Rosemary is one of those herbs that we view as a herb garden staple but yet can be quite a pain to grow. I have lost quite a few in my time but we now have 3 all at different growth stages but are now finally happy. Let me share what I have learnt.
Table of contents
Rosemary basics
Rosemary, salvia romarinus, comes from the sage plant family. It is a Mediterranean herb, meaning it likes a sunny sheltered free draining location.
It can grow into a 2 foot tall shrub when it has reached maturity. But as the shrub ages it will begin to look woody and gnarly. If you don’t mind this then keep it and prune every spring, rosemary is such a beautiful plant not just a culinary herb.
If your only purpose for growing it for culinary purposes then I would recommend replacing the plant every 3-5 years.
Growing conditions
Rosemary is as I mentioned above is a Mediterranean herb. This herb group like to have sun they need the heat, so make sure you place your plant where it will get the most sun.
It will need some shelter so that means protection from any colds winds that may blow through especially if you live some where like myself where winters can get cold, wet and windy.
Wind
So many discount wind when planting but wind plays a big part. Winter winds especially, they can drop forecast temperatures even lower.
Water
Another factor is water. Rosemary hate sitting in water, your plant will rot if it gets too wet. If you want your rosemary in the ground then you may need to adjust your soil if it is too heavy. To do this you may need add grit or sand to the soil dig a nice large area and give the soil a good mix so that it feels loose gritty and light. I find this better than just adding the grit to the bottom under the plant as water may still sit on the heavy soil below and pool up.
My garden have heavy clay and the water pools quite a bit so I have found growing rosemary in a pot is the better option plus when the winters get cold and wet I can move the pots under cover or if its really bad inside for a time.
Temperatures
So temperatures I would say as long as your rosemary is sheltered from wind and isn’t rained on then it can stay outside up to -10C If it is exposed then I wouldn’t go lower than -5C before moving it or covering the plant with fleece or another type of winter protection.
Younger tender plants will be more susceptible to the cold and wet than older more established plants, so keep that in mind. Also trailing varigated varieties are not as cold hardy either.
Companion plants for rosemary
Rosemary adds lovely height to most herb gardens. It grows wonderfully with any of the other Mediterranean herbs. I have one planted in with sage and thyme, they also work really great together in cooking too, so it is nice to have them together in one place.
Another great option for rosemary is to plant a few rosemary’s together in a row and form a rosemary hedge. Which would be amazing to walk along, just imagine the smell by running your hands over it.
Lavender is another great companion as they require the same growing conditions and have a similar appearance. This is a very aromatic pairing.
The main thing when planting is remember to give the plant room to grow as rosemary can become quite a large bush.
Seeds, cuttings or starts
This is one of the only herbs I wont grow from seed. If you want a challenge and have lots of patience then give it a go. The seeds are a challenge to germinate and once they do it will take a few years before you can harvest any.
The easiest option and the one that I go for it to buy the plants already started from my local nursery. They don’t tend to be expensive and you also wont have to wait long before harvesting it for your cooking.
The other option is to take cuttings from your plant. If you would like to give this a go then I would recommend checking out gardeners world they have a how to post where they break down how this is done and all you need. Click here to learn more.
Properties of rosemary
Rosemary has a lot of herbal properties including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, a bitter and nervine to name a few.
It can help calm an upset stomach that was triggered through stress,
Great aid to fight colds flus and coughs.
Just be careful if you are pregnant to only use culinary amounts. This isn’t medical advice I am not qualified to do so, you will need to talk to you doctor about this.
Uses for rosemary
Rosemary is a very strong herb so when using it in cooking you wont need much. You also just want to use the pine like needles and not the stalk.
It is wonderful on roasted vegetables, I will just add a whole sprig to the top of the vegs. Then once they are cooked mix it in so that the flavour infuses into the vegetables.
I love rosemary with most meats. Because it is such a strong herb it can overwhelm a dish if your not careful, so adjust the amounts depending on the dish. I like it with chicken but you only need to use a very small amount, with beef you can up the amount because it is a stronger meat. Start small and work up from there, you can always add more.
Try adding it to your winter stews and soups. It is a warming, drying and stimulating herb so that makes it wonderful for winter.
A sprig in a Moscow mule cocktail is also a winner.
Rosemary tea is another great option. Have you tried this yet?
Preserving rosemary
I like to dry my rosemary so I take the branches I have cut, tie them together with string and hang them in a protected area until dry. I then strip the pine shaped leaves off and store them in airtight containers.
Another is store the leaves frozen in water. Take an ice cube tray add the rosemary and water to each section and freeze.
You could also make a rosemary infused oil or vinegar. I do recommend drying you rosemary herb first this avoids it from going rancid too soon. olive oil would be a good base for oil, white wine vinegar would be my suggestion for vinegar. You can then use these in salad dressings. or a dip for fresh bread.
Hope you enjoy growing this herb. If you keep it happy you will get to enjoy rosemary for many years.
Leave me a comment, let me know how you grow and use this great herb.
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