Rosemary is an evergreen perennial herb, which belongs to the mint family. Maintaining favorable soil and environmental conditions is crucial for proper growth and development. A crucial practice that must be kept in mind for proper growth and development is the art and practice of pruning. What is pruning? Why is pruning essential for rosemary? In this post, you will learn all about how to prune rosemary in pots, pruning rosemary bushes and hedges, how to prune rosemary after freeze or prune rosemary for winter.
Pruning is a horticultural or silvicultural practice through which you cut some specific parts of plants. It includes branches, buds and leaves. Since the dawn of agriculture, pruning has played vital functions like:
- Pruning helps to remove any diseased, dead and damaged branches.
- Non-reproductive and structurally unwanted parts can be cut off.
- Pruning is done to maintain proper shape and size without affecting growth, development and production.
Following the importance of pruning in the plant realm this article covers all aspects, types, techniques and tips on rosemary pruning. The middle section of this article is related to frequently asked questions, and the last section labels some common myths regarding pruning.
Which tools do you need for pruning rosemary?
- Sharp pruning shears like these ones- highly recommended.
- Loppers- Optional
- Pruning saw- Optional
- Gardening gloves- Recommended. Some people will feel irritation when pruning rosemary, because of volatile oils it contains in the leaves. Your hands might also get sticky.
- Herb container preservers or jars like this – These are used for storing the leaves, stems and flowers of pruned rosemary.
- Small containers and pots for indoor gardening from snippets.
Pruning rosemary in pots and bushes
Pruning is a critical aspect of growing and maintaining rosemary both indoors and in outdoor gardens. The techniques for pruning rosemary indoors in pots and outdoor gardens are different. So, we will cover them in different sections.
How to prune rosemary in pots (indoor garden)?
When you grow rosemary in pots or indoor home garden it is important to evaluate shape, size and structure each spring season. When necessary, repot the herb in new soil and prune the roots every spring or summer.
The growth, development and size of the herb are all limited to the size of the pot you are growing your rosemary in. It will get as big as the size of the pot or container. While evaluating your herb in the pot you must check for vertical length or height. If it has attained the height of the pot then consider pruning your rosemary herb or transplant it to a bigger pot.
For pruning, you must use sharp garden snips, shears or scissors like this. Trim about 2 inches of the root matter and side shoot section before repotting it. Keep the pruned shoots and roots in the shade for 2 to 3 days. This allows your rosemary to acclimatize to the changes. Prune bottom parts of the plant routinely to remove old leaves that block the soil. This will also promote bushier growth.
If you are pruning for harvest, make sure to never harvest more than 1/4 of the total rosemary plant. You can cut 6-inch (15.2 cm) sections of fresh leaves for immediate use, by snipping from top sections of the plant. The top sections are fresh and great for cooking (more aromatic).
If your rosemary always grows too large in a pot, you might look into a different rosemary variety that grows more slowly. This is for example, ‘Prostrate’ rosemary, and it’s ideal for container growing and hanging baskets. That’s because it stays small and cascades beautifully.
How to prune rosemary bushes?
There are four ways of pruning your rosemary bushes:
- Selective thinning
- Heading cuts
- Renovating or rejuvenating
- Shearing
Selective thinning
Selective thinning is a pruning method that is practiced in both indoor and outdoor gardens. Using this method, you simply cut the branches or axillary shoots back to the point of attachment to the main stem of rosemary.
Benefits of selective thinning in rosemary include:
- It promotes the plant canopy.
- The movement of fresh air in the foliage section is significantly increased.
- Increased sunlight penetration, meaning better photosynthesis.
- Reduced risk of fungal infestation and diseases.
Selective thinning does not boost new growth. It maintains the natural growth habit of your rosemary in an outdoor garden.
Heading cuts
This type of pruning involves removing parts of stems or branches. Heading cut pruning helps the growth of new shoots just below the cut. Also, it gives a bushy appearance to a rosemary plant.
Heading cuts must be done when the herb is young, or in its initial growth stage, in order to stimulate new shoots. However, heading cuts must not be done repeatedly. That’s because it can lead to a higher density of leaves at the tips, but a lower density at the back end of shoots.
Renovating or rejuvenating
Most horticulturists and rosemary gardeners choose selective thinning and head cuts methods of pruning. However sometimes, farmers and gardeners opt for rejuvenating rosemary instead. Renovating is the practice of making deep cuts to the rosemary herb. A 3 to 4-year-old rosemary herb is best for renovating.
This is primarily done during the winter season when your rosemary herb is in the dormant phase. You can use hand pruners for rejuvenating your 4-year-old plant. If axillary stems are hard to cut, you can opt for loppers with long handles.
Shearing
Shearing is the practice of removing the end branches of your rosemary plant. This method is used for making geometrically different shapes and sizes of a plant. Landscaping and designing of your outdoor rosemary garden are possible only through shearing.
Some farmers and gardeners use shearing as a pruning method because they do not know other pruning methods. Expert gardeners and horticulturists advise avoiding shear pruning for rosemary because:
- Shearing is labor-intensive.
- Time-consuming: Repeat shearing is required to maintain the shape and size of the herb.
- It negatively affects the growth habit and gives your rosemary an unnatural and synthetic look.
From the above-mentioned pruning practices, the best pruning practice for your rosemary is light pruning and heading cuts with little rejuvenating. Well, if you want to get new shapes and sizes for your rosemary garden you can opt for shearing.
Tips for pruning your rosemary plant
Following tips are important to keep in mind while pruning your rosemary in pots and in outdoor gardens:
- Late spring and early summer are among the best seasons for pruning your rosemary. Avoid autumn and winter seasons. Consider only rejuvenating in winter.
- Pruning shears and loppers must be sharp to make deep and sharp cuts.
- Discolored and dead flowers must be removed before pruning your rosemary.
- Infected, diseased and dead shoots must be clipped off.
- The cuts from pruning shears and loppers must be not too deep. Cuts that are 2 to 3 inches deep are always recommended. Deep cuts negatively influence your herb and in the worst scenario your herb may dry out.
- Do not use pruning shears and scissors for pruning thicker rosemary branches. You must use sharp loppers.
- 1/3rd portion of axillary stems must be pruned in case of overgrown rosemary.
- After initial pruning wait for 6 to 8 weeks for another touch-up pruning.
- Cris-cross and structurally-off stems must be pruned away.
- Consider pruning your herb for proper growth and development once or twice a year
Frequently asked questions on rosemary pruning
When to prune rosemary?
The general recommendation on rosemary pruning is to prune after flowering has completed. Rosemary blooms during the spring season. Frequent light pruning is an important part of maintaining vigorous rosemary. The best time to prune your herb is late spring when flowering is completed.
How to prune a rosemary bush?
If you are up to pruning your rosemary bush, consider the following tips:
- Pull off all the flowers that have lost their aroma and natural color or have faded.
- Use pruning shears to cut just below the flower area.
- In case of a non-flowering season clip off the top few inches of the axillary stems.
- Avoid going deep down to old wood and don’t cut into bare stems – they won’t branch out or grow back.
- Avoid cutting deep down with pruning shears and loppers, because cold and frost conditions will kill your herb.
- It is important to keep in mind to cut off all the branches 1 to 2 inches down to promote bushy growth.
During the next growing season, a cut branch will each give rise to two new branches. It gives your rosemary a bushy appearance.
How to prune your rosemary after a freeze?
Rosemary is a winter-hardy evergreen perennial herb that grows from 20 inches to 6 feet vertically. It survives cool to cold conditions but the temperature well below 17 degrees Fahrenheit (-8 Celsius) is dangerous for the survival of your rosemary.
If your rosemary has survived frost conditions, then it is wise to wait until any chances of frost and freezing conditions are over before pruning. Off season frost can damage your rosemary significantly. Following steps are critical to successfully carry out pruning of rosemary after freeze:
First of all, check out for shoots and branches that are dead. It is wise to cut them off first. If the whole branch is dead, then prune the whole branch with the help of pruning shears from the main branch.
The pruned branches on the main stem must be treated with a pruning sealer like this or similar. It seals all the wounds. This way you can minimize the chances of insects, pest and fungal infestations and diseases.
It is considered a good step to prune freeze-damaged tips. Use scissors to prune the tips in an indoor garden, and pruning shears in an outdoor garden.
Shear pruning is the best practice to be conducted on 4 to 6 year old outdoor rosemary to give proper shape and size.
You are good to go with pruning after a freeze if you follow the above-mentioned steps.
How to prune rosemary to make it bushy?
Some gardeners opt for rosemary which is bushy in appearance. The following points must be kept in mind while pruning the herb for a bushy appearance.
- Using pruning shears, cut the end portion, 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) around the herb. You must cut off 2 inches (5 cm) of all the branches, vertically and horizontally.
- Pruning the branches will force them to split and create more new branches to obtain a bushy appearance.
How to prune rosemary after flowering?
Pruning serves many purposes. The best time to prune your herb is after the end of flowering in late spring. Why is the late spring the best? Well, late spring pruning serves two critical functions.
- It allows the herb to grow during the summer and autumn seasons.
- It provides enough time for rosemary to harden before the onset of winter frost and freeze.
The following section describes the procedure to prune your rosemary after flowering.
- Remove all the flowers which are dead or lost their color, with the help of sharp pruners.
- Use the long loppers to cut and shorten the stems. Both dead and structurally unwanted stems must be cut off from the main stem.
- Stems that carry little to no foliage must be snipped off with the help of pruning shears.
- Consider not to cut the axillary stems down too far.
- Once pruned, wait 2 to 3 years to rejuvenate it.
How to prune your rosemary in an aero-garden?
Today, gardens are not limited to outdoor and pot gardening only. Technological advancement has led us to the development of aero-gardens. Pruning the rosemary in the aero-garden involves:
- Rosemary leaf sets grow close to one another. You must follow the stem back to the previous leaf set and cut right above the garnish.
- You can certainly harvest more by cutting down the stem, not taking more than 1/4 of the total plant.
- It is advisable to use pruning scissors to cut the stem of 1/3rd of the total.
What are the benefits of pruning the rosemary?
Pruning helps to remove dead, diseased, damaged and dysfunctional parts of rosemary. Also, it allows for increased airflow and light penetration. The chances of diseases, infection and infestation decrease significantly.
How to prune rosemary for winter?
Prune rosemary no later than a month to five weeks before winter. Or, to be exact, before first freezing temperatures. Avoid pruning too many rosemary stems/leaves during winter for cooking, because the plant might not bounce back.
What to do with pruned snippets?
You have probably pruned your rosemary using different techniques. Don’t know what to do with the snippets? The pruned snippets can be used for the following purposes:
- The pruned snippets or cuttings can be dried to use during the winter season.
- You can extract rosemary oil and herb butter from the pruned stems and flowers of rosemary.
- Vegetative propagation is the best choice for pruned snippets to get more rosemary in an indoor and outdoor garden.
What are some common myths about pruning rosemary?
Number 1: Pruning is difficult to carry out. If you know a little bit about your plant’s growth habit and flowering time, then pruning is quite simple and straightforward.
Number 2: When pruned in the wrong way, the plant will die. Plants and other herbs need pruning at a certain stage. Pruning isn’t too hard to do, and if you know the maximum volume you can prune, your plant will be fine. Not pruning your plant will also damage it over time.
Number 3: Pruning must be done only in winter. This is the top misconception about pruning plants and herbs. Most herbs are pruned during late spring and early summer, including rosemary. If you prune your rosemary during the growing season, then you are actually helping the plant thrive. Growing season pruning allows it to recover from all kinds of wounds.
Number 4: Hedge Shears must be used to prune shrubs like rosemary. Gardeners use hedge shears to prune hedges only. If you are not interested in making hedges, then do not use hedge shears. Choose pruning loppers instead.
Thank you for reading this post on pruning rosemary! If you would like to learn more about rosemary care, please see this page.