Eigenvector wrote:
"George Shirley" wrote in message
...

Eigenvector wrote:


I may have goofed, this is my first herb garden and I think I planted the
wrong items next to each other.

I have rosemary planted next to my lavender plants and it looks like the
rosemary is going to take over the entire section - it's easily 5 times
larger than it was when I planted it in March. So now the lavender is
leaning to the sun, growing into the rosemary with the rosemary spreading
out in all directions growing into the lavender. The only thing that
grew more than the rosemary is the catnip - that thing is HUGE!

When I planted it I understood that rosemary was a bush, but I wasn't
expecting it to be a large bush. Can I clip it back and still maintain
its health - if so how do I clip it and where?

My rosemary has a trunk about four inches in diameter and can grow four
feet high and four feet wide in one growing year. I live in USDA Zone 9b
so it's pretty warm here. I've been in Seattle a time or two and it gets a
bit colder but rosemary will still grow into a tree if not pruned.

I whack mine back by about half the height and half the width each year.
Hasn't hurt it yet. YMMV

George



Yikes, I wasn't expecting a something that large. I guess I assumed
rosemary would be like thyme - something bushy but small and controllable.

So do you just cut it wherever? I just didn't want to kill the branches by
cutting them in the middle to shorten them up. I guess as a benefit I can
then tie the branches up and hang them in the kitchen - make it smell nice.


I just cut back everything that is encroaching on my other herbs.
Finally cut it all the way down one year, darned thing grew back from
the roots. You're right about the thyme though, makes a low-growing bush
for me. Oregano grows like a wild weed, which it once was, as were most
herbs.

Finally started potting up all the new starts in 3 inch pots and sold
them at the local farmer's market for a dollar apiece. Still do about
twice a year. Rest of it we dehydrate and send to relatives in a goody
box each year at Christmas along with home canned jams and jellies. I
use mostly the fresh herbs in my kitchen because it's an easy step out
back to cut some when needed.

One of the things that comes back every year and does well for me is
leaf celery. Found in many of the seed catalogs. Stalk celery doesn't
grow well here but I've found the leaf celery adds the wanted flavor to
stews, soups, and even salads.

George