The aromatic and very versatile rosemary should not be missing in any herb garden. The shrub, which is actually quite easy to care for, has only one problem: It is not at home in the typical German climate and freezes quickly if it is not wintered properly. It does occasionally get cold in its Mediterranean homeland, but bone-chilling cold and double-digit sub-zero temperatures are rather rare in the Mediterranean. Nevertheless, hardy rosemary can be found in many a well-stocked garden center. These are special breeds.
Hardy or hardy?
Many a garden owner is quickly misled by terms such as "hardy" and "hardy". In particular, the term "winterproof" suggests great insensitivity to winter cold; exactly the opposite is the case. Most varieties of rosemary are winter hardy but not hardy. This means that they can withstand low temperatures around the freezing point, minus degrees in the low single-digit range, but only with the appropriate protection. Hardy varieties, on the other hand, also survive cold periods with lower temperatures down to minus 15 or even minus 22 °C, depending on the variety. Winter-hardy rosemary varieties are only allowed to stay outside in the German wine-growing regions in the cold season, hardy ones in the rest of the republic as well.
Few hardy varieties
Unfortunately, there are very few really hardy rosemary varieties, most are either hardy or can only tolerate lower temperatures for a short period of time. If you are looking for hardy rosemary, you should stick to the following varieties:
- Veitshöchheim rosemary (cultivation from Franconia specially adapted to German conditions)
- "Blue Winter" (hardy to minus 20 °C, very robust)
- "Hill Hardy" (conditionally hardy with appropriate protection)
- "Arp" (very insensitive to frost)
Other varieties are only conditionally hardy or hardy. The popular varieties "Salem" and the "pine rosemary" are among the most sensitive rosemaries and are not even winter-proof.
Overwinter rosemary properly
Whether rosemary can overwinter in the garden or not depends not only on the variety, but also on other factors such as age, climate and location. Younger rosemary plants are much more sensitive to cold and frost than rosemary from the third year, which are already well and deeply rooted in the soil. The location is important in that neither the roots nor the branches may freeze - i. H. the plant must be protected by choosing the location wisely. Therefore, south-facing locations surrounded by walls or house walls that emit heat are particularly suitable for planting. Young plants and only hardy rosemary are best potted over the winter in a cool but frost-free room with temperatures around 10 °C. Hardy and older plants, on the other hand, can remain in the garden, but should be protected from the cold with a thick layer of brushwood and leaves.
tips and tricks
Like other Mediterranean plants, rosemary should be pruned in early to mid-August at the latest, but not in autumn. Such a cut would make it difficult for the plant to survive the winter.
IJA