PlantSowGrow
How to plant and care for Rosemary
Salvia rosmarinus
Also called Rosmarinus officinalis, Rosmarinus
An evergreen, aromatic shrub for roasts and breads, with blue spring flowers for early bees. Needs sun and sharp drainage.
At a glance: harvest in July.
When to plant and care for it
Timed for a typical UK garden (last frost mid-April). The app uses your own town's frost dates.
Growing Rosemary: what it needs
- Light
- Full sun · 6+ hours a day
- Watering
- Water until established; drought-tolerant after
- Soil
- Poor to moderate, very well-drained soil
- Spacing
- 60 cm
- Height
- 1 m
- In pots
- Grows well in containers
- Feeding
- Little or no feeding
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 5–9
Step by step
- On planting day
Plant
Plant at the same depth as in its pot, 60 cm apart, in a sunny, sheltered spot. Firm in.
- 0–1 days after “Plant”
Water In
Water well, then keep just moist while it settles in.
- 30–51 days after “Water In”
First Light Harvest
Once it is growing strongly, snip a few sprigs — never more than a third of the plant at once.
Every year
- MayTrim After Flowering
Lightly trim after the spring flowers to keep it compact. Never cut into bare old wood.
- JulyHarvest for Drying
Cut sprigs on a dry morning and hang in bunches to dry.
- NovemberProtect from Winter Wet
Move pots against a sunny wall and raise them on feet; rosemary dies in cold, wet compost more than from cold.
