Rosemary is still alive in Wisconsin. How to overwinter?
 

Amazingly, my rosemary is still outside and THRIVING. Usually I just buy a small cheap plant (usually with a coupon) from the local Shopko garden center every year.

But this one is hanging on despite several frosts. Of course it's been an unusual year, this december feels more like october or march. :twisted:

So my question is: this rosemary is in my old herb bed, near the vegetable garden and is currently unprotected. Can I protect it and try to overwinter?

(If it dies, then I will just spend the extra in the spring to buy an ARP cultivar and plant it in my new herb/flower bed in front of a south facing brick wall.)

I don't think it's going to survive outside in your zone.

You could try digging it up, putting it in a container and growing it as a houseplant for the winter. Alternatively, you could snip off a few stems and root them in water. One might take, and then you'd have a new plant for next year.

Linda

I've tried to overwinter Rosemary. I didn't go crazy and build it a house but mulched heavily and it never made it so I stopped trying. I like the idea of digging it up and putting it in the house. Maybe trim back the branches a decent amount too?

This was brought up in another thread and I think Hill hardy is the best one for cold weather.
My Tuscan blue has skipped right through 10 degree weather but you guys get well below zero and your ground freezes.

Worth

Yeah I don't think it will either. An ARP will survive zone 5/6 which is what the south facing brick wall is.

I should cut it all down and dry it all for cooking. But I can't bring it inside. I have evil rosemary loving cats. I've brought in 2 rosemarys so far and every time the one cat nibbles them to death. Rooting a cutting might work...since I can keep it on a small shelf high above kitty jumping abilities. :))

[QUOTE=BackyardFarm;518897] high above kitty jumping abilities. :))[/QUOTE]

Felines have skills

Darned cats!!!!!

I always thought I was terrible with plants indoors until I caught the cats nibbling. They've killed many things that cats aren't supposed to like or that supposedly taste nasty.

Now I know anything I do have must be in a hanging planter or be in a terrarium. That's a thought. Potted herbs in an old fish tank....that could work...if I can find a spot in front of a window or can reuse the lighting...

I'm (supposedly) zone 5 here in northern Nevada. The ground freezes and our winter lows are in the teens usually. I've got a rosemary plant that I bought at Walmart about seven years ago in a 1-gallon pot, and it's in the garden and has grown into a huge plant and is still going strong. I mostly ignore it in the winter and make sure it's watered in the summer. Next to it I've also got a huge sage plant, also originally from WM. These plants don't "come back" each year, they have never died. It's out there under a couple inches of snow right now.

Robin

Wow Robin those plants must be in a very sheltered spot, or else you live in a micro-climate.

That almost makes me want to experiment with a sacrificial Rosemary plant :twisted:

We must be colder than you, but the worst things are those late freezes where a plant makes it all the way through the cold winter, puts out its spring buds and WHAM, it gets nailed by a late freeze and dies.

Sage is a perennial for me, but dies back each winter.

Linda

I root rosemary by cutting several branches, putting them in a vase for decoration and scent on my desk, and a few weeks later, planting them. Nothing to it.

[QUOTE=ScottinAtlanta;518946]I root rosemary by cutting several branches, putting them in a vase for decoration and scent on my desk, and a few weeks later, planting them. Nothing to it.[/QUOTE]

I didn't realize it was that easy. I guess I know what I'll do each fall now.

[QUOTE=jmsieglaff;518949]I didn't realize it was that easy. I guess I know what I'll do each fall now.[/QUOTE]

Yes, they are dead easy (as Scott says) and don't even seem to care that it's the WRONG time of year to root cuttings when I root them in November :shock:. I need winter projects......

Linda

I may try rooting cuttings--is it too late now after we have had several hard freezes?

[QUOTE=JoParrott;518960]I may try rooting cuttings--is it too late now after we have had several hard freezes?[/QUOTE]

If the plant is alive, no it's not too late. If the plant is dead, then yes it is too late.

[QUOTE=ScottinAtlanta;518946]I root rosemary by cutting several branches, putting them in a vase for decoration and scent on my desk, and a few weeks later, planting them. Nothing to it.[/QUOTE]

Whoa. I didn't realize it was that easy either! Guess what I'm doing tomorrow....

Didn't protect my rosemary last year, came through winter OK. It was 13 degrees this morning, maybe I should give it some protection ?

While I cannot say for sure, I believe duration the ground is frozen and duration at extreme temperatures probably plays the biggest effect. Especially wind at those conditions. Here in Wisconsin, even a warm winter the chances of over wintering Rosemary is slim to none.

My hardy rosemary (can't remember if it was arp or hill hardy) didn't make it planted outdoors last winter. It is very easy to start plants from cuttings and keep them going indoors. I use soil to root. Their enemy is dry hear so steer clear of that and you will have plenty of rosemary to tend to this winter.

I've never had success keeping the rosemary sold as a christmas tree alive. As soon as it leaves Lowes its a gonner. It is also labeled not for culinary use.

- Lisa

In over 10 years I've had one rosemary overwinter once in the garden - it must have been an amazing combination of snowfall and temperature and will probably never happen again. I always keep 3 of the plants in a large (and heavy) pot in the driveway. It is perfectly happy until about -10 C, below that and I drag it into the garage, putting it back out if there is a stretch of warmer weather. When the weather turns permanently cold, it stays in the unlighted garage and occasionally gets a few handfuls of snow for moisture. Back outside when the weather warms up and it's good to go.