Exposure Full-sun
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Salvia rosmarinus. Rosemary has stiff stems with crisp, fir-like leaves and a strong, rich aroma. Dried leaves release more flavour if freshly crushed. Plant in full sun in the garden or a big container. This is one of the woody stemmed perennial herbs, and in the right spot, plants can become large and shrubby. If growing Rosemary seeds in containers, protect the plants from severe winter weather by taking them into a protected area like a garage or garden shed. The flowers of this oil rich herb are fragrant and very attractive to honeybees and other wild pollinators.
To harvest, cut entire branches from the plant, and dry indoors, hanging upside down in some airy place free from direct sunlight. Once dry, the leaves can be pulled off and stored in sealed containers. They remain aromatic for many months.
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Latin
Latin
Salvia rosmarinus (previously Rosmarinus officinalis)
Family: Lamiaceae
Difficulty
Difficulty
Challenging
Season & Zone
Season & Zone
Exposure: Full sun
Zone: Hardy to Zone 8
Timing
Timing
Sow indoors from late winter to early spring. Transplant or direct sow starting in late spring, once soil has warmed. Starting indoors is more reliable. Use bottom heat to maintain an optimal soil temperature of 27-32°C (80-90°F).
Starting
Starting
Most nurseries grow rosemary from cuttings, not seeds. Germination is notoriously low, so plant more seeds than needed. Sow them barely covered with sterilized seed starting mix over bottom heat. Once germinated, rosemary is highly prone to damping off, so keep watering to a minimum, provide bright light, and ventilation. Keep each plant in its own pot for the first winter and offer them protection from severe cold. Transplant to the garden the following spring at a spacing of 60-90cm (24-36″).
Growing
Growing
If growing rosemary in containers, provide monthly feedings of liquid fertilizer. Keep watered in hot weather. Mulch around all rosemary plants as cold weather approaches. If their roots freeze in times of hard frost, the plants will die.
Harvest
Harvest
Harvest individual leaves by pulling them off the plant. Harvest branches or stems for drying by cutting with a clean, very sharp knife. Scissors may crush the plant’s tissues at the cut end.
Companion Planting
Companion Planting
Rosemary is a good companion for beans, Brassicas, and carrots.
More on Companion Planting.
West Coast Seeds is a family-owned company that embraces an organic lifestyle. A group of imagination catalysts and passionate educators, dedicated to producing products and services that better the environment. As part of our mission to repair the earth, we aim to inspire and empower people to take responsibility for the state of the planet. For us, organic is about much more than saying no to chemicals, it is about saying yes to building a healthy soil for the future.
For over 35 years, we have upheld our strong reputation as a leading seed supplier, seeking out the highest quality untreated seeds for organic growing and putting them through rigorous independent testing. We built our company on the exchange of generational wisdom in a masterclass community of newbies and masters alike. Our world may have changed, but our commitment to our people, our customers, and our planet has not.
We’re a values-based business that has blossomed into a lifestyle ethos, with products that support seeders, feeders, keepers, and the tiniest of creepers. Our mission? To mobilize the next generation of gardeners with products that nourish soil and grow vigorous, sustainable gardens. We believe all plants should be grown without the use of chemicals, and that the seeds we supply are an important component of regenerative gardening.
We don’t just offer seeds, we offer experience, insight, and understanding. From timeless garden wisdom to new tech know-how, this is learning on the job: knowledge gleaned not from the pages of a book but from burying our fingers in the soil. We test, experiment, observe and adapt, never happier than when we get to share what we’ve learned with others.
Gardens don’t just grow seeds. They grow minds and imaginations, people and communities. Our vision encompasses both the micro and the macro. We eat locally, protect pollinators, teach people to grow from seed, and support regional biodiversity. We think big but act small and deliver unexpected impact — always with community and purpose.
At West Coast Seeds we believe in the power of small and that little can be large. Like the tiniest seed germinates to evoke incremental change with massive potential, so to can our community of gardeners and growers together. Gardeners are the earth’s stewards, planting seeds of creative declaration. The soil provides the canvas, we provide the seeds.
Sow indoors from late winter to early spring. Transplant once soil has warmed. Direct sowing in late spring may work, but starting indoors is more reliable. Use bottom heat to maintain an optimal soil temperature of 27-32°C (80-90°F).
Most nurseries grow rosemary from cuttings, as germination is notoriously low, so plant more seeds than needed. Sow them barely covered with sterilized seed starting mix over bottom heat. Once germinated, rosemary is highly prone to damping off, so keep watering to a minimum, provide bright light, and ventilation. Keep each plant in its own pot for the first winter and offer them protection from severe cold. Transplant to the garden the following spring at a spacing of 60-90cm (24-36″).
If growing rosemary in containers, provide monthly feedings of liquid fertilizer. Keep watered in hot weather. Mulch around all rosemary plants as cold weather approaches. If their roots freeze in times of hard frost, the plants will die.
Harvest individual leaves by pulling them off the plant. Harvest branches or stems for drying by cutting with a clean, very sharp knife. Scissors may crush the plant’s tissues at the cut end.
