Rosemary is one of those great evergreen herbs that can now be found in almost every garden. Packed with antioxidants and with a wonderfully refreshing scent, rosemary adds a Mediterranean touch to many dishes and even cocktails. Its flowers attract bees and its aroma repels mosquitoes - what's not to love about it? But so that it rewards you with its wonderful taste for years to come, you should of course know how to cut rosemary. When is the best time for this? How do you proceed and what should you pay attention to? Read on and remember our tips for a blooming and healthy rosemary bush!
ObFertilize strawberries with coffee groundsor cutting the rosemary – there is a lot to do in the garden in the spring months. Before we explain how to prune rosemary, you should first know when is the optimal time to do it. Pruning incorrectly at the wrong time can actually affect the plant in the long term and lead to growth problems.
So – when to cut rosemary? According to experts, the perfect time to prune is in spring, right after flowering. If you have overwintered the plant indoors, you should only cut it when there is no longer any risk of frost. By cutting rosemary in spring, you encourage a second bloom in late summer. You can usually prune the plant until around August - but not after that, otherwise it won't be able to prepare for the cold winter months.
How to cut rosemary? – How to do it right
Before cutting your rosemary, make sure your pruning shears are sharp and clean. Dirty and dull scissors can lead to cracked cuts, making the plant much more susceptible to pests and bacteria. First, cut off all the flowers with sharp pruning shears and then use pruning shears to trim the long stems. Very important - if you want to cut the rosemary correctly, you should definitely make sure that you don't cut it too far, because rosemary cannot grow out of old wood. It is also important that the branches do not get in the way and receive enough light.
And here again step by step how to cut rosemary:
- Cut off non-woody shoots above the woody area with a sharp and clean knife or secateurs.
- Remove heavily woody, diseased, dried out and old branches.
- Since branches that are too close together hinder each other's growth, you can also remove them.
- Cut out a few branches from the middle and always harvest the plant evenly from all sides.
- Always cut rosemary around midday, as this is when its aroma is at its most intense.
- To avoid damaging the rosemary, always harvest whole branches and not just individual leaves.
Shape the rosemary
Would you like to cut and shape your rosemary? Then imagine exactly what the plant should look like and then cut the branches with sharp pruning shears. If more than a third of a branch has to be removed, it is best to cut the rosemary back gradually. To create a neat shape, start at the edges and slowly work your way inward. Shorten the upper shoots horizontally in a straight line to the desired height. It is particularly important that you give the branches about a season to recover from pruning before you use the scissors again.
To encourage bushier growth, it is best to prune the plant while it is still young and the branches are only a few inches tall. Pruning earlier causes the branches to split, making the rosemary bushier and fuller. Try to always cut the branches at a slight angle and save the cuttings for use in the kitchen.
How to cut rosemary: This is how the radical cut works
Sometimes it may happen that a radical cut is necessary. This is often the case if the plant is not cut for a long period of time and you cut woody rosemary, for example. So in order to save your plant and continue to use it, you obviously have to use scissors. Radical pruning is also recommended if there is a severe pest infestation or serious illness.
Here's how to radically cut rosemary:
- First disinfect a pair of sharp secateurs in alcohol for 2-3 minutes.
- Shorten all shoots to around 2 -3 centimeters above the woody areas.
- Cut off small branches near the trunk.
