Saving a potted rosemary?

[taff]

I'vegot a rosemary bush in a pot, it's been in there for a long time, and when I first had it, it was in the ground,I had to move it, and I cut way too many main stems off it.
It's still alive, but looking very sorry for itself [not surprised], very limited growth on the stems that are left.
Is there any chance it'll grow back, or bushier, if I plant it out? It's about 2 and a half foot tall, with about 7 main stems.

[sagegreen]

If your rosemary has grown 'woody' and straggly i would just replace it. It should produce some new growth, but will always have that straggly look. My local garden centre has nice rosemary plants on offer for 3 for £10.00 (in 1-litre pots), worth looking round for deals at this time of the year.

[Two_Sheds]

It is a short-lived perennial isn't it? Rosemary just does get tatty and straggly. Root a nice new piece from somebody else's bush

[taff]

I think i'm just jealous becausemy mothers rosemary is magnificent...
I've got five others in pots to go out at a later date, but wanted to try and save it because it has such beautiful blue flowers, four of the five inpots have white flowers, and one blue, but the colours are more intense on this particular one. Cuttings it is then...and anewkeyboard, thanks to the dodgy spacebar....
thanks both

[Miss Jessop]

Rosemary, Severn Seas is a semi-prostrate rosemary which has really good blue flowers.

[taff]

that could be the one,thank you verymuch

[Nicos]

Now I recall...many moons ago , someone saying plant it really deeply ( I think the top of the pots level6-8" below soil level...maybe more????)
This is supposed to encourage rootgrowth from higher up the stems
Never tried it , but if you think it's a gonna anyway, it might be worth a try!

[taff]

anything is worth a go at this stage...

[VictoriaJS]

Hi,
Nicos could be on to something there. The process is called 'Dropping' and is commonly used to propagate heathers. Each stem produces a set of roots and then after a period of time the plant can be dug up and each rooted stem removed and potted on. It may just work!

[Nicos]

Hi,
Nicos could be on to something there. The process is called 'Dropping' and is commonly used to propagate heathers. Each stem produces a set of roots and then after a period of time the plant can be dug up and each rooted stem removed and potted on. It may just work!

Are heathers and rosemary sort of related too??? ( just wondering!)

* kicks herself for not paying FULL attention many years ago!*

[sarraceniac]

It is a short-lived perennial isn't it? Rosemary just does get tatty and straggly. Root a nice new piece from somebody else's bush

Why TS? Just take a spur cutting off your own straggly bush. Been doing it for 30 years, think I am now on generation 5 or 6.

[sarraceniac]

Are heathers and rosemary sort of related too??? ( just wondering!)

* kicks herself for not paying FULL attention many years ago!*

Nope. Just Lavender.

[Creemteez]

You can cut rosemary back quite hard. As long as you leave a mall amount of green needles on it, it should sprout again and produce bushier growth. If it does turn up it's toes, at least you will be able to use the trimmings for cuttings. The key to keeping it bushy is to pick it, pick it, pick it!!
BTW, I wouldn't do anything too drastic to it until it warms up a bit.

[binley100]

I've just been chopping bits off mine and sticking them in a jar of water. Got about 5 rooted ones now. Rosemary roots really easily .

[Twinkle]

mine's looking a bit brown after the rather severe winter - reckon I should just prune it back and hope ?
Can always get another, I'm just quite attached to this one as it came from our old house with us.