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Rosemary
Salvia rosmarinus
A woody Mediterranean shrub that lives for decades in the right spot.
Sun
Full sun
Water
Rarely once established
Soil
Poor, gritty, pH 6.0–7.5
Spacing
60 cm apart
Days to harvest
1st year
Hardiness
Zones 7–10
Seasonal Calendar
H
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Sow Harvest
The method
- 1
Grow from cuttings
Seed is slow and inconsistent. Root a 10 cm cutting in gritty compost.
- 2
Give perfect drainage
Rosemary rots faster than it dies of cold. Add grit; raise the bed.
- 3
Trim yearly
Shear the tips after flowering to stay bushy — never cut into old bare wood.
Common problems
Winter die-off
Usually wet roots, not cold. Grow in a raised gritty spot.
Rosemary beetle
Hand-pick the striped adults in autumn.
Good neighbors
SageBeanCabbage
Field tips
- “A plant on a south wall lives twice as long.”
- “Push woody stems into the barbecue — instant flavor smoke.”