When to plant Rosemary
Calendar windows
Dates shift with your latitude — they are calculated from your local last-spring-frost date, not from a fixed calendar.
At a glance
Survives a light frost, not a hard freeze.
Practical notes
It dies of wet feet far more often than of cold — grit in the planting hole matters more than fleece. In hard-winter regions keep it in a pot and move it to an unheated porch.
Knowing when to pick
Snip soft green tips year-round, never into the bare brown wood — old rosemary stems do not resprout. Take most in early summer, when the oils peak.
Storing the crop
Dries perfectly — hang a bunch upside down for two weeks and strip the needles into a jar. Sprigs also freeze whole.
Crop rotation
Mostly perennial — give them a permanent sunny spot rather than a rotation slot.
Grows well with
Keep apart from
Watch for
Full guide: rosemary diseases and pests (2) → with spread routes, compost verdicts and the prevention this list justifies.