Rosemary

Our Top 2 Varieties

Upright rosemary grows like a bushy shrub and can get fairly large. Try ‘Tuscan Blue’ or ‘Benenden Blue”.

Prostrate rosemary grows horizontally and trails downwards. Not big on flavour.

Getting started

When

Plant from spring to late summer.

Where

Rosemary likes to be in full sun with good air circulation and no humidity. This can make it a great plant for coastal gardens. It can be grown in containers – but remember it does get quite big.

Soil

Rosemary needs a free-draining, poor soil to thrive. If you have fertile soil with obvious particles of organic material in it then dig in plenty of fine pumice or coarse sand so that good drainage is assured.

SOW & PLANT

PLANT

Best to grow rosemary from cuttings or as a seedling. Plant shop-bought seedlings or cuttings with an average spacing of a good stride between them – if in garden soil. If planting in a container choose something on the larger side – a half wine barrel will do the job.

MAINTAIN

Water cuttings and young seedlings in dry periods. Once they are established and starting to grow strongly you shouldn’t need to continue with watering unless weather is persistently dry and your soil dries out. Rosemary is a plant that can be killed with kindness – so don’t over feed or over water.

HARVEST OR PICK

Pick the tender tips and young stems of your rosemary plant. Use fresh if possible as dry rosemary is a poor substitute.
If your garden gets anything more than the lightest of frosts in winter then you may want to plant in containers and move to a protected spot during winter months.

‏Source www.podgardening.co.nz