Brought Rosemary Indoors- have questions

12 years ago

So far I have almost every year planted a new small rosemary plant in my garden, only to see it grow then die over the winter. My few attempts at bringing one indoors failed, either it would dry up perhaps because I brought it indoors too late, or because they collected a disease at same later point.

This year I want to do it successfully. My rosemary is already in the house, right now its a very healthy looking potted plant. I used regular potting soil, read too late about adding sand, don't want to shock it with another transplant.

How much should I water it? I don't want it to dry up again.

In order to prevent mildew etc., should I spray it with organic soap right away? ( this is what I do with my hibiscus that tends to produce little bugs in a few months of bringing it indoors).

Can I keep cutting off some stems for use, or is it better to leave it alone over the winter?

Would love to hear your comments, thanks!

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Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
12 years ago
Here, where rosemary is a an evergreen shrub, it's very dry during the winter. Most people who kill an indoor rosemary agree it's usually from overwatering. Since you'll want to let it get very dry between waterings, I would recommend pot weight as your gauge, not just feeling the top of the soil. When the pot feels much lighter, then it's really dry. Water at the sink so it runs out the drain holes, then don't water again until the pot "loses weight." Unless you have a giant pot you can't lift, feeling the weight of a pot is the best way I know to NOT overwater any plants wintering inside.

Sand is not good stuff for container plants even if the ground where rosemary does well as a perennial usually contains a lot of it. You don't want a lot of fine particles of any type in a container soil. The fine particles fill up all of the spaces, eliminating necessary air pockets. Also, clay + sand = concrete. So be careful to NOT create that mixture.