Rosemary cannot dry out at all! If it does it will die in a week or so....the needles will just drop off all of a sudden. It needs a well drained MOIST soil at all time and full sun.

Drainage is the key. I use cactus potting soil mixed with a little bit of sand. Keep moist but not wet. Also, Rosemary likes to be misted regularly and also likes to be trimmed.I am very interested that you successfully grew Rosemary outdoors in Zone 7. I would love to try to plant some outdoors - I have a good bunch of seedlings so I might try. Where in Zone 7 are you, if I might ask?

Have had the same problem. my last and most recent failure was a surprise- i had a standard that was three years old adn looking good. then in March (after i figured it had survived the winter indoors) it turned. thought i had been watering it on schedule, but must have sucumbed to the drier air of the house all of a sudden. so sad. but i persevere and will try again. i love topes!

Gypsy,

I'm in Zone 7 in VA. I definitley think you could pull off growing rosemary outdoors since you are a little farther south than I am. I am actually going to buy some this weekend and try my hand at growing it outdoors.

I've had success at growing rosemary indoors during the winter. They love sun and will really flourish if they get a lot, just as long as you keep them watered adquately. I had a beautiful heart one and it had gotten so beautiful. I had it in my office at work. I went on my honeymoon last year and my co-workers forgot to water it and killed it. I was so sad. So, I got another one this year and it is doing pretty good. I think the rosemary can be a lot of work just because you need to keep your eye on it, but it is worth it when you smell that wonderful scent.

I live in zone 6, and bought a 4" Rosemary at HD last spring. I stuck it in the ground, and it survived winter with no protection. It is now approx. 3 1/2'h x 3'w, and looking wonderful. The only problem I had was the top 6" bent over - I clipped them back, and they grew. This winter I may add a protective covering if it we get any serious storms, but I think they will make it again. No blooms, though, but that wasn't important to me anyway.

I use rosemary for shrubs and love them for winter interest here in north Texas. I have Hills Hardy, Arp and Tuscan Blue - almost forgot also prostrate rosemary. I am 5'4" and they come up to my shoulders except the prostrate of course.

Especiallyn for Gypsy..NC - re: outside rosemary

I just cut rosemary from my outside plant for the three (one for me!!) beautiful Thanksgiving bouquets I made of yellow and purple garden and spider mums with flowering mexican heather. I live in Rock Hill, SC, about 15 minutes from the NC line and enjoy rosemary in my herb garden year-round. Warning...mine will get HUGE if I don't prune it occasionally!

I started some cuttings with root-tone about the first of October and am training some as stem supported topiaries and some as cone shaped. All 24 I've started are still doing well and I've snipped them all at least twice. All are outside on the potting bench. I'm counting on them for gifts next year in personalized pots.(it does help that my name is Rosemary so I can be extra corny and write something like "2003-A rosemary from Rosemary for Gypsy!" on the terra cotta pot!)

Good luck with your outside rosemary. Don't give up! Took me two tries before one liked me enough to stick around!

Rosey

Hi

My first visit to this forum. I LOVE rosemary! I got 3 plants this year. My first rosemary lived in northern Oklahoma with me. It moved with me when I moved to Oklahoma City, and loved it's new spot outside my kitchen window on the south side of the house. Now, having moved again, I had to leave it behind :( It had gotten WAY to BIG. I am 5'4" and it came to my ears! I miss it. I used rosemary in cooking all the time. My three measely small plants just can't supply me like my big one did. Can't wait for them to grow big. Two of these were planted in southern locations, where some bushes were. I "want" rosemary bushes instead :)

I have NEVER covered the big rosemary, but always bought another one for indoors just in case it would freeze out. My indoor plants never survived past February. I think, rosemary is hard to grow indoors.

Moni

In Zone 8, rosemaries get 6 ft tall by 4 ft wide. I got a couple of dozen for a cheap hedge with a heavenly smell. The "12-inch" prostrate variety can get up to 2 feet tall, and at least 4 feet wide. It would be a very unusual year when they needed cover, but they do need a wind block (especially young).

It is hard to keep them moist enough in the house. The pebble tray always served me best in the past.

Hi all...I live in Los Angeles, CA and have a small [apx 20" tall cone shaped bush I rescused from Home Depot @ their after Xmas sale. It is doing well on my sunny balcony but I did have a little prob w/mildew on some of the needles. I sprayed it w'milk-water and it's ok. I love the scent and hope someone can share their special hints w/me. Thank you Oh, the inside of this little tree is all bare branches because it was pruned for Xmas tree shape...Ques: will these ever fill out or will the tree just grow into itself. It resides in a large 18" diamater pot as I read that rosemary does not like to move. Ciao Andrea