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David E. Ross · 04-04-2009, 04:07 PM posted to rec.gardens

On 4/3/2009 8:05 PM, wrote [in part]:
On Apr 3, 4:15 pm, I wrote [also in part]:

In font, I have a rosemary bush (Rosmarinus officinalis) in the ground.
It's about 30 years old. It's taller than I am and is currently in
bloom. It has beautiful branches, all twisted and gnarled; I prune it
to expose those branches.

I did a horrible pruning job on my Rosemary, which is over 30 years
old.
Have to wait until it recovers, and will keep in mind your idea of
exposing the branches.

Be careful when pruning rosemary. If you head back a branch, you must
leave some green foliage below the cut. Otherwise, the entire branch
will die back to its base. This is true with several other plants in
the same family, including sage and lavender. Thinning cuts (removing
an entire branch) are okay.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary