Every summer I grow rosemary in a pot outside. When the weather turns cold, I bring the pot inside. The plant does well for a couple more months, then dies every time. (One time it bloomed, then died.) What can I do?
Water less.
It's a mediterrannean plant, home on the slopes of sunny mountains; it CANNOT take standing water.
Also, depending on where you are, you might want to get a rosemary variety called 'Arp' -- that one can take hard frosts, and you could then skip the indoor bit.
Henriette
IIRC the name of rosemary is Latin based and means "dew of the sea" therefore it will do well in Mediterranean conditions ie. warm to hot, sunny, well drained. One of those at least is probably missing from what you are giving your plants.
That's good for the summer, what's missing is that the Mediterranean biome has cool, moist winters. My rosemary does fine in the ground outside, even though we occasionally get a day or two of snow. Perhaps it's the lack of being outside during the cool?
Philip
I also bring Rosemary in for the winter, but mine always last one winter very well, then die the 2nd. Mine is almost dead right now. I have it in a clay pot at least 12".
I recently spoke to a green roof expert; his theory is that the Rosemary may actually live through a winter if it is brought out of the soil, like into a garage, because what actually kills some of these plants in this climate is the wet dampness freezing the roots. Next year I will bring it inside the garage, which is NOT heated. My French Terragon has lasted for years this way.
Ross
The single most common reason for a indoors rosemary to die: overwatering.
Don't do that.
Instead, put a stick into the soil and only water when that stick is bone dry, to the bottom.
Henriette
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