A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Rosemary - Growing Outside

I live in the Danbury , CT area (zone 5-6). I had 3 Rosemary plants (1 planted directly in soil, 2 others in 12 inch containers). The Rosemary in the soil turned browned and died about 6 weeks after planting it. One of the container Rosemary plants has also begun to turn brown and looks like it will be dying. The remaining one is in good shape (18" high). Average soil, sun 4-5 hours a day, early summer, afternoon sun, later, more morning and shaded afternoon sun. How much watering does a Rosemary plant need? Any idea why they just start turning brown? I have other herbs in the same area (Basil, Orgeano, Tarragon, African Basil, Lemon Grass, Mint) and they are all doing well. THe Lemon Grass is almost 5 foot high and just keeps on growing. We love Rosemary and want to make sure this plant survies. Also, should we be looking to take this plant in during the winter, or can it survie outside?

An additional question, can Rosemary plants be divided / propogated? Can I take a twig and put it into water, hoping it to root?

not sure about being planted outside (I did remember reading somewheere on this form that it is best to plant outside, perhaps you could search the forums)

propagating rosemary, I believe you can, I found this site http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0804/lavenderrosemarycuttings.asp hopefully it can help you (I'm gonna try lavender cutings tomorrow morning)

Try keeping your rosemary that planted in the ground in a dryer location than your other herbs. If your lemon grass is 5'tall and your basils are doing well too, I would guess your rosemary was staying too wet.

Ron, I have my rosemary in containers and water them once every 3 times I water everything else. They are thriving with that care. All of mine are started from cuttings that I rooted in water.

Hi Triss...
from what u said i gathered that Rosemary roots very easily...? I suppose it would b easy to propagate Rosemary from cuttings ..rather than from seeds...? What about Lavender? i had a tiny baby plant...been nurturing it for sometime...watering twice a day..... N KILLED IT!!

itz difficult for me to restrain from watering... does Dill also 'not like' too much water... ? Aahh too many questions...LOL!! Coz my 'lonely Dill' is not looking s healthy s it used to b...n itz still a small plant...think m gonna lose it too... ...n i m just beginning to try herbs...!!!

Hi Nor,

Dill and Rosemary need to be planted in the ground and pretty much left to their own devices. They don't want or do well with much attention or water for that matter.

I've never had any luck with lavendar so I can't help you there.

dilauro, I'm not too far from you. I had 6 (now 4) rosemary plants in a raised bed and they winter over just fine (not even mulched). They get mid-morning to mid-afternoon sun.

Late Fall, I cut the "twigs" back to about an inch and call it good. I never water them and, like tkhooper, let nature's rain do its thing.

When we had the 2 forever-and-a-day rains this summer, I lost 2 plants. It's funny, I never use it in cooking. When I get a bit stressed out in the garden, I rub my hands through it and breathe deeply...

I keep my rosemary planted in a pot and bring it inside every winter. It would not make it , I'm in zone 4/5. It is very hard to winter over, but I was successful doing so last winter. It likes to stay cool, 40-50 degrees/F. And like everyone else says, don't water too much. It even flowered for me last winter. I kept it next to the sliding glass door, where it is a bit cooler and east facing. Watered it probably every 2-3 weeks.

Nor, My Rosemary is doing great in containers. My dill did well in a container as well but I think I would rather grow it in the ground because of its height.

I have not tried rooting lavendar and have one variety in the garden that I have not done a lot with. It gets watered along with everything else and seems to be doing well in its spot.

Thanx Tammy n Triss....

Tammy ...guess u know da dill i m referring to is da lonely dill that survived from da seeds u sent me... remember da pic i posted? it looked healthy then...n i was VERY HAPPY... but just a week or so later... da top turned brown n died out... itz still surviving with only about 3 leaves... Ugggh may b i m gonna lose it...

Your on the right track never give up. I'm not sure what to tell you about monsoon season. But I do know that in Okinawa my patio garden did great even during the storms they have their in the winter. But then the storms aren't considered a season either. You may have to stick with herbs that do well inside. And as you said work on keeping to a stricked watering schedule.

I've overwatered many many plants over the years with very bad results. Slowly I've learned my lesson. So that now I have plants that are 18 months old and still surviving and even blooming. My aloe is blooming and it's a succulent that requires very little water most of the year but then during it's growth period it takes quite a bit more so it's been training me on how to water it.

Have you gotten one of the meter things that tells you when to water your different plants? They sell them in some of the catalogs.

No Tammy...i dont have it... well regretfully such things r not s easily available here in Malaysia s in da US...well u r luckier than us here...n in a lot other ways too actually....

Have a nice day in da garden...

nmlAlba-dC15, I found 2 contacts for a moisture meter:
One in China ( http://snipurl.com/wpid )
One in Subang Jaya ( http://snipurl.com/wpie ) .

Mr Lim Pang Haw (seacom @ tm.net.my) stocks a more expensive meter but he may be able to order the one you are looking for. If he needs a picture, it appears on the first China link.

A last option could be watersavers.com (link to actual meter: http://snipurl.com/v2qk ). Although they list Malaysia in their shipping countries, I'll call today to see if they will ship and how much it will cost.

I hope this is helpful to you

I called Watersavers (aka Green Culture). They only ship within the US and to Canada.

Hi Tomacco...
TQ soo very much for your effort... think its o.k without da meter... i have truly learnt my lesson...its just that i m just beginning to 'get to know' herb-growing... n da situation here is usually so hot ...n of course i m sooo used to watering my plants everyday ... n sometimes when i can afford it 2xs a day.... coz even after a morning watering ...by da time we get home in da late afternoon plants in da pots r wilting coz da soil has dried up....

Anyway...just in case i may need it...read when i can afford it LOL... i can contact da Subang Jaya outlet...think thats Malaysia...
TQ again for your help....

I sucessfully took a cutting last spring and it rooted in potting soil for me and grew well. However it also turned brown and died pretty much overnight at about this time last year. Not sure why as the conditions it was in were the same ones it had thrived in all summer.
I bought another rosemary plant this spring and I'm kinda waiting to see if it has the same problem.
As far as overwintering, I haven't had the chance to see if it will survive the winter here in NC yet, however my brother in law in Durham NC has a HUGE rosemary bush at the side of his house that has been there for years with no adverse effects. I'll probably bring mine indoors on the frosty nights until its a lot bigger than it is at the moment though.

A rosemary BUSH? Land sakes alive, I'd lOVE to see that! Pic please!

Hi Tomacco...

outta curiosity...why is a Rosemary bush in NC such a big surprise..?? Does it mean that Rosemary doesnt 'thrive' in NC climate... or that it cannot survive outside in NC...? i presume itz da 2nd reason, huh??

Nombor tiga: I have never seen one.
Off-topic: Are you an expat, native or transplant?

My neighbor has a potted rosemary that is many years old.
It's about 5 feet tall and rounded like a Christmas tree. What a terrific planting-and it's at her front door. It's very formal looking. Beautiful !
I never knew that rosemary could get so big.

Hi Tomacco....
da answer to your question is da 2nd choice u gave...m a native...Malaysian made thro-out...outta curiosity....howabout u? Where did u get da BM words u used?

I don't have a pic of it as yet. Next time I visit them though (they live about 3 hours from me), I'll see what I can do!

How do I post pictures though?