a bring-in plant, and to control the size of large upright types. Use a wide, free-draining pot and gritty mix, water only as the soil dries, and never let it stand in water. A trailing type like Prostratus is handsome spilling over a pot edge.

Pot size
2 gallons and up; 5 gallons is comfortable
Mature size
4 to 5 feet tall, 3 to 4 feet wide
Drainage
Drainage holes are a must. Empty the saucer after watering; rosemary must never sit in standing water.
Watering
Pots dry out faster than the ground, so check the soil, but still let it dry between waterings and never leave the pot in a full saucer.
Depth and shape
At least 12 inches deep.
Self-watering pot
No. Self-watering containers keep the medium too consistently moist for rosemary and promote root rot; use a conventional free-draining pot instead.
Mix
A coarse, free-draining potting medium; avoid peat-heavy moisture-retentive mixes. Add coarse sand, perlite, or fine gravel to sharpen drainage.
Feeding
Container rosemary needs only a very light feed, if any; do not over-fertilize.
One to try

ArpThe most cold-hardy cultivar, an upright plant 3 to 4 feet tall with light blue flowers; the pick for colder gardens.

1 more compact type

Blue Boy

Winter

In cold-winter areas, grow rosemary in a pot you can move indoors for winter. Bring it in before the first hard frost, keep it in the brightest, coolest spot you have, water only when the soil is dry, and do not feed it until it goes back outside in spring.Where rosemary is not hardy, a container lets you overwinter it indoors. Bring it in before first frost to a bright, cool spot (it prefers cool nights, roughly 40 to 50°F, and days around 60 to 65°F); the hardest parts are giving it enough light, not overwatering, and not letting it dry out completely. Withhold fertilizer over winter and acclimate it outdoors gradually in spring.

Hardy to zone 7 in the ground; roots in a pot sit colder than that.

Pot safety

Ask what your balcony or roof can carry

A balcony or roof can only hold so much weight. Before you set heavy pots there, ask a building architect what it can safely carry.Illinois Extension's guidance is to consult a building architect about weight limits before placing heavy pots on a balcony or rooftop garden. It gives no weight figure.

Never grow food in a container with anything toxic in it

Many kinds of containers can be used. Whatever you choose, keep anything toxic out of it, especially if you are growing food.Colorado State accepts nearly any container material but warns against using a container that holds toxic materials, especially for edible plants. Illinois adds that a vegetable container should be free of chemicals toxic to plants or people, and urges caution with treated lumber when growing food. If you cannot account for what a repurposed container once held, that alone is a reason to keep food out of it.

Secure hanging containers well

Fasten hanging baskets and window or rail boxes securely. Think about what is below them too, since they can drip on people or things underneath.Illinois Extension asks growers to secure hanging containers well and to think through the safety issues of hanging them. Placement matters too, since a hanging container can drip onto people or belongings below.

Soil chemistry

Soil pH for rosemary

Preferred
6 to 7
Tolerated
5.5 to 8

Rosemary likes soil that is slightly acidic to neutral, about pH 6.0 to 7.0, and is not fussy within a fairly wide range. Do not worry too much about the exact number; good drainage matters much more to rosemary than pH does.Rosemary does best in slightly acidic to neutral soil, roughly pH 6.0 to 7.0, and tolerates a wider band from about 5.5 to 8.0. Extension herb guidance clusters around pH 6 to 7.5, and rosemary is adaptable as long as the soil drains sharply; getting drainage right matters far more than fine-tuning pH.

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Steady hand on the hose

Watering

When & how much
Frequency
Water deeply but not often. Give a new plant regular water until it settles in, then only water once in a while, letting the soil dry out in between.Deep and infrequent. Water regularly the first season until the plant is established, then taper to occasional deep soakings, letting the soil dry between waterings. Overwatering is the single biggest cause of decline.
Amount
A good soak when you do water, then let it dry out before the next one.Enough to soak the root zone, then nothing until the soil has dried; mature plants in the ground need only infrequent deep irrigations.
Method
Pour water at the base, not over the leaves, and let it dry out before watering again. Soggy soil is what makes rosemary rot.Water at the base and let the soil dry between waterings. Keep the crown and roots from staying wet, which invites root and crown rot; proper drainage is the real secret.
Signs of trouble
Too much water
If the leaves yellow, tips brown, and shoots wilt or die back even though you are watering, the problem is almost always too much water. Soggy roots rot.Yellowing needles, browning tips, wilting or dieback of whole shoots, and a plant that fails despite watering signal too-wet roots and likely root or crown rot, not drought.
Too little water
Rosemary almost never gets too little water once established. A little droop on a very hot afternoon that bounces back by morning is fine.Established rosemary rarely shows true drought stress; brief wilting in extreme heat that recovers overnight is normal and not a reason to water more.
Feeding rhythm

Feeding

Frequency
rarely
Type
None to minimal
When to start
At planting only

Rosemary barely needs feeding. A little compost at planting is enough. Feeding it heavily gives you a lot of soft leaves with weaker flavor and scent, and a plant that is more likely to get sick or die back in winter.Rosemary has low fertility needs and is easy to over-feed. A little compost worked in at planting, or a single light application of a balanced fertilizer in spring, is plenty. Excess fertilizer pushes soft, lush growth that has weaker flavor and fragrance, flowers less, and is more prone to disease and winter injury.

Lean soil, minimal feed

N/A. There is no fertilizer number to hit here, since the goal is to feed rosemary as little as possible.N/A. Rosemary is not fed to an N-P-K target; the aim is lean soil and minimal-to-no supplemental feed, so no fertilizer analysis applies.

Who grows well together

Companion planting

Grow rosemary next to other plants that also like full sun and dry soil, such as sage, thyme, and oregano, so you can water the whole group the same light way. Its flowers bring in bees and helpful bugs. Keep it away from plants that need a lot of water, because that wet soil will rot your rosemary. Rosemary pairs naturally with other sun-loving, drought-tolerant, lean-soil plants that share its need for sharp drainage, especially fellow Mediterranean herbs like sage, thyme, and oregano that can all run on the same dry, waterwise schedule. As a small flowering plant it draws pollinators and beneficial insects such as bees and butterflies. Keep it away from thirsty, rich-soil neighbors that force the wet conditions which rot rosemary.

Other
Sage
Likes the same sunny, dry spot, so it grows happily next to rosemary.Sage is one of rosemary's easiest partners because it asks for the same things: full sun, lean fast-draining soil, and not much water. That shared appetite is the real reason it works, since you can run the whole herb bed on one dry, waterwise schedule and avoid the overwatering that rots rosemary. Both are woody Mediterranean subshrubs, so they age and shape up similarly. Plant them in the same gritty, well-drained ground and resist the urge to pamper either. Traditional
Thyme
Another dry-soil, full-sun herb that pairs well with rosemary.Thyme and rosemary are natural bedfellows, both Mediterranean herbs that want full sun, sharp drainage, and little water. Low, spreading thyme fills in around upright rosemary and softens the front of a dry border, and the two never fight over water because neither wants much. Grow them in the same lean, well-drained soil and water sparingly once established. Traditional
Oregano
Handles heat and dry soil like rosemary does.Oregano is a tough, drought-tolerant Mediterranean herb that thrives on the same neglect rosemary does: full sun, poor lean soil, and minimal water. That makes it an easy companion that will not pull the bed toward the rich, damp conditions rosemary hates. Keep the soil gritty and well-drained for both, and water only when it dries out. Traditional
Herb or perennial
Lavender
A woody Mediterranean subshrub with matching lean-soil, full-sun, sharp-drainage needs and a strong pollinator draw. Traditional
plant alongside in full sun
Cabbage and beans
Traditional companion lore holds that aromatic rosemary planted near cabbages and beans helps mask them from some pests; useful as a beneficial-insect draw more than a proven repellent. Traditional
plant alongside in full sun
Keep apart from
Basil and mint Basil and mint both want consistently moist, richer soil and frequent water, the opposite of rosemary's lean and dry regime; growing them in the same bed forces the wet conditions that rot rosemary. Mint is also aggressively spreading. Grow these thirsty herbs separately. Traditional
Provenance tagged inline · see methodology for the labeling system Key
Harvest signals

When to pick

You grow rosemary for the leaves, and in mild areas you can snip sprigs almost any time of year. For the best flavor, cut sprigs from the soft green growth in the morning, especially just before it flowers. Snip stems just above a leafy joint so the plant grows back bushy, and take no more than about a fifth of the plant at once. To dry it, cut sprigs before or during flowering, hang small bunches somewhere warm and airy, and strip the leaves off once they are dry.Rosemary is grown for its leaves, and in mild climates you can snip fresh sprigs almost year round. For the strongest flavor and oil, harvest sprigs from the soft green growth in the morning, just before or as the plant begins to flower. Cut individual stems above a leafy node to encourage bushy regrowth, and do not remove more than about 20 percent of the plant at any one time. For drying, cut sprigs before or at flowering, then hang them in small bundles in a warm, airy place and strip the leaves once dry.

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Yield

What to expect

One grown rosemary plant gives you more sprigs than you will likely use, and in mild areas you can cut from it almost year round, as long as you do not take more than about a fifth at once.A mature plant supplies far more than a kitchen needs: sprigs can be cut continuously through the growing season, and nearly year round in mild climates, as long as you never remove more than about 20 percent at a time. Upright types yield the most cuttable growth once they reach full size in about three years.

Only harvest a little the first year. Pinching the tips helps the plant bulk up for bigger harvests later.Expect only light harvests the first year; pinching tips to build a bushy framework pays off in later seasons.

What changes yield
Plant age and size (full production at about three years)Cultivar and form (large upright types yield more cuttable growth than trailing types)Full sun and lean, sharply drained soilRegular light harvest and tip pinching to keep growth green and productive
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Pick your variety

Recommended varieties

There are two main shapes of rosemary: tall upright types (like Tuscan Blue) that grow into shrubs, and low trailing types (like Prostratus) that hang over the edge of a pot or wall. In cold-winter areas the key is picking a hardy type: Arp is the toughest and can take zone 6, with Hill Hardy and Salem close behind for zone 7. Most other kinds only survive winter outdoors in warmer areas. For cooking, any upright green rosemary is great.Rosemary reaches the grower in two broad forms: upright types (Tuscan Blue, Barbecue, and the culinary standards) that make several-foot shrubs, and low, trailing types (Prostratus and similar) that spill over walls and pots. Because rosemary is cold tender, cultivar choice is really a hardiness choice in colder gardens: Arp is the hardiest, surviving into zone 6, and Hill Hardy and Salem are close behind for zone 7, while most other cultivars and the trailing forms are reliable only in about zones 8 to 10. For cooking, any of the upright green-needled types work well; for a container or a wall, choose a trailing form.

Tuscan Blue
culinary + ornamental
Arp
culinary + ornamental
Hill Hardy
culinary + ornamental
Barbecue
culinary
Prostratus
ornamental + culinary
Salem
culinary
Off the vine

Storing your harvest

Room temp
Fresh sprigs last a few days in a glass of water on the counter. To keep them longer, put them in the fridge or dry them.Fresh-cut sprigs keep a few days standing in a glass of water on the counter, like cut flowers. For anything longer, refrigerate or dry them.
Fridge
Wrap sprigs in a slightly damp paper towel, put them in a bag, and keep them in the fridge for a week or two.Wrap fresh sprigs loosely in a slightly damp paper towel, seal in a bag, and refrigerate; they hold for one to two weeks.
Freezer
Freeze whole sprigs in a bag, or chop the leaves and freeze them in a little oil in an ice-cube tray. Frozen rosemary keeps for months and works well in cooked food.Freeze whole sprigs in a sealed bag, or strip and chop the leaves and freeze them in a little oil or water in ice-cube trays; frozen rosemary keeps for months and is best used in cooked dishes.
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From the garden to the kitchen

Recipes to try

BBQ & Grill

Herb Butter Grilled Chicken

BBQ & Grill · 50m · Serves 4
Preserves & Condiments

Garden Herb Salt

Preserves & Condiments · 10m · Serves 20
Mains

Roasted Root Vegetable Tray

Mains · 60m · Serves 4
More recipes
arriving with the harvest
When something goes wrong

Common problems

Leaves yellowing or the plant dying backYellowing, browning tips, or dieback
01 of 04
What happened For rosemary, yellow leaves, brown tips, and dieback usually mean too much water, not too little. Overwatering and soggy soil are the biggest killer. The plant is drowning, not thirsty.With rosemary, yellowing, browning tips, and dieback almost always mean too wet, not too dry. Overwatering and poor drainage are the number one killer, leading to root and crown rot. The plant is drowning, not thirsty. Next season Water much less and improve drainage. Use poor, well-draining soil in full sun, water deeply but only once in a while, and on heavy or wet ground plant on a mound. Never let it sit in soggy ground.Cut back on watering hard and fix drainage. Plant in lean, sharply drained soil in full sun, water deeply but infrequently, and on clay or in humid regions use a mound or raised bed. Never let rosemary sit in wet ground.
Rosemary killed or browned by coldBrowning or death after a freeze
02 of 04
What happened Rosemary is not very cold hardy. If yours browned or died over winter, it probably got too cold. Most kinds only survive winter in warmer areas, and even tough types have limits, so a hard freeze can kill it, especially the tender trailing ones.Rosemary is cold tender. A plant that browned or died over winter was likely pushed past its cold limit: the species and most cultivars are reliable only in about zones 8 to 10, hardy types like Arp and Hill Hardy into zone 6 or 7, and a hard freeze below that range, especially on a tender or trailing type, is often fatal. Next season Pick the right type for your winters. Use a tough cultivar like Arp or Hill Hardy with good drainage and a sheltered spot, or grow rosemary in a pot and bring it inside for the winter.Match the plant to your zone: choose a hardy cultivar (Arp for zone 6, Hill Hardy for zone 7) with sharp drainage and a sheltered site, or grow rosemary in a container and overwinter it indoors in a bright, cool spot.
Bare woody stems or bland leavesLeggy, woody, or weak-flavored growth
03 of 04
What happened If your rosemary has gone bare and woody at the bottom, or the leaves taste weak, it is usually getting too much food or water, or not enough trimming. Rich, wet conditions make soft, bland growth, and a plant that is never pinched gets leggy.A plant that has gone bare and woody at the base, or whose leaves have turned soft and bland, usually reflects too much feeding or water, or a lack of light harvesting. Over-fertilizing and overwatering drive lush growth with weaker flavor and fragrance, and rosemary that is never pinched or harvested gets leggy. Next season Stop feeding it, water less, give it full sun, and snip it regularly, cutting only into the green and never the bare wood, which will not grow back. A plant that is already very woody is often best replaced.Stop feeding, water less, give full sun, and harvest regularly, always cutting into green growth and never into bare wood, which does not resprout. A badly woody, hollow plant is often better replaced than renovated.
Is rosemary safe for pets and cookingRosemary, pets, and the kitchen
04 of 04
What happened Rosemary is one of the safer herbs to grow. It is a normal cooking herb, safe to eat in usual amounts and not considered toxic to cats, dogs, or horses.Good news on safety: rosemary is a well-established culinary herb, safe to eat in normal amounts and not considered toxic to cats, dogs, or horses. This is a friendlier profile than some ornamental herbs, so it is a sound choice around pets and children. Next season Cook only with your own unsprayed rosemary and give it a rinse. It is not toxic, but as with any plant, do not let a pet eat huge amounts.Use only your own unsprayed plants for cooking, rinse harvested sprigs, and, as with any herb, keep pets from gorging on the plant even though it is not considered toxic.
The usual suspects

Pests & diseases

Pests
Spider mites
P · 01
Symptoms Leaves look dusty, dull, or speckled, sometimes with fine webbing, usually in hot dry spells or on a plant kept indoors over winter.Fine stippling, dull or bronzed needles, and faint webbing, most common in hot, dry weather and especially on plants overwintered indoors in dry heat. Cause Very small mites that come on in hot, dry spells and on plants that have gone short of water. They also turn up on rosemary brought indoors for winter, where crowded, dense growth and still air suit them.Tiny sap-feeding mites that build up fastest in heat, drought and dust, and on plants that have been left short of water. Indoors over winter is the other place they turn up on rosemary, where dense growth and poor air movement are what favor them. Organic treatment Rinse the bush hard and often with the hose, and wet dusty paths nearby on the same pass. Clip out the weakest, worst-hit growth. If the mites keep building, insecticidal soap is the next step, though not in heat over 90°F and not on a plant that is bone dry.Rinse the bush regularly with a strong stream of water, wetting nearby dusty ground on the same pass, since dust is a named driver. Cut out weak and heavily infested growth. If numbers keep climbing, use a selective material, insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, withholding it in heat over 90°F and on a plant that is already short of water. Prevention Water rosemary every week or two in hot weather and let the soil dry in between, instead of leaving it dry for a month. Keep dust down on nearby paths, prune it so it does not thicken into a mat, and give a plant brought indoors for winter room and some moving air.Keep the plant off both extremes of water: soak it, let the soil dry thoroughly, and repeat on roughly a one to two week cycle in heat rather than leaving it dry for weeks. Settle dust on nearby paths, prune to keep the bush open, and give an overwintered indoor plant space and moving air, which is the same lever that keeps powdery mildew off it.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Even watering

    Water rosemary every week or two through hot weather and let the soil dry out in between, instead of forgetting it for a month. Mites build up fastest on a plant that has been left dry and stressed. This is not a plant you keep damp, it is a plant you keep from getting desperate.Outbreaks track water stress, so the target is the middle of this crop's range: soak, let the soil dry thoroughly, soak again on roughly a one to two week cycle in heat. Rosemary hides thirst, because its needles do not flag the way broad leaves do, so the interval matters more here than how the bush looks. Do not read this as constant moisture, which is what feeds the root rot on this plant.

  2. Garden sanitation

    Clip out the weak and worst-hit growth and get it away from the plant, and prune the bush now and then rather than letting it thicken into a mat. Removing infested growth and pruning regularly are among the best defenses on herbs, and a thinner bush is a harder place for mites to hide.Sanitation here is as much pruning as cleanup: taking out weak and infested shoots removes colonies wholesale, and the open canopy it leaves behind is the same lever that keeps an overwintered plant out of trouble, since dense foliage and poor air movement are what drive the indoor outbreaks. Bag what you cut; trimmings left at the foot of the bush are still carrying live mites.

  3. Water spray

    Hose the bush down hard and often, especially through a dry spell. A strong stream carries mites off the needles and settles the dust that lets them build up, and on rosemary it is frequently enough by itself. Rinse in the morning so the plant is dry by evening.Regular forceful rinsing does most of the work on this crop, and it does two jobs, dislodging colonies and settling the dust that touches outbreaks off in the first place. Wet nearby paths and dusty ground on the same pass. Get into the middle of the bush, where the needles are dense and a passing spray does not reach, and finish early enough that the plant is dry by evening.

  4. Beneficial predators

    Plenty of small hunters eat spider mites: predatory mites, tiny lady beetles, lacewing larvae, minute pirate bugs. They are usually already there, and the main thing you can do for them is not to spray anything broad that kills them along with the mites.The resident complex, western predatory mite and its relatives plus sixspotted thrips, the spider mite destroyer lady beetle, bigeyed bugs and lacewing larvae, is what holds mites at a level you never notice. Sticking to selective materials is how you keep it, since a broad-spectrum spray takes out the predators along with the pest and hands the plant back to whatever recovers first.

  5. Insecticidal soap

    If numbers keep climbing after rinsing, insecticidal soap is the selective choice. It only kills what it wets, so work it down into the bush rather than misting the outside. Leave it alone in heat over 90°F, and do not treat a plant that is already dry and stressed.Soap, or a light horticultural oil, is the selective choice once rinsing is not holding, picked because it leaves the predators standing. There is no residue, so coverage decides the result and the dense needle canopy is where thorough coverage is hard. Note that the 90°F and water-stress limits collide with exactly the conditions that produce a mite problem, so correct the watering first and spray a day or two later rather than treating a drought-stressed plant in a heat wave.

The bottom rungs are products with label rules: timing, pollinators, and days to wait before harvest. Before you spray →

Aphids
P · 02
Symptoms Small soft-bodied insects packed onto the newest shoot tips and the softest new growth. There may be a sticky shine on the growth below them, and often ants running up and down the stems.Colonies sit on the soft new shoot tips rather than on older woody growth, most often on plants pushing soft growth, standing in crowded conditions, or overwintering indoors. Honeydew and the ants that come for it are usually what gets noticed first. Cause Sap-feeding insects that build up on soft new growth. They multiply fastest where a plant has been pushed with fertilizer or is packed in with others, and on rosemary brought inside for the winter.Aphids reproduce on tender, nitrogen-rich tissue, so a heavily fed or crowded rosemary is what they build on, not a lean, open, drought-hardened one. Ants tending the colony for its honeydew drive off the predators that would otherwise clear it, which is why an ant trail on the stems usually means the colony will keep growing. Organic treatment Wash them off with the hose, turned up hard, and go back every few days while new clusters keep appearing. Stop ants climbing the plant, since they protect the aphids from ladybugs and lacewings. If the colonies keep rebuilding, insecticidal soap sprayed straight onto them works well.Water knockdown first, repeated as the tips reflush, and check the plant twice a week while it is growing fast, which is when a colony goes from a few insects to a crust. Shut the ants out and the resident predators usually finish the job; the tan, swollen mummies among the live aphids mean parasitic wasps are already at work. Soaps and oils are the materials of choice past that point, and they act only on contact. Prevention Go easy on fertilizer. Rosemary does not want rich feeding, and an over-fed plant is where sap-sucking insects turn up most. Give plants room rather than crowding them, and look over the new tips through spring.Feed sparingly: sap-sucking insects track over-fertilizing on this crop specifically, and excess nitrogen raises aphid reproduction rather than simply growing a bigger plant. Avoid crowded plantings, since succulent, closely packed growth is where colonies start, and check the growing tips twice a week through the spring flush.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Balanced nitrogen feeding

    Feed rosemary sparingly. Sap-sucking insects turn up most where fertilizer has been laid on heavily, and the soft new growth a big nitrogen feed pushes out is what aphid numbers climb on.Nitrogen restraint is the crop-specific opening move: sap feeders on rosemary track over-fertilizing, and excess nitrogen raises aphid reproduction directly rather than only by making a bigger plant. A modest, infrequent feed keeps growth steady instead of producing the tender flushes colonies build on.

  2. Ant exclusion

    If ants are running up the stems, shut them out. They collect the sugary waste the aphids give off and chase away the ladybugs and lacewings that would otherwise clear the colony. A sticky band on the main stem stops them, and if your plant sprawls low, the branches touching the ground are what they will use to get around it.Ant tending is what turns a small colony into a persistent one, because the ants displace the predators and parasitoids that would regulate it. Excluding them restores that control rather than substituting for it: the point of shutting the ants out is to let the predators do the work, so it belongs before leaving the colony to its natural enemies, not instead of it. The band holds only once the branches bridging to soil, wall or paving are cut back.

  3. Water spray

    Wash them off the new shoot tips with the hose, turned up hard enough to move them. Few find their way back. Repeat every few days while fresh growth keeps arriving, and rinse in the morning so the bush dries out.A forceful jet dislodges colonies from the tips, and dislodged aphids largely fail to reestablish. The repeat interval is set by how fast the plant is reflushing rather than by the calendar, so look the tips over twice a week while growth is rapid.

  4. Beneficial predators

    Left alone, the aphid's own hunters handle most colonies: ladybugs, lacewing larvae, and wasps small enough to lay an egg inside an aphid. The sign that the wasps are ahead of you is a scattering of tan, papery aphids sitting among the live ones.Conserved natural enemies are the default control here, and those parasitized mummies are the field sign that the population is already being taken down. Conserving them is nothing more than keeping broad-spectrum products away from the bush and keeping ants out of the canopy.

  5. Insecticidal soap

    If the colonies keep rebuilding, spray insecticidal soap straight onto them. It kills only what it actually wets and leaves nothing behind, so aim into the clusters and expect to repeat. Hold off in heat over 90°F, and off a plant that is dry and stressed.Soaps and oils are what the published guidance puts at this step for a garden aphid problem, and on a shrub you pick leaves from through the winter that is as far as it is worth taking it; nothing harsher earns its place. Contact-only action means coverage of the colonies, not of the bush, decides the result, and spraying only where aphids actually are spares the soft-bodied predators you are relying on to finish the job.

The bottom rungs are products with label rules: timing, pollinators, and days to wait before harvest. Before you spray →

Whiteflies
P · 03
Symptoms Tiny white insects that puff up off the foliage when the bush is disturbed, drift for a moment, and settle back onto it. They are most likely on a rosemary that spends the winter indoors.Small white adults that fly up when the plant is disturbed and resettle on it. On rosemary this is chiefly an indoor and overwintering problem: plants outside in full sun are largely untroubled. Cause Small sap-feeding flies. On rosemary they turn up mainly on plants kept indoors over winter, alongside aphids, mealybugs and spider mites, rather than on plants growing outside in full sun.Whiteflies are a sheltered-conditions pest on this crop, turning up on indoor and overwintered plants in the same roll-call as aphids, mealybugs, thrips and spider mites, while plants outdoors in full sun are described as resistant. A heavy infestation is genuinely difficult to manage once established, so the value is concentrated in catching it early. Organic treatment Catch it early. Pick off the worst-covered growth and take it away from the plant, then knock the rest down with a spray of water. Insecticidal soap or a neem oil spray will reduce the numbers but will not clear them, and nothing stronger does better, so steady early attention beats one big treatment.Early removal is the whole strategy: taking off infested foliage and hosing the plant down, done while numbers are still low, is what holds it. Natural enemies often provide adequate control on their own. Soaps and oils, neem among them, reduce but do not eliminate a population, and stronger insecticides are worse than nothing here, since most kill the natural enemies, whiteflies build resistance to them quickly, and they perform poorly in a garden setting. Prevention Prevention is worth more than treatment with this one. Look the plant over regularly while it is indoors for the winter, and act on the first few rather than waiting for a cloud.The strategy is to keep a population from establishing at all, because management of a heavy infestation is difficult. Monitor an overwintering plant deliberately, since indoors is where rosemary meets this pest, and remove the first infested growth rather than holding out for a spray decision. Conserving natural enemies belongs here rather than later, so keep anything broad-spectrum away from the plant.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Garden sanitation

    Pull off the growth carrying the most of them and carry it right away from the plant, out of the room or off the bed, not into a heap beside the pot. Done early and repeatedly, this is what actually holds the numbers down.Removing infested foliage is half of the vigilance program that keeps an early population from establishing, and it is worth most before any spray decision is made. Carry the trimmings well away, since what you cut still holds live insects.

  2. Water spray

    Hose the plant down. A firm spray knocks a good share of them off, and paired with picking off the worst growth it is the standard early response. Time it for the morning so the bush is dry well before dark.Water spraying is the other half of that early program. It will not clear an established population, but while numbers are still building it removes enough to stop the climb. On an overwintering plant this means a trip outdoors or to a sink rather than a hose, which is one more reason the value sits early.

  3. Beneficial predators

    Outdoors, the natural enemies of whiteflies often keep them in check with no help from you. What ruins that is spraying something broad, which kills the helpers along with the pest.Natural enemies frequently provide adequate control in the open garden, which is part of why the outdoor plant in full sun is the untroubled one. Protecting it means keeping every broad-spectrum product away from the plant, since whiteflies rebound from one faster than their enemies do.

  4. Insecticidal soap

    Insecticidal soap, or a neem oil spray, will bring the numbers down but will not clear them. It kills only what it wets, so it takes thorough, repeated coverage, and it is worth knowing before you start that this is a holding measure rather than a fix. Not in heat over 90°F, and not on a plant that is already dry and stressed.Soaps and oils reduce but do not eliminate a whitefly population, and that is the honest expectation to set before spraying. It is also as far as the sequence goes, and not because the options simply run out: stronger insecticides mostly kill the natural enemies, whiteflies build resistance to them quickly, and they perform poorly in garden settings, so there is nothing worth reaching for past this.

The bottom rungs are products with label rules: timing, pollinators, and days to wait before harvest. Before you spray →

Spittlebugs
P · 04
Symptoms Blobs of white froth that look like spit on the stems in spring, with a tiny bug hidden inside. It looks worse than it is.Frothy white spit-like foam on stems in spring, with a small nymph hidden inside. It looks alarming but rarely harms an established rosemary plant. Cause Young spittlebugs hiding in the foam while they feed. There are usually only a few, and they do little real harm.Spittlebug nymphs that shelter inside their own foam while feeding on sap. Numbers are usually low and the damage is mostly cosmetic. Organic treatment If the froth bothers you, spray it off with a hose. You usually do not need to do anything else.Knock them off with a strong spray of water if you find them unsightly. No treatment is needed for plant health in most cases. Prevention There is one thing worth doing, and it is done to the weeds rather than to the rosemary: cut back weedy growth around the plant in spring, while the young spittlebugs are still in it. They start on soft weeds and move onto woody plants like rosemary from there.There is a specific prevention, and it is not about the rosemary at all: cut spittlebug-infested weeds nearby in the spring, before the nymphs mature and spread, since spittlebugs become abundant on woody plants by migrating in from herbaceous hosts. Eggs overwinter on or in stems, so a spring clearance is what breaks the sequence.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Clearing the weeds that host it

    Cut the weeds around the plant in spring, before the young spittlebugs living in them grow up and move. They build up on soft weedy plants first and spread onto woody ones like rosemary from there, so clearing that ground is the one step that reduces them.The migration is the mechanism: spittlebugs become abundant on woody plants when they move in from nearby herbaceous hosts, so cutting infested weeds in spring, before the nymphs mature and disperse, is where the leverage is. Timing is the whole of it. Eggs overwinter on or in stems, there are one or two generations a year, and each nymph feeds for one to three months, so a single spring clearance covers the season.

  2. Water spray

    If the froth bothers you, wash it off with a firm stream of water. Nothing about the plant's health requires it: rosemary is woody, and this feeding does far less to it than it does to soft-stemmed plants.Washing the nymphs off is a cosmetic call, not a control decision. Heavy feeding can distort tissue and slow growth, but chiefly on herbaceous species, and a spittle mass on an established shrub is not the start of a recurring problem. Water is also the only thing that gets to them: pesticides do not work on spittlebugs, because the nymph sits inside its own spittle mass and a spray does not reach it. Biological control is not considered important here either, so past a rinse there is nothing left to try, and the froth is part of the ordinary insect life a healthy garden supports rather than something to be cleared.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Diseases
Root and crown rot
D · 01
Symptoms Leaves yellow, tips brown, and the plant wilts and dies back even though the soil is wet, often with a dark, rotted spot where the stems meet the ground. This is the main thing that kills rosemary, and it comes from staying too wet.Yellowing, wilting, browning tips, and dieback that does not recover with watering, often with a darkened, decayed crown at the soil line. It is the disease of concern for rosemary and is tied to wet soil and poor drainage. Cause A rot that takes hold in the roots and the base of the plant when the soil stays soggy and drains badly. Too much water is what causes it.A group of soilborne water molds and fungi that need saturated, poorly drained soil in order to move and infect, attacking the roots and the crown at the soil line. More than one genus causes this on woody herbs and which one is on rosemary is not settled, and that changes nothing about the response: the condition, not the organism, is what you manage. Overwatering and ground that stays wet are what set it up. Organic treatment A spray is not the answer here. This one is prevented rather than treated: fix the drainage, water deeply but far less often, and do not put another susceptible plant into the same soil for a season or two.Treatment is not where this is decided. A spray on its own is not to be relied on against these rots, and what does work is siting and watering: drainage first, then a soak-and-dry cycle rather than frequent light watering, and no susceptible plant back into that soil for a season or two. Prevention Plant in well-draining soil in full sun, and do not let it stand in soggy ground for days at a time. Water deeply and only every week or two once it is established, letting the soil dry out in between; a first-year plant needs more regular water than that until its roots take hold. On heavy clay, plant on a mound or a raised bed, and keep soil and mulch piled away from the base of the stems.Plant in sharply drained soil in full sun and avoid prolonged saturation or standing water at the base. Water deeply and infrequently once established, roughly every one to two weeks in warm weather, letting the soil dry thoroughly between soakings; in the first year, water regularly enough to keep the root ball moist, because the drought-tolerant regime begins after establishment rather than at planting. On clay use a mound or a raised bed, keep soil and mulch off the crown, and do not site rosemary in a bed you have to water often for thirstier plants.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Improve drainage

    This is the one that kills rosemary, and drainage is the control, not a spray. Put it where water drains away instead of sitting: on a mound or a raised bed if your soil is heavy clay, and in a pot that drains freely. Then water deeply every week or two and let the soil dry out thoroughly in between, and do not plant it in a bed you have to water often for thirstier things.Soil that stays saturated is the condition these rots need, so the response is siting and irrigation rather than treatment: raised or mounded ground on clay, no standing water at the base, and a soak-then-dry cycle of roughly one to two weeks once the plant is established. Two details do most of the damage on this crop. Rosemary hides thirst, since its needles do not flag the way broad leaves do, which pushes people onto a watering schedule the plant never wanted; and a first-year plant genuinely does need regular water to keep its root ball moist, so the drought-tolerant regime starts after establishment, not at planting. Keep soil and mulch off the crown itself, and group it with plants that want the same watering.

  2. Crop rotation

    If a rosemary has gone downhill in one spot, do not put another one, or another plant that rots the same way, back into that soil. These rots sit in the ground for years, so the safer move is a different spot altogether, and for a pot, fresh mix in a clean container rather than the old soil.These rots persist in the soil for years, so replanting something susceptible into ground that has already taken one plant is the reliable way to repeat the outcome. Treat the site as spent rather than waiting out an interval: the published replant intervals are written for annuals, and nothing sets one for a shrub that will stand in the same ground for a decade. In a container the equivalent is fresh media in a clean pot, which is the one case where you genuinely can replace the soil.

  3. Clean planting stock

    Start from certified or obviously healthy nursery stock. A rot like this can come in with the plant rather than turning up later, and once it is in the roots there is nothing to spray.Clean stock is settled at purchase, before any of the rest of this applies, and it carries more weight for a soilborne rot than for most problems, because infected material introduces the pathogen to the site rather than to one plant. Rosemary is normally raised from cuttings, so the same logic reaches your own propagation: take cuttings from a plant that is thriving, not from the one you are trying to save.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Powdery mildew
D · 02
Symptoms A white, powdery dusting on the leaves. It shows up on crowded plants standing in still air, and most often on a rosemary that has spent the winter indoors. Next to root rot it is a small problem.A white, powdery film over the foliage, favored by humid but still air, shade and crowding rather than by wet leaves. It is most common on rosemary overwintered indoors and among pots standing close together, and it is minor next to root and crown rot. Cause A leaf fungus that likes still, humid air and close quarters. Wet foliage is not what it wants, which is how it runs on an indoor plant in winter while nothing outdoors is affected.Foliar fungi favored by poor air circulation and humidity. Crowding, low airflow, and stagnant indoor winter conditions raise the risk. Organic treatment Give the plant more air and space, and for indoor plants keep some air moving. Pick off badly coated leaves.Improve airflow, thin crowded growth, and space plants; indoors, give good air movement and light. Remove badly affected foliage. Prevention Keep air moving around the plant and give it room: full sun and space outdoors, and indoors do not push the winter pots together. Prune an overgrown bush so air gets through the middle of it, and put the plant back outside in spring.Air movement and space are the defense, and the target is the humidity around the foliage rather than dry leaves. Site outdoor plants in full sun with room between them, prune an overgrown bush to open the inside of the canopy, keep indoor winter pots separated with a little air moving across them, and get the plant back outside in spring, which usually ends it on its own.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Airflow and spacing

    Give the plant room and moving air. On rosemary this is mostly an indoor winter problem, and it shows up where pots get pushed together in still air. Moving them apart usually clears it, and so does putting the plant back outside in spring.Space and air movement are the whole lever, and the mechanism is humidity rather than leaf wetness: this fungus does not need wet foliage to infect, so room and movement work by thinning the humid, stagnant pocket that collects around the foliage, not by drying the leaves faster. Indoors that means separating crowded pots and getting a little air across them. Outdoors it means an open, sunny site and a bush pruned to let air through the middle of it rather than left to thicken. Moving the plant outside in spring is usually the end of it.

  2. Garden sanitation

    Pick off the worst-coated growth and get it away from the plant. That will not rid the bush of the fungus, but the heaviest patches go with it, and with an indoor plant it is worth standing the affected pot away from its neighbors while you sort out the spacing.Removing infected growth takes away a share of what is available to spread, and isolating an affected indoor plant limits what reaches the pots beside it. Neither is curative and neither substitutes for the spacing above: in most home conditions, removing infected parts and adjusting the conditions is what resolves this, so it is worth doing both properly before considering a spray at all.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Verified · 10 sources View
Seasoned
Where to plant next year

Crop rotation

N/A. Rosemary is not rotated like a vegetable because it is a permanent plant that stays put for years. If you replace an old one, pick a fresh, well-draining spot.N/A. Rosemary is a long-lived perennial that stays in place for years, so annual crop rotation does not apply. When replanting an old rosemary spot, choose a fresh, well-drained site to avoid carrying over soil-borne root rot.

In the app · pre-launch

When plant taps you on the shoulder

The plant app sends a timely reminder at every critical moment of your rosemary season. The wording adjusts to whichever you pick: beginner or seasoned. Here are three you'll see in Zone 9.

p
plant
Time to plant your rosemary Time to plant out rosemary
It is time to plant your rosemary. Put it in a sunny, well-draining spot now that frost has passed, leaving about 24 inches between plants, and do not add fertilizer. Your plant-out window is open. Set the nursery plant in full sun in sharply drained soil after the last frost, spacing plants about 24 inches apart. Skip rich compost and fertilizer.
p
plant
Time to trim and harvest your rosemary Time to shape and harvest rosemary
Your rosemary is growing well, so snip sprigs and lightly shape it. Cut only into the green leafy parts, take no more than about a fifth at a time, and stay above the hard woody stems, which will not grow back. Growth is active, a good time to harvest sprigs and lightly shape the plant. Cut into green, leafy growth only, take no more than about 20 percent at once, and stay above the bare woody base, which will not resprout.
p
plant
Get your rosemary ready for winter Get rosemary through winter
Winter is coming. In warm areas, stop watering and feeding. In cold areas, bring potted rosemary inside to a bright, cool spot before hard frost, since a hard freeze or soggy soil is what usually kills it. Cold is coming. In hardy zones, stop watering and feeding and leave pruning for spring. In colder zones, bring container rosemary to a bright, cool indoor spot before the first hard freeze; a hard freeze or wet soil is the usual killer.
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Methodology & sources

Every date, temperature, spacing, and recommendation on this page is sourced from university cooperative extension publications, peer-reviewed agricultural research, NOAA climate data, and direct extension calendars. Where claims are softer (traditional gardening wisdom not formally documented), we say so.

Research-backed Documented in cooperative extension publications or peer-reviewed research
Well-grounded A known agronomic principle, but not formally tested for this specific pair
Traditional Time-tested gardening wisdom, limited formal research support
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  • University of Minnesota Extension umn_ext
  • University of Maryland Extension umd_ext
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  • Iowa State University Extension iastate_ext
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  • U. of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Extension uiuc_ext
  • UC Davis Postharvest Center ucd_postharvest
  • Texas A&M AgriLife Extension tamu_agrilife
  • Virginia Cooperative Extension 426-331 vce_426_331
  • Piedmont Master Gardeners piedmont_mg
  • UGA Vegetable Garden Calendar uga_calendar
  • Clemson Home & Garden Information Center clemson_hgic
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Vol. 003 · Rosemary · plant.lifestyle