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Harvesting Rosemary

Gardening Guide: Rosemary, the All-Purpose Herb

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Harvesting Rosemary

By Norann Oleson

Harvesting rosemary in the garden

Harvesting rosemary in the garden

Once a plant has grown to a suitable size, you can harvest several small branches without harming it. Here is the length of time from planting when you can harvest plants from different starts:

  • Nursery plants: 3 months
  • Cuttings: 1 year
  • Seed: 15 months

You can harvest several times during a season, but the plants should be allowed to replace their growth between harvests. Remember that some varieties are valued for their flowers, which can be harvested to use in salads.

Pick stems in the morning after the dew dries and before afternoon heat sets in, for best flavor. Choose tender tips, and use sharp garden pruners to cut stems 6 to 8 inches long.

Clippings can be used fresh—retaining their flavor for two to seven days in the refrigerator—or dried for later use, by hanging in bunches in a warm, airy spot out of direct sunlight. Once dried, store the sprigs or stripped-off leaves in sealable plastic bags or jars in a cool, dark cupboard. You can keep them until next season’s harvest is ready!

You can also dry stems in a single layer in a food dehydrator set to the lowest setting.

Another method for storing rosemary leaves is to freeze them in ice cube trays half-filled with olive oil or water, or simply roll them up in freezer bags, squeezing out as much air as you can, and put them in the freezer.

How do you store your harvested rosemary? Do you freeze or dry it? Please tell us how you keep your rosemary year-round.

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garden pruners, rosemary

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • Curator’s Corner
  • Introduction
  • Feature Articles

  • Types of Rosemary Plants
  • Choosing to Grow Rosemary from Seeds, Cuttings or Plants
  • Growing Rosemary in Open Land, in Raised Beds, or in Containers
  • The Right Sunlight for Your Rosemary Plants
  • Should You Fertilize Your Rosemary Plants?
  • How—and When—to Water Your Rosemary Plants
  • How to Treat and Prevent Rosemary Diseases
  • What to Do About Pests that Can Harm Your Rosemary Plants
  • Harvesting Rosemary
  • Essential Tools and Equipment for Growing Rosemary
  • Plant Profiles

  • Arp Rosemary
  • Common Rosemary
  • Prostrate Rosemary
  • Spice Island Rosemary
  • Blue Boy Rosemary
  • Salem Rosemary
  • Recipes

  • Split Pea Soup with Rosemary
  • Rosemary Roasted Turkey
  • Walnut-Rosemary Crusted Salmon
  • Rosemary Flatbread
  • Garlic-Rosemary Butter
  • Additional Articles

  • Nutrition Facts about Rosemary
  • Home Remedies & Health Benefits of Rosemary
  • Resources about Rosemary
  • Rosemary Glossary
  • Related Articles

  • 9 Heat-Tolerant Herbs That Grow Well in Hot Climates
  • The Easiest Vegetables to Grow on a Balcony
  • How to Prevent Powdery Mildew on Rosemary Naturally
  • How to Dry Fresh Rosemary and Use it in Oils, Teas, and More
  • Growing Rosemary From Cuttings

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