We had an unusually cold day or two this winter (zone 8, bordering on 9) when
it went down to -9 C.(it usually hovers around freezing or maybe 2 or 3 degrees
below).

I lost a large Rosemary bush, and I guess I had forgotten that it was a bit
tender (others in less exposed locations came through without blinking).

Do people in less clement areas normally keep Roesmary as a pot plant?

"Bill Spohn" wrote in message
...
We had an unusually cold day or two this winter (zone 8, bordering on 9)
when
it went down to -9 C.(it usually hovers around freezing or maybe 2 or 3
degrees
below).

I lost a large Rosemary bush, and I guess I had forgotten that it was a
bit
tender (others in less exposed locations came through without blinking).

Do people in less clement areas normally keep Roesmary as a pot plant?

I'm not sure what -9C translates to on the Farenheit scale, but I am also in
zone 8 (PNW) and we had a few lows this winter into the lower teens,
approximately 15-20 degrees below freezing. Rosemary should be perfectly
hardy in our areas even under those occasional unseasonal circumstances so
I'd guess that perhaps drainage is not as sharp as it could be. More often
than not in our mild climates, it is not the cold that kills plants but
winter wet rotting the root system.

FWIW, my 6 y.o. rosemary - 'Tuscan Blue' - came through the winter
unscathed, as did a number of marginally hardy (for our zone) plants like
Phormium, hebes, etc. I'd suggest you replace it with a very hardy cultivar
like 'Arp' or 'Hill Hardy' (zone 6), but make sure the soil is lean and the
drainage very good. And yes, rosemary does make an excellent container
plant, but it wants to grow large so select your container accordingly.

pam - gardengal

(Bill Spohn) wrote in
:

We had an unusually cold day or two this winter (zone 8, bordering on
9) when it went down to -9 C.(it usually hovers around freezing or
maybe 2 or 3 degrees below).

I lost a large Rosemary bush, and I guess I had forgotten that it was
a bit tender (others in less exposed locations came through without
blinking).

Do people in less clement areas normally keep Roesmary as a pot plant?


I'm in zone 7a and have 3 big rosemary's that winter over just fine each
year. One is up against the house and is protected. The others are used
in various landscaping on the outer edges of the yard. They all come
through just fine each winter. Worse case senario is one or two limbs
have to be cut back due to damage.

--


NC In Da House
---------------

"Bill Spohn" wrote in message
...
We had an unusually cold day or two this winter (zone 8, bordering on 9)
when
it went down to -9 C.(it usually hovers around freezing or maybe 2 or 3
degrees
below).

I lost a large Rosemary bush, and I guess I had forgotten that it was a
bit
tender (others in less exposed locations came through without blinking).

Do people in less clement areas normally keep Roesmary as a pot plant?

Yes..I do and it won't live if it is overwatered!

On 13 Mar 2004 18:04:00 GMT, (Bill Spohn) wrote:

We had an unusually cold day or two this winter (zone 8, bordering on 9) when
it went down to -9 C.(it usually hovers around freezing or maybe 2 or 3 degrees
below).

I lost a large Rosemary bush, and I guess I had forgotten that it was a bit
tender (others in less exposed locations came through without blinking).

Do you mean the bush is obviously dead? Or are you wondering if it
might be? My late, lamented rosemary bush (it died of disease, not
cold) was against a west-facing brick wall and survived -19C one
winter. The bigger the bush, the better its chances, of course.

Do people in less clement areas normally keep Roesmary as a pot plant?

Often.

On 13 Mar 2004 18:04:00 GMT, (Bill Spohn) wrote:

We had an unusually cold day or two this winter (zone 8, bordering on 9) when
it went down to -9 C.(it usually hovers around freezing or maybe 2 or 3 degrees
below).

I lost a large Rosemary bush, and I guess I had forgotten that it was a bit
tender (others in less exposed locations came through without blinking).

Do people in less clement areas normally keep Roesmary as a pot plant?

Yes! For years I read about mulching them heavily, etc., etc. and
wound up with dead rosemary. Apparently "tender perennial" is the
kindest thing you can say about it.

I now have one in a ten inch pot that I set in the ground over the
summer -- May through mid-October in cold side of zone 6. I bring it
in when the first sub-freezing temperatures threaten. I prune it
back pretty well (my harvest for the year!) and keep it in front of a
window in a cool basement area. I've read conflicting reports about
it liking to be dry or not. I'm currently using a bonsai-type soil --
bark chips, granite grit, etc. that screens between 1/8" and 1/4 " for
good drainage and watering every few days.

Have had it a half dozen years now. It's blooming lightly as we
e-speak.

DaveT

I'm not sure what -9C translates to on the Farenheit scale, but I am also in
zone 8 (PNW) and we had a few lows this winter into the lower teens,
approximately 15-20 degrees below freezing. Rosemary should be perfectly
hardy in our areas even under those occasional unseasonal circumstances so
I'd guess that perhaps drainage is not as sharp as it could be. More often
than not in our mild climates, it is not the cold that kills plants but
winter wet rotting the root system.

Good thought - it might not be the best drainage.

If it survives where you are (Seattle?) it will here (a warm part near
Vancouver) too.

I cut it back hard and we shall see if there is any life left in the poor
thing. Lucky the other one in a spot under a tree is growing all over
everything else or I'd be facing lamb without Rosemary (or with store bought,
which just doesn't seem the same).

I'm not sure what -9C translates to on the Farenheit scale, but I am also in
zone 8 (PNW) and we had a few lows this winter into the lower teens,
approximately 15-20 degrees below freezing. Rosemary should be perfectly
hardy in our areas even under those occasional unseasonal circumstances so
I'd guess that perhaps drainage is not as sharp as it could be. More often
than not in our mild climates, it is not the cold that kills plants but
winter wet rotting the root system.

Good thought - it might not be the best drainage.

If it survives where you are (Seattle?) it will here (a warm part near
Vancouver) too.

I cut it back hard and we shall see if there is any life left in the poor
thing. Lucky the other one in a spot under a tree is growing all over
everything else or I'd be facing lamb without Rosemary (or with store bought,
which just doesn't seem the same).

"Bill Spohn" wrote in message
...
I'm not sure what -9C translates to on the Farenheit scale, but I am also
in
zone 8 (PNW) and we had a few lows this winter into the lower teens,
approximately 15-20 degrees below freezing. Rosemary should be perfectly
hardy in our areas even under those occasional unseasonal circumstances
so
I'd guess that perhaps drainage is not as sharp as it could be. More
often
than not in our mild climates, it is not the cold that kills plants but
winter wet rotting the root system.

Good thought - it might not be the best drainage.

If it survives where you are (Seattle?) it will here (a warm part near
Vancouver) too.

Yes, it is reliably hardy here (Seattle) - I use it as hedging in landscape
designs often and particularly like the prostrate forms to cascade in sunny
rockeries or over the side of the those ugly concrete, tunnel-like driveways
to underground garages

And lamb without rosemary (or even chicken without rosemary, for that
matter ) is simply not to be considered :-))

pam - gardengal

On Sat, 13 Mar 2004 22:22:59 GMT, "Pam - gardengal"
wrote:


I'm not sure what -9C translates to on the Farenheit scale,

I've found this *very* handy.

http://www.albireo.ch/temperatureconverter/

On Sat, 13 Mar 2004 22:22:59 GMT, "Pam - gardengal"
wrote:


I'm not sure what -9C translates to on the Farenheit scale,

I've found this *very* handy.

http://www.albireo.ch/temperatureconverter/

I've grown rosemary in Maryland, right at the border of Zones 6 and 7,
and it survives 4 out of 5 years, planted against the east side of a
fence. Despite a pretty nasty January this year, it did ok.

I've grown rosemary in Maryland, right at the border of Zones 6 and 7,
and it survives 4 out of 5 years, planted against the east side of a
fence. Despite a pretty nasty January this year, it did ok.

Michelle wrote:

On Wed, 24 Mar 2004 07:21:15 GMT, Robert Salmon
wrote:

I've grown rosemary in Maryland, right at the border of Zones 6 and 7,
and it survives 4 out of 5 years, planted against the east side of a
fence. Despite a pretty nasty January this year, it did ok.
I grow it in pennsylvania next to my house no troubles comes back
every year and makes my potatoes taste good too yummy

I'm in Nashville and my 3 year old rosemary is in bloom for the first
time - woo woo!

Kate (the first tulip bloomed yesterday!)