Rosemary (botanically Rosmarinus officinalis) can reach a considerable size: in its Mediterranean homeland, growth heights of around two meters are not uncommon. For this reason, the vigorous - but nevertheless quite slow-growing - shrub is often used for planting hedges. In our climate, a rosemary is more likely to reach heights of around one meter, but due to its continuous growth it needs to be repotted regularly.
How should you repot rosemary?
To repot rosemary, you will need a planter that is about a third larger than the current pot size. Carefully remove the plant from the old pot, check the roots and place it in the new pot with fresh substrate. Then water the plant.
Transplanting in the garden
Replanting a rosemary that has been planted in the garden may become necessary for various reasons, be it because the bush becomes too large, the location is not optimal or for design reasons. In principle, it is possible to use rosemary, but you should think carefully about this step beforehand. Rosemary is quite capricious and unpredictable and you never know how your bush will react. In the worst case, he simply dies. If you still want to dare, try it this way:
- First of all: Prune the rosemary vigorously and remove all diseased and wilted parts.
- Take a pitchfork (€18.00 on Amazon) or a spading fork.
- Use this tool to carefully dig up the rosemary.
- Be careful to damage the roots as little as possible.
- Lift the plant out.
- Now dig a hole as deep as possible at the designated location.
- If necessary, mix your own herbal soil.
- Place the rosemary in the planting hole and shovel the soil in.
- Make sure that there are no cavities.
- Finally, press the rosemary well and water it.
- Now you can cover the bed with pebbles or gravel.
Instead of replanting the plant in the garden, you can of course put it in a pot instead.
Repotting rosemary
Rosemary should be moved to a larger planter about every two years. The new pot is the optimal size when it is about a third larger than the plant.
- Mix the plant substrate.
- Fill the new pot with a layer of pebbles or expanded clay and then a layer of soil on top.
- Take the old pot in your hand and tap it all around.
- This should loosen the soil from the pot walls.
- Now take the top surface in your hand and hold the pot upside down.
- Carefully pull out the plant.
- Check the roots for damage and signs of rot.
- Cut these out if necessary.
- Now place the plant in the new pot and fill it with substrate.
- Here too, no cavities should be created.
- Press the rosemary well and water it.
Tips & Tricks
When repotting, pay more attention to brown plant parts, white spots, cobwebs or feeding marks - these are a sign of a pest infestation.