About Your Rosemary Topiary
A tasteful way to grace an entryway or patio, this hand crafted topiary provides fresh rosemary springs for all fish and poultry lovers in a formal, decorative style! Hand trained for several seasons, the blue/ pink blooms occur in late winter/ early spring. The trimmings can be used in the kitchen for their flavor throughout the year.
Light Exposure
A bright, airy location that is not too cold will keep the plant looking its best during the winter. In the northern states, bright direct light is ideal. Outdoors provides the best environment but a bright window could suffice as well. Rosemary like the sun. Check that the heat of the afternoon doesn’t dry them out too quickly.
Water and Fertilizer
Provide water when dry to the touch. Rosemary begin active growth again in March. Once the danger of frost has passed, it can be planted in the ground or potted into a larger container so that it doesn’t dry out too quickly. Applications of a balanced fertilizer once/ month during the growing season, (April- September), moisture during hot spells, will encourage the plant to thrive. Avoid long dry periods, watering the plant every 2-3 days in the summer, depending on the severity of the summer heat in your area and once per week through the spring and fall.
Pruning
Rosemary will flower on the past seasons’ wood, therefore, if the plant grows tall during the growing season prune back the long shoots to also encourage a thicker canopy and maintain the rounded shape. This will help to form branchlets and thicken the canopy rather than favor tall shoots. This will also keep the plant to scale with the container. Every two years, prune 1/3 of the existing rootball in late winter and re-pot with fresh soil if growing in a container that is small enough to move.
Dormant Period
Rosemary will not lose their leaves during the winter but will stop growing. This should help the plant to require less water than during the summer months but don’t allow the plant to dry out completely. Rosemary can withstand some cold, (no lower than 30 degrees for a few hours), but the roots shouldn’t be allowed to freeze too severely, no lower than 33 degrees or so.