spent today yanking out a lot of overgrown rosemary. All of you who live where it dies back each winter, I sure wish I could have shared some with you...but alas, this stuff must be acclimized to my local, hot summers....

In my area rosemary doesn't die back during super cold winters - it just dies. I have one plant I won't call overgrown, just huge! If it gets too cold (in the teens, or below) I put a tarp over it with a lamp and a 60 w bulb in it, and leave it on until the weather breaks. The very tips get brown, but that's it. Several times a year I trim two plastic bags (supermaket size) worth or rosemary, and hand it out to those who want it at work or out on my route, and some have fallen in love with it and started growing their own! I gave one lady some for her Easter lamb, and she loved it, and I might have another addict. So remember, there is no such thing as overgrown rosemary, just a lot of extra for some not growing it...yet.

Dave

You are more than welcome to come and take some away...although it's gonna dry out pretty soon...

I had a huge area that was overgrown with the plants and I trimmed that back to a much more managable area. Instead of a huge, 15x20 foot bush, I now have half a dozen individual plants that have been pruned to take advantage of their long, swooping branches...

This plant is grown all over where I live. Many people grow it, it makes a good, very low water terrace plant on hills...

Hi I live where it gets to the single digits a few times a year and in the teens fairly often but not for extended periods of time. My rosemary goes through the winter just fine with no protection at all. I have to cut it way back every spring as it becomes a 4'x4'bush. :8}

LOL, I just 'attacked' my 12 year old potted rosemary with scissors.
Due to some very unexpected health issues this winter with myself+the DH, poor MissRosemary didn't get her daily water spritz and thus had a recent attack of the frizzles.
However, before she went to the compost pile, I managed to salvage enough herb to last me a few years.

wow, twelve years in a pot! In that much time, in the ground, around here, such a plant becomes rooted in so many places and gets bigger and bigger until it takes over the walkway, and trips anyone who tries to pass, and one must watch out for the thousands of bees that bounce from flower to flower from December until November, with maybe a short time with no flowers and no bees, and the plant just keeps on growing and growing and doesn't slow down, unless of course one doesn't bother to give it a biggg drink once or twice each month during the long summer dry season which lasts around 6 months in these parts, and still, the rosemary keeps growing and growing and flavoring stew after stew and even boots that went trampling throught the stuff start to smell like rosemary rather than the assorted other aromas that typically waft from a pair of well worn boots.

I just slipped those scented boots on as I have to go outside, and now I smell like rosemary again. Sure glad I enjoy that aroma, otherwise I'd be dieing from the strong oils that seem to have permeated these leather boots of mine!

:x

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