Rosemary

Where to plant it

In full sun, with at least six hours of direct sun, and in light soil with good drainage. It tolerates poor soils and likes chalky ones. What it can’t stand is wet roots, especially in winter: in clay soil, plant it in a raised bed or in a pot. Leave about 50 cm between plants.

Watering

In the first year, water regularly in summer so it takes root. After that, planted in the ground, it doesn’t usually need watering. In a pot the compost dries out quickly, so water during dry spells, but never leave the soil waterlogged.

Pruning

A light trim once a year, after flowering, keeps it compact and producing new shoots. Don’t cut into old wood. Upright varieties take an annual trim well as a low hedge. If an old plant has gone bare at the bottom, hard pruning doesn’t usually bring it back: it’s better to replace it with a plant grown from a cutting.

Feeding

In the ground it doesn’t need feeding and grows well even in poor soils. If it has been in the same pot for more than a year, a little granular fertiliser in late spring is enough.

In our climate

It’s a Mediterranean plant and suits low-water gardens. It suffers most when the cold arrives with the soil soaked; in a pot, during rainy winters, put it next to a wall where it doesn’t get so much rain. It’s easy to propagate from cuttings. If you’d like a low rosemary hedge, we can plant it and take care of its maintenance.