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Rosemary question

post #1 of 7
4/13/07 at 11:28am
Thread Starter 
Hi, I'm wondering about digging up and moving my Rosemary bush?
I planted it two springs back, not expecting it to survive our winter..
It made it the first year pretty good, lost a little bit of it but it hung in there, and has now gone through its second winter.. One of our coldest winters in a long time.. Got frozen, flattened by heavy snow, pounded by rain and wind, and frozen a few times more..
I thought for sure it was a gonner but I have to say this plant has turned out to be pretty amazing!

This is my problem. I planted the tiny rosemary sprig in front of my miniature Hydrangea as I did not think it was going to last and would just enjoy using the fresh snippings until it died off..

Well, now the silly thing is huge!! The mini Hydrangea can barely been seen in the background..

I need to move my rosemary but at the same time I don't want to kill it in the process..
So I'm wondering, if I cut all the stems close to the ground, then dug it up and replanted elsewhere, will it be okay? Have any of you transplanted a large Rosemary shrub??
I'm just concerned that the lovely long stems will never come back, or even if it would survive at all..

Thanks for your help,
Joyfull
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post #2 of 7
4/13/07 at 11:47am
It would probably make it. But it also probably has pretty deep roots.

For insurance in keeping the rosemary, there are two methods. First is layering. You stake a branch so part of it lays on the ground. Over time, this branch will root itself. Trim it away from the existing plant and move it. You may already have some branches that have done this so look closely for free new plants.

Or take some cuttings, at least 5. They should have some hardish wood on them at the base. Rosemary is fairly easy to start from cuttings. Take a branch, 8 or so inches. Strip off the the bottom 3-4 inches of needles. Dust the stripped stem with Rootenone (commonly available at nurserys or through Richters Herbs - Medicinal, Culinary, Aromatic - Plants & Seeds) and plant in a pot and keep it damp. You can also start them in a glass of water and transplant as they start to root. I've had better luck with the potting method.

It sounds like you have an Arp rosemary, same as me. They're fairly cold hardy and grow fast into some big plants.

Some suggestions for using up your rosemary:

Bundle the some cut branches to use as a basting brush. The flavor of the rosemary carries through.

Strip off the needles and use the branch as a skewer. The rosemary will flavor the kabob.
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post #3 of 7
4/14/07 at 7:30am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the advice phatch,
and thanks for the basting/skewer tip! What a great idea that is!
I looked up the Arp rosemary and I'm pretty positive mines the same.. At least it looks the same in the photo..
Neat link actually.. If you wanna check it and other herbs etc. look here..
Peoria Gardens, Herbs, Wholesale Bedding Plant Nursery

This silly rosemary bush of mine has turned into quite the plant considering it said on the original container, "needs protection from the cold"!! :rolleyes:
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post #4 of 7
4/16/07 at 1:33pm
Many of the nursery/container tags/descriptions are quite generic and not always accurate. They are labeled to "be on the safe side" and used for plants in multiple USDA agricultural zones. Therefore, some plants may survive better in some zones than others, and it of course depends on the weather each year.

The plant you're moving may have also been in a somewhat proteted area, a microclimate of your planting space which also helped.

Be sure to dig it in the evening and plant it that night. Water it thoroughly. This way it will have a full night to deal with shock before the light of day. If at all possible, transplant before rain. Your plants will be grateful.
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post #5 of 7
4/18/07 at 12:28pm
Recently, due to "global warming", the "zoning" for plants has changed and especially for Minnesota, many plants formerly thought not to survive or do well in Minnesota are now considered acceptable to grow here.

doc
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post #6 of 7
4/19/07 at 4:01am
and the fact that rosemary is a plague of a plant that WONT DIE good thing i love it sooo much.
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post #7 of 7
4/19/07 at 11:46am
It may not die in Arizona because it doesn't get cold enough long enough, but in northern areas, rosemary absolutely does not survive outside in the winter.
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