All my herbs got wiped out last winter. So I am starting fresh.

At the moment I am wondering how many rosemary seedlings I can grow in a 17
inch pot. They don't spread out much but they have extended root systems.
Would 3 seedlings do well in a 17 inch pot?

Paul

On 5/12/11 12:50 AM, Paul M. Cook wrote:
All my herbs got wiped out last winter. So I am starting fresh.

At the moment I am wondering how many rosemary seedlings I can grow in a 17
inch pot. They don't spread out much but they have extended root systems.
Would 3 seedlings do well in a 17 inch pot?

Paul



They should do okay as long as you carefully monitor soil moisture.
Rosemary likes generally dry conditions, rotting with too much water;
but completely dry soil will likely cause the seedlings to die. The
rosemary bush in front of my house receives winter rains and perhaps 2-3
hose waterings from late spring until the rains start in early winter.
However, I suspect some roots have spread out under my neighbor's lawn,
which is watered several times a week through the summer; in that case
they are definitely under my roses, which get drip irrigation every
other day.

--
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

On 5/12/11 8:26 AM, David E. Ross wrote:
On 5/12/11 12:50 AM, Paul M. Cook wrote:
All my herbs got wiped out last winter. So I am starting fresh.

At the moment I am wondering how many rosemary seedlings I can grow in a 17
inch pot. They don't spread out much but they have extended root systems.
Would 3 seedlings do well in a 17 inch pot?

Paul



They should do okay as long as you carefully monitor soil moisture.
Rosemary likes generally dry conditions, rotting with too much water;
but completely dry soil will likely cause the seedlings to die. The
rosemary bush in front of my house receives winter rains and perhaps 2-3
hose waterings from late spring until the rains start in early winter.
However, I suspect some roots have spread out under my neighbor's lawn,
which is watered several times a week through the summer; in that case
they are definitely under my roses, which get drip irrigation every
other day.


Also, you need to keep the tops pruned so the plants don't outgrow the
ability of their roots to supply moisture and nutrients. With sweet bay
(Laurus nobilis), I found that allowing the plant to reach about the
width of the pot and about 10% taller than the pot is deep was
sufficient. When you harvest the rosemary, just keep the need to prune
in mind.

--
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

In article ,
"Paul M. Cook" wrote:

All my herbs got wiped out last winter. So I am starting fresh.

At the moment I am wondering how many rosemary seedlings I can grow in a 17
inch pot. They don't spread out much but they have extended root systems.
Would 3 seedlings do well in a 17 inch pot?

Paul

Typically, a root system will be as large as the vegetative part of the
plant. If you don't let the plants get larger than your pot, it
shouldn't be a problem.
--
- Billy

Bush's 3rd term: Obama plus another elective war
Bush's 4th term: another Judas goat

America is not broke. The country is awash in wealth and cash.
It's just that it's not in your hands. It has been transferred, in the
greatest heist in history, from the workers and consumers to the banks
and the portfolios of the uber-rich.
http://theuptake.org/2011/03/05/michael-moore-the-big-lie-wisconsin-is-broke/

On 5/12/11 9:55 AM, David E. Ross wrote:
On 5/12/11 8:26 AM, David E. Ross wrote:
On 5/12/11 12:50 AM, Paul M. Cook wrote:
All my herbs got wiped out last winter. So I am starting fresh.

At the moment I am wondering how many rosemary seedlings I can grow in a 17
inch pot. They don't spread out much but they have extended root systems.
Would 3 seedlings do well in a 17 inch pot?

Paul



They should do okay as long as you carefully monitor soil moisture.
Rosemary likes generally dry conditions, rotting with too much water;
but completely dry soil will likely cause the seedlings to die. The
rosemary bush in front of my house receives winter rains and perhaps 2-3
hose waterings from late spring until the rains start in early winter.
However, I suspect some roots have spread out under my neighbor's lawn,
which is watered several times a week through the summer; in that case
they are definitely under my roses, which get drip irrigation every
other day.


Also, you need to keep the tops pruned so the plants don't outgrow the
ability of their roots to supply moisture and nutrients. With sweet bay
(Laurus nobilis), I found that allowing the plant to reach about the
width of the pot and about 10% taller than the pot is deep was
sufficient. When you harvest the rosemary, just keep the need to prune
in mind.


I almost forgot. When pruning or merely harvesting rosemary, you must
either cut out the entire branch or else leave green shoots below the
cut. If you cut below the lowest green shoot, the branch will die back
to its base. This is true of all salvia relatives, including sage,
mint, oregano, and lavender.

--
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

It may be a good idea to start off the seedlings in smaller pots (say 3") and then put around 3 into the 17" pot once they've reached a good size in the 3" pot. This will help with the watering problems a bit more as small seedlings in very large pots, can be overwhealmed with watering more.

At work, we usually wait until rosemary is around 6" high before potting them on from 3" pots.