I've had these rosemary bushes for about 10 yrs. and they appear to be dying. Does anyone know if rosemary is naturally a short-lived plant or are mine diseased?





Lee.

Did you have an unusually cold winter? I found out recently that rosemary is only supposed to be hardy in zones 9 and 10. I live in zone 8, and even with this past winter being harsher than usual, my plant is going strong. I see huge plants in town that I imagine must be more than a decade old, but mine is only three years, so I don't have firsthand experience with growing them that long.

Thanks Bit for getting back to me on this. Our winter was wetter than normal as we had more snowfall than we've had in a few yrs. but the temps. didn't get a low as they have in the past.
I think I'll just take the approach that if I've done all I can to save them and nothing works, then, that's the way it is. I can always get some more.
Again thanks,
Lee

Has it gotten more shady where your rosemary is growing? They look a little sparse, maybe they are just wanting more sun.

"I found out recently that rosemary is only supposed to be hardy in zones 9 and 10. I live in zone 8, "

Bitbit, there are many rosemary varieties hardy to zone 7, some even claim to be hardy to zone 6. "Hardy Hill" would be a good one for you but the absolute best would be ARP, no doubt about it.

Kevin, rosemary tends to get woody stems after about 2 or 3 years, depending on the variety. You can trim it back but best to do it by thirds and let it take its time adjusting.

Shoe

Terri and Shoe, thanks for taking the time to respond and I certainly appreciate it.
Terri, in fact, it is getting less sun than in the past. Some of the oaks are casting more shadows in that direction. Good observation.
Shoe, I believe 'Arp' is the cultivar of rosemary I have. Since I'm sure it's 'Arp' then when would you recommend I cut it back?
Again, I'm much obliged to you both.
Lee.

Lee, the shade may be the root of your problem. It produces a leggy less vigorous plant. These plants will then be less able to survive extremes in weather, cold, drought... etc. Do you have a sunnier location to which you can move them? Or maybe just go ahead and start some new ones in a sunnier spot, or in a pot that you can move around?

My ARP just isn't happy unless it gets lots of sun. I would agree with Terry on that.

Terri, Paul, I do have several sunnier spots but they haven't been prepared. We have that horrid red, clay and it's rocky, too.
With the temps at 100, I'd be afraid to replant anything right now.
I'm somewhat torn between letting the rosemary go-by and get some new ones in early Fall and preparing the areas to receive them.
I've dried rosemary in several containers but their is, to me, nothing that will beat a baked chicken with fresh rosemary.
I really do appreciate the advice and I agree you both are right.
I'll think about it and let you know what I decide.
Lee

No hurry Lee! If I were you I'd go to dollar general and purchase one of those huge pots for $10 and plant a new plant or two in that. (Something I've done very successfully in the past!) That should get you through the winter. I've even used my fresh rosemary when it was 10F from the planter. It was frozen but tasted great.

Just enjoy!

Now, Terri, you are talking right about getting 2-3 new plants at DG. Anywhere. Good advice. Thanks and if I do that, I'll bake you a chicken next Spring with the rosemary and send it via FedEx ASAP.
Lee

Ditto what Terri says, carry a plant through the winter for "fresh" eating!

Lee/Kevin, you still have time to trim your existing plants and root the trimmings, too. Take the new growth tips and pot several in small pots, keep in the shade with damp soil.

I'm not sure where you are but your "southeastern US Zone 7" is the same as me in NC. If nearby I grow literally hundreds of rosemary each year, you're more than welcome to some.

Shoe

Has anybody figured out how to successfully over-winter Rosemary indoors in the winter? for like 9 months maybe?
I've tried and tried....

What zone are you, Lee Anne?

zone 5...

Hey Shoe, Thanks. I didn't know I could do that this time of the year. I need to stop this procrastinating and go take the cuttings now but it's so blasted HOT. BTW, Shoe, I'm in Mississippi just 2 miles from the AL state line. It's Lee.
Now, Shoe, the only thing I have is MiracleGrow potting mix. Will that do to start the rootings? When you find the time, would you let me know?
Lee Anne, I never could get rosemary to grow indoors either. Shoe, what do you think of this?
Lee

Wow, Shoe, nice looking herbs and greenhouse!

Lee Anne, do you need to have it inside for 9 months? Rosemary can take quite a bit of cold before it croaks. I move mine under the protection of the carport in the deep winter but otherwise it usually stays outside year around here in zone 6.

Lee Ann, good question, I'd like to know that too. The big box stores come out with the most beatiful rosemary plants and topiaries and I'm not willing to try again until I get better growing information. Cold here from Oct thru March and rainy season April & May. We also have way too many cloudy days.

I have the same problem with rosemary inside as above: not enough light. And in zone 7 I've never been able to reliably maintain even ARP outside in the winter. We do have rapid temperature swings and unpredictable winters, though, so that might be a factor.

Mine is for cooking, too. Wonderful on the sockeye we had last night.

"Wonderful on the sockeye we had last night"

Oh my...you're killin' me here, Paul. We seldom get a decent fish around here and I'm a seafood lover!

As for ARP, I'm in zone 7, too, and it is one of the few that handles both our high heat and cool/cold temps. I wonder if your erratic winter temps put too much of a strain on it. This past winter I lost a lot of perennials that normally survive; our winter was extremely cold, then warm, then wet, then cold, then warm, etc.... No fun.

Lee, although fall and late winter would be best for rooting cuttings you can do it now with care. I imagine you have AC in your house, that would help since you are experiencing temps in the 100's. If you take tip cuttings about 5 inches long, strip the lower half of leaves, dip in rooting hormone or cinnamon, and put in your potting mix there ya go. With the high temps I'd recommend putting your pots/cell packs/whatever container you use (preferably small) on your water heater. This would give the cutting bottom heat but yet your air temp would be house temperature.

On another note, for less work, maintenance and bother you can layer your rosemary stems. Pick several healthy stems with the green growth (not those in your pic that are brown and with few leaves) and simply bend them down to the ground, covering a section midway in the soil. Using a bent clothes hanger or piece of wire pin it to the ground, water it from time to time and in a couple months you should have roots growing from where you pinned it. At that point clip it away from the mother plant and either pot it up or transplant it to another location. I'd do as many layerings as you like.

Tee, thanks for the compliment on the plants/greenhouse. It keeps me entirely too busy!

Shoe (tomato sammich time!)