There are some important measures to take in time for the beginning of autumn to ensure that herbal plants such as rosemary can overwinter. This is a fragrant, perennial, evergreen herb that adds a delicious and slightly bitter flavor to many recipes. In addition, the subshrub is also one of the easiest herbs to grow, although proper plant protection in winter is crucial. But how do you keep your plant healthy throughout the winter season? Below you will find some useful information and the steps you should follow to enjoy thriving plants in the spring.
How you can overwinter rosemary after growing it in the garden or in a pot
The only downsides to growing rosemary are that it grows fairly slowly at first and doesn't withstand frost as well as other herbal plants. This means you need to take extra steps to ensure your plants can survive outdoors or indoors during the winter.With proper plant careHowever, rosemary can last for years. Plant this versatile herb and use the tips below if you want to overwinter rosemary and keep it thriving.
Before you consider overwintering outdoors
If you haven't purchased your shrubs yet, start by choosing a hardy variety. Such varieties can withstand colder outdoor temperatures, but still require some protection. Also, choose a place to plant that will provide the herb with full sun. This means it gets at least 6 hours of direct sunlight every day. Additionally, growing next to a south-facing wall would be ideal. This means that the plant not only gets full sun, but the house wall also radiates heat in the evenings in winter. This creates a microclimate that is a few degrees warmer than further away in the garden.
Also, amend the soil before planting rosemary with compost and mulch. This creates a loose, fertile soil that promotes good drainage and prevents soil compaction. As a rule, rosemary is hardy and can tolerate most weather conditions except moist soils. Therefore, good drainage is crucial for the plant to thrive.
Follow simple steps in the garden and overwinter rosemary
- Prune the plant lightly to give it a general shape towards the end of fall.
- Follow pruning with a light application of bone meal fertilizer, sprinkled around the base of the plant and then watered thoroughly.
- Apply a thicker layer of organic mulch, such as wood chips, around the plant to keep the soil at a consistent temperature. This prevents the plant from being uprooted by ground heaving. Soil heaving occurs when garden soil goes through freezing cycles during the winter. A layer of mulch serves as a cover for the soil and prevents damage.
- For additional protection, you can wrap your rosemary in garden fleece. This is a fabric suitable for covering plants and providing additional insulation and protection from wind. Use it as another tool to give your rosemary a better chance of survival.
- Rosemary is an evergreen shrub, so if it's not too cold there can still be new growth throughout the winter. This will be minimal, but you should watch for signs of dehydration. When the new leaf growth begins to look droopy, you should water it. However, be sure to water only at ground level to avoid getting the leaves wet and potentially freezing if the temperature drops below freezing shortly after watering the herb.
- If you have grown rosemary in a container in your garden and want to keep it outdoors during the winter, consider moving the container to a sheltered location next to a south-facing wall before winter temperatures drop below freezing.
- Follow the same steps of pruning, watering and fertilizing, just as you would with a plant growing in the ground, before moving the planter. If the temperature is 0 degrees and the sun is shining, you can place the potted plant in full sun for a few hours. This contributes to their health. However, do not forget to return the bush to the sheltered place before nightfall so that frost does not fall on it. Typically, rosemary can survive some frost on the leaves, but frozen roots can kill the entire plant.
How to overwinter rosemary indoors
For gardeners who grow their plants in colder climates, it is better to bring the plants indoors. Fortunately, it is very easy to overwinter a pot of rosemary indoors. Simply place the plant in a room that is not too cold and has a south-facing window. If you don't have a suitable location with southern sunlight, you can also use a grow light. Like other Mediterranean herbs, rosemary loves full sun.
However, it can even survive with a fluorescent grow light or a cheaper LED grow light. Prune, feed, and water the plant lightly before moving it. This is especially true if you transplant rosemary from the ground into a pot before bringing it into your home. A teaspoon of bone meal and a cup of compost to sprinkle on top of the soil double as winter feeding and mulch. You can also give a light fertilization with liquid fertilizer once or twice in winter.
Instructions for Overwintering Rosemary Indoors
- If you want to overwinter rosemary in your living spaces, you should use less water and much less fertilizer. You still need to water the plant if the top few inches of soil feel dry. Rosemary tolerates dry conditions, but do not allow the soil to dry out completely.
- Just like rosemary that overwinters outdoors, you can expect new growth, especially if there is adequate light. Additionally, you can pick and harvest a few sprigs of rosemary throughout the winter as you would in the summer.
- When spring comes, you can move the plant to a warmer place indoors or outside for a few hours during the day. Gradual exposure to sunlight over the course of a few days to a few weeks will reduce the chance of your rosemary leaves bleaching in the sun.
- Proper plant care can even reward you with some small purple flowers.
- Expect new growth spurts once your rosemary is re-established outside.
- Fertilizers with higher nitrogen content encourage more leaf and branch growth in the spring.
More tips on using and storing rosemary
If you pruned your rosemary before overwintering, you should not throw away the extra rosemary sprigs. Dry these by hanging them in a dry place. Avoid using a dehydrator unless you have a very low temperature setting. The heat causes the rosemary to lose its flavor and aroma. After drying, store the leaves in an airtight container or crush them to make your own herbal blend.
You can do thatAlso freeze the cabbage. If you love fresh rosemary, you can store rosemary sprigs in a resealable bag or airtight container in the freezer and use them like fresh rosemary with minimal loss of flavor. Remove the lower leaves and root your rosemary branches in water or soil to propagate the plants.
Rosemary is a little finicky to root, but after 4 to 6 weeks you will know if the cuttings are rooted. When doing this, make sure your cuttings do not dry out and that only the bottom few inches of the cuttings are submerged in water. Change the water every few days to reduce the risk of rot.
