Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lanier Hollingsworth Z8 TX on September 1, 2009 at 1:54pm

I think that if you want a cone shaped rosemary, you had to start pruning it back when it was small and had a few branches. I've got a huge old bush ... that is very scraggly and looks awful but is still producing many nice branches. Yours looks much better than mine that has lots of old, dried out branches underneath. (You can see my out of control rosemary bush!) I would suggest that what you do at this point is keep it cleaned out underneath like the picture shows ... where it would get more air to it to avoid mildew problems when there is too much rain ... and if you don't like the look of it, plant something sorta low to the ground in front that will cover the woody branches from sight. Thyme would work because they both like to be dry but it would probably prefer more sun. Maybe some marjoram which is one of my favorites but doesn't get a huge and bushy as oregano can. Maybe chamomile ... I haven't grown it in a long time you'd need to read up on it. I would go more for a rounded mound shape that would be easier to maintain. Hope this helps!

Permalink Reply by Lee Ann Phillips Zone 7B N.TX on November 28, 2009 at 8:54am

to Lanier Hollingsworth: I too live in north Texas (Denton). I have this huge rosemary bush that needs to be moved because sometime in the next few years the highway dept is going to start widening the road by which it is planted. I sure would like to move AND divide it, but every one I have talked to says it's too woody to divide successfully. Have you had any experience with dividing rosemary after it gets big? Or moving a big plant (mine is about 4' by 4'-it's been growing in this one spot for almost 10 years now)? I know I can take cuttings, which I will do, but I sure don't like the idea of sacrificing this plant to the highway dept!

Lanier Hollingsworth Z8 TX said:

I think that if you want a cone shaped rosemary, you had to start pruning it back when it was small and had a few branches. I've got a huge old bush ... that is very scraggly and looks awful but is still producing many nice branches. Yours looks much better than mine that has lots of old, dried out branches underneath. (You can see my out of control rosemary bush!) I would suggest that what you do at this point is keep it cleaned out underneath like the picture shows ... where it would get more air to it to avoid mildew problems when there is too much rain ... and if you don't like the look of it, plant something sorta low to the ground in front that will cover the woody branches from sight. Thyme would work because they both like to be dry but it would probably prefer more sun. Maybe some marjoram which is one of my favorites but doesn't get a huge and bushy as oregano can. Maybe chamomile ... I haven't grown it in a long time you'd need to read up on it. I would go more for a rounded mound shape that would be easier to maintain. Hope this helps!

Permalink Reply by vicki lopez on November 30, 2009 at 1:30pm

My mother would have told you "give it a good hair cut, any shape you want." it will go back again and again.

Permalink Reply by Lanier Hollingsworth Z8 TX on December 12, 2009 at 1:30pm

Lea Ann,
I'm not far from you in the Hurst area. The rosemary in the picture is in it's "new" location and was moved only about a year or two ago. My son dug it up out of the raised bed where it had gotten so big that it was causing too much shade for my other herbs. It was much bigger and had deeper roots than we thought and my son was a bit rougher with it than I thought he should be but it seems to be doing just fine. It's not really close but now covers the dryer vent like someone else mentioned in another rosemary response.
I think if I were you, I'd take a bunch of cuttings (from the softer, less woody branches), just to be sure, then try to find a place to move the whole thing. If you want to try to split it, wait until spring when it's warmer and past when there will be risk of freeze. Wait until you see the cutting have rooted well too. That way if splitting the plant doesn't work, you'll have something to fall back on.
Good luck and let us know how it works out!


Lee Ann Phillips Zone 7B TX said:

to Lanier Hollingsworth: I too live in north Texas (Denton). I have this huge rosemary bush that needs to be moved because sometime in the next few years the highway dept is going to start widening the road by which it is planted. I sure would like to move AND divide it, but every one I have talked to says it's too woody to divide successfully. Have you had any experience with dividing rosemary after it gets big? Or moving a big plant (mine is about 4' by 4'-it's been growing in this one spot for almost 10 years now)? I know I can take cuttings, which I will do, but I sure don't like the idea of sacrificing this plant to the highway dept!

Lanier Hollingsworth Z8 TX said:

I think that if you want a cone shaped rosemary, you had to start pruning it back when it was small and had a few branches. I've got a huge old bush ... that is very scraggly and looks awful but is still producing many nice branches. Yours looks much better than mine that has lots of old, dried out branches underneath. (You can see my out of control rosemary bush!) I would suggest that what you do at this point is keep it cleaned out underneath like the picture shows ... where it would get more air to it to avoid mildew problems when there is too much rain ... and if you don't like the look of it, plant something sorta low to the ground in front that will cover the woody branches from sight. Thyme would work because they both like to be dry but it would probably prefer more sun. Maybe some marjoram which is one of my favorites but doesn't get a huge and bushy as oregano can. Maybe chamomile ... I haven't grown it in a long time you'd need to read up on it. I would go more for a rounded mound shape that would be easier to maintain. Hope this helps!

Permalink Reply by Suzanne Chilton on January 24, 2010 at 3:44pm

Perhaps a topiary shape? I chose a central tall woody stem of an out-of-control rosemary, cut away all the other woody stems. Then, began to trim and train the central stem into a tall globe-top topiary. Following a Master Gardener planting theme, "Thriller, Filler, Spiller", the topiary is your Thriller! Winter Savory is a nice Filler and a trailing thyme is a nice Spiller.