Regular harvesting is not enough for rosemary to thrive vitally and healthily for many years. The Mediterranean herbal plant only becomes a feast for the senses in combination with well-considered pruning care. Read this tutorial on when and how to properly cut rosemary.

Rosemary should always be cut on soft, unwoody parts of the plant

Table of Contents

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  1. Crop pruning is not enough
  2. Types of cuts and dates
  3. Crop Pruning Guide
  4. Maintenance Pruning Guide
  5. Taper Cut Guide
  6. Which scissors?
  7. frequently asked Questions

    8. Crop pruning is not enough

    Rosemary is attributed to the subshrubs. The popular kitchen herb plays in a league with lavender, thyme or bearded flowers. Plants in this category thrive for several years, gradually becoming woody from the base. It is the herbaceous areas that are renewed every year and from which the spicy leaves sprout. Without a cut, the lignification prevails, so that a rosemary bush visibly wilts.

    Although you continuously prune your rosemary when harvesting, the aromatic herb needs comprehensive maintenance pruning so that woody growth does not gain the upper hand.

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    Rosemary stingy with sleeping eyes

    Do not cut rosemary into the wood. As exuberantly as the Mediterranean herbal plant gives us with blooms and aroma, it is just as stingy when it comes to planting sleeping eyes. Botanists refer to dormant buds as the sleeping eye. Only when active plant parts fail due to a cut, storm or frost damage do dormant buds come alive and replace lost shoots. In contrast to many native trees, rosemary does without the iron reserve. As a result, the plant does not sprout or only very hesitantly after cutting too deep into woody areas.

    Types of cuts and dates

    A magnificent rosemary bush is the result of harvest and maintenance pruning. In an old, neglected plant, lignification is on the rise. Under certain conditions, you can revitalize senile rosemary with a targeted cut. The following overview summarizes recommended types of cuts with suitable dates:

    cut type goal/occasion best appointment alternative date
    crop cut Premium quality harvest just before flowering begins all year round (behind glass) April to August (in the bed)
    maintenance cut thin out, prevent lignification mid-May to mid-June after flowering
    taper cut revitalize old rosemary before budding May (after the Ice Saints)

    Harvest whole shoots

    The spiciness of your rosemary at its best when flowering is about to begin. Classic varieties such as 'Veitshöchheim' or 'Arp' unfold their buds between April/May and June/July, depending on the weather and site conditions. Cold-sensitive hanging rosemary takes its time until June before it begins its flowering period. You should keep an eye on shape and vitality as early as during the harvest. How to properly harvest rosemary:

    • The best time is during the morning hours when the morning dew has evaporated
    • Ideally, cut off entire shoots instead of pinching off individual needle leaves
    • Harvest rosemary evenly and do not cut on one side

    When harvesting the small potted rosemary, do the maintenance pruning at the same time. For this purpose, thin out damaged or dried branches. Give the plant a hemispherical shape to allow sunlight to penetrate inside for dense leafy growth.

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    Dried rosemary remains aromatic

    The aroma content is at its zenith just before the flowering period begins. Now you should harvest and preserve the annual requirement of rosemary. Unlike many other herbs, rosemary loses little of its flavor when the sprigs are air-dried. Tie the shoots into a small bouquet with raffia ribbon. Hang this upside down in a dark, airy place. During the next 2 to 3 weeks, check the binding material from time to time to ensure that it is not loosening. Finally, strip off the spicy needles and store the harvest in a dark screw-top jar.

    Cut rosemary in spring

    If your rosemary has spent the cold season in the frost-free winter quarters, the time window for the maintenance cut opens in early spring. If you keep the herbal plant outdoors, please wait until after the ice saints before pruning. If belated ground frosts hit freshly cut shoots, the plant will not survive the dilemma unscathed. Better to be on the safe side, only note the date in the care plan after the flowering period. How to properly cut rosemary:

    • Thin out branches that are too narrow and pointing inwards
    • Cut off stunted, wilted, limp shoots at the base
    • Cut back the remaining shoots by a third or half
    • Start the cut a short distance from the woody area

    Oddly enough, dry rosemary sprigs are often the result of overwatering and waterlogging. In this case, you should repot the affected plant in fresh substrate after cutting. Place some potsherds on the bottom of the pot to prevent future waterlogging. From now on, only water your rosemary when the soil is noticeably dry.

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    You should postpone the editing time if the sky has opened its floodgates beforehand. Moisture not only affects the aroma content of fresh sprigs of rosemary. Soaked shoots are not suitable for drying because mold can quickly form on damp plant tissue.

    Rejuvenate old rosemary

    Without regular pruning, a rosemary will age within a few years. Garden plants that have been forgotten in a sunny niche are often affected. A sparse leaf dress promises only a small crop yield. However, the neglected herbal plant has proven to be robust and hardy. Reason enough to prescribe a rejuvenation pruning instead of immediately clearing the Mediterranean survivor. How to proceed professionally:

    • The best time is just before budding begins
    • Thin out all dead wood at ground level
    • Cut out largely bare, lignified and weak shoots
    • Aged branches become slimmer by being diverted to a side shoot

    A cut into the old wood is taboo on all subshrubs. Nevertheless, a woody shoot signals courage by allowing a lateral, young, herbaceous shoot to sprout. This is the perfect premise for a derivative cut with a rejuvenating effect. Cuts are made where old and fresh wood branch out. The figure below illustrates the skilful cut. Then give a generous portion of compost or an organic complete fertilizer and water.

    Divert senile branches to a lower side shoot that grows outward. Be sure to avoid cutting into old wood, because rosemary will no longer sprout there.

    Which scissors are suitable?

    Conventional household scissors are sufficient for harvesting and maintenance pruning on young rosemary in a pot. It is best to cut adult herbal plants with bypass pruning shears, rose or boxwood shears. These scissors models work with two sharp cutting edges and leave smooth cuts.

    Trendy herb scissors with 5 to 7 blades are not recommended for cutting rosemary. Such constructions are primarily suitable for parsley, chives or lettuce.

    Meticulous cleanliness and sharp edges ultimately qualify the tool for cutting rosemary. Germs and pathogens lie in wait to get into the plant pathways via contaminated scissors and knives. Dull blades leave frayed, bruised cuts that are welcome targets for fungal spores and pests. Sharpen the cutting edges regularly, either manually or by machine. Before each use, clean the cutting tool with hot water and disinfect it down to the last niche with Sagrotan or spirit.

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    Be aware of the risk of confusion with heather rosemary

    With slender, lanceolate leaves, heather rosemary (Andromeda polifolia) misleads us. In fact, it is an evergreen heather plant with highly toxic ingredients. The nasty small shrub can be found in Germany mainly in the low mountain ranges, the Bavarian Alps and in heath and upland moor areas. The risk of confusion with real rosemary is only averted in autumn, because the leaves turn bright red or intensively yellow.

    frequently asked Questions

    There is a mature rosemary in our garden that we would like to transplant. What should be considered when changing location?

    The best time to transplant rosemary is in spring. Cut back all shoots by half. Be sure to avoid cutting old wood. Inevitably, a lot of root mass is lost, which is compensated for by the pruning. Please ensure a continuous and plentiful water supply. Drought stress is the most common cause when rosemary transplants fail. Furthermore, we recommend a balanced supply of nutrients from April to the end of July with compost or an organic fertilizer.

    When and how do I harvest rosemary correctly?

    You can basically harvest rosemary all year round, as long as the plant is big enough and spends the winter behind glass. Fresh shoots are particularly aromatic. Just before the flowering period begins, the Mediterranean herbal plant gives you the tastiest harvest. Rosemary lovers harvest the annual requirement in spring (April/May) in one go and hang the branches upside down to dry. The flowers, which are as pretty as they are tasty, are only suitable for fresh consumption.

    Is rosemary hardy?

    As a Mediterranean herbal plant, rosemary is only hardy to a very limited extent. Ideally, the aromatic subshrub is cultivated in a pot and overwintered behind glass in a frost-free place. In regions with mild winters, there is the option of growing rosemary in the garden. The plant survives the cold season with extensive winter protection. Put a hood made of jute or garden fleece over the branches. Please cover the root disc with a thick layer of leaves and needle brushwood. In early spring, cut back all shoots by half.

    I have my large rosemary pot inside in front of the kitchen window in winter. Entire branches often dry up and turn brown. Should I cut back the plant?

    It's far too warm for your rosemary at the kitchen window in winter. Brown, dried up twigs indicate that fungus is spreading on the weakened herb plant. A change of location may fix the problem. Rosemary should hibernate frost-free but cool at temperatures between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius. Water sparingly and do not apply fertilizer until the end of March. After the ice saints, clear out the plant. Thin out dead shoots and cut back the remaining branches in the herbaceous area by half.

    Our rosemary bush is 1.50 meters tall, sprawling and woody at the bottom. Now in May the flowering period is coming to an end. Can I cut back the plant now?

    The best time to cut is in the spring after the main frost period. Pruning is possible after flowering, provided you don't work in the midsummer heat or severe drought. First clear out all dead wood. All other shoots can be cut back to just above the woody area. Ideally, give the bush a hemispherical shape for light-filled growth.

    The 3 most common cutting mistakes

    The good-natured pruning tolerance of rosemary suggests that the Mediterranean herbal plant forgives every mistake. Unfortunately, this is not the case, as the following table shows. A wrong time or a too deep cut in the wood bring the opulent herb to its floral limits. Familiarize yourself with the 3 most common cutting mistakes and benefit from tried-and-tested tips for prevention.

    cutting error damage picture prevention
    cut into the wood Growth depression, total failure always cut in the herbaceous area
    no maintenance cut premature lignification Cut back by half in spring and thin out
    cut in autumn or late winter frozen rosemary cut in the bed after the ice saints
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    tips

    Semi-lignified clippings are excellent for propagating rosemary. Choose cuttings that are 10 cm long and defoliate the lower half. In a pot with potting soil, the offshoots find time and leisure to vigorously root. A transparent hood made of film or glass, which you ventilate for a few minutes every day, is beneficial for the process. Keep the substrate constantly slightly moist and do not apply fertilizer.

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Vegetable garden