Rosemary and Thyme

VanessaOSU

Last year I cut my rosemary and thyme back too much and they didh't come back this year and I had to buy new plants.  I had no trouble with the sage and chives.  How far do you cut yours back or what do you do to get your herbs ready for winter?

Dr.Loretta

Rosemary dies in our winters (NE PA). I have to bring it in if I want it to live.

hoping4septimus

I never cut my back. My rosemary stays in the ground and does fine. I do have it next to a brick wall that gets direct sun for most of the day so it may stay warmer than other spots in my yard. I'm in TN.

SusieBW

I had rosemary die on me last winter, too.  I guess there are hardier varietals, but mine wasn't one of them. 

The only other herbs I have in the ground are mint (which may have been a mistake, since I just learned about how invasive it is) and lavender.  I leave the lavender over winter, and cut the dead stuff in the early spring, and this is my first year with the mint, and I'm planning to just leave it alone (Maybe it'll die and I won't have to deal with the invasive-ness next year!)

Alisha_A

I don't understand why you would cut it back. I just leave mine. Even if we have snow for a bit, its just fine.

hoping4septimus

SusieBW:

I had rosemary die on me last winter, too.  I guess there are hardier varietals, but mine wasn't one of them. 

The only other herbs I have in the ground are mint (which may have been a mistake, since I just learned about how invasive it is) and lavender.  I leave the lavender over winter, and cut the dead stuff in the early spring, and this is my first year with the mint, and I'm planning to just leave it alone (Maybe it'll die and I won't have to deal with the invasive-ness next year!)

rosemary won't survive a northeast winter

flame

You may be too cold for rosemary to overwinter. I cut back my rosemary every fall, mostly to promote flowering the spring. I cut it back abot 2/3 or right above any woody areas. And thyme I just let die off - it always comes back the next sprign as long as I don't disturb the roots.  But both are perrenial in my area.