# Rosemary Uses



## larry_stewart

Is Rosemary supposed to be used by fishing it out at the end of the recipe?  Finely chopping it up?   or drying and making into a fine powder?  

I have a significant amount of rosemary in the garden.  It never makes it through the winter ( outside or when I attempt to bring it in).

I was hoping I could dry it at the end of the season to use throughout the winter.  

I just dont like when the leaves break apart in whatever dish Im preparing, so I thinking of drying it, and putting through my spice grinder to make a powder out of it.


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## Andy M.

Fresh rosemary is soft enough to be left in a dish after cooking.  You could dry and grind it.  It's very strong so be careful.


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## GLC

I, too, am not fond of leaving the leaves whole in the finished dish. I grind it in a pestle or chop it very fine. And it can be dried and ground, also. Don't neglect the woody branches. Stripped of leaves, they make great skewers for chicken, etc. And you can still freeze sticks with leaves for future use in bouquet garni.


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## Katie H

larry_stewart said:


> I
> I have a significant amount of rosemary in the garden.  It never makes it through the winter ( outside or when I attempt to bring it in).



I've had great luck with keeping rosemary during the winter but it may be because of how I protect it.  I finally had to toss my last rosemary plant that was nearly 10-years-old.  The ice got it this winter.

However, what I normally do is to wrap the pot, mine is a huge pot, in sheets of small-sized bubble wrap, then move the pot as close to the house as I can.  I usually move it to a sunny spot near the outer corner of the wall of my studio, which is near the breezeway.  Then, I swaddle the whole rosemary plant with more sheet bubble wrap, using stakes in the pot to keep it away from the bubble wrap.  I leave a small opening at the top to allow the plant to breathe.  What I've created is a makeshift greenhouse and it works pretty well.

Just a thought.


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## larry_stewart

Ill try anything, got nothing to lose ( since id be purchasing a new one anyway next year if it fails).

But this years plant is doing extremely well. Id love for it to last.


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## Steve Kroll

Larry, you can also just throw the entire sprig in, stem and all. Just remember to fish it out before serving.


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## taxlady

Steve Kroll said:


> Larry, you can also just throw the entire sprig in, stem and all. Just remember to fish it out before serving.


I often do that.

I have two rosemary plants. One is from last year and one is from the year before. I just bring them into the house in winter and let them sit where they get a bit of direct sunlight. I let them get quite dry between waterings. I wait until the leaves start to droop a little bit.


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## Addie

larry_stewart said:


> Ill try anything, got nothing to lose ( since id be purchasing a new one anyway next year if it fails).
> 
> But this years plant is doing extremely well. Id love for it to last.



If you are like most of us, you toss that bubble wrap when you get a package. If so you can buy a small roll of it at Staples or Home Depot for almost pennies.


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## PrincessFiona60

My little rosemarys are still very little...barely an inch tall after 3 weeks.


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## Addie

PrincessFiona60 said:


> My little rosemarys are still very little...barely an inch tall after 3 weeks.



Considering Rosemary belongs to the pine tree family, I just can't get past that. It smells and taste like pine to me. Although I will toss a couple of sprigs into the pan when roasting lamb. And a sprig or two added when making the gravy only enhances it. Maybe the heat is what changes the smell.


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## Andy M.

When I first started cooking, rosemary was my favorite herb.  I put it in everything including pasta sauce.  A little at a time, I tapered off to more normal use levels.

My current favorite is cumin.


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## taxlady

Addie said:


> Considering Rosemary belongs to the pine tree family, I just can't get past that. It smells and taste like pine to me. Although I will toss a couple of sprigs into the pan when roasting lamb. And a sprig or two added when making the gravy only enhances it. Maybe the heat is what changes the smell.


Rosemary smells a bit like pine, but is not in the pine tree family. Rosemary is a flowery plant. Pine is a conifer, which produces seeds in cones. You can't really get much further apart in the plant kingdom.


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## Oldvine

I've had the same rosemary bush going for at least 20 years by my back door.  My favorite thing to do with rosemary is to gather a big handful of the twigs, tie them or rubber band the twig ends together, give them a wash and use the paint brush I created to paint on  BBQ sauces or olive oil on grilled tri-tip during the last minutes of grilling..


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## Rocklobster

Submerge a few sprigs in oil, let sit for a week and you have Rosemary oil. 

Grind dried rosemary and mix equal parts sage and thyme for poultry seasoning.


Add the fresh leaves with garlic, green onion, black pepper, fresh parsley and a half cup of oil. Put in a blender until smooth and make a marinade for chicken or other meats. You could make bigger batches and freeze this in ice cubes trays like some do with pesto....


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## Mad Cook

larry_stewart said:


> Is Rosemary supposed to be used by fishing it out at the end of the recipe?  Finely chopping it up?   or drying and making into a fine powder?
> 
> I have a significant amount of rosemary in the garden.  It never makes it through the winter ( outside or when I attempt to bring it in).
> 
> I was hoping I could dry it at the end of the season to use throughout the winter.
> 
> I just dont like when the leaves break apart in whatever dish Im preparing, so I thinking of drying it, and putting through my spice grinder to make a powder out of it.


Oh dear, you wouldn't like the way we use it, cutting slits into a leg of lamb and pushing needles of rosemary into them prior to roasting. 

Normally I chop the needles finely before use. An alternative if using in a sauce or stock or gravy, etc., is to tie the rosemary in a piece of muslin then the needles can't escape.


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## CraigC

Rosemary makes great skewers for grilling, but not for seafood. I've never used it in a powder form but whole sprigs for roasting and finely chopped as a flavoring.


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## PrincessFiona60

Thanks for reminding me to go water my little guys...they looked a bit more robust this morning when I walked by.


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## taxlady

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Thanks for reminding me to go water my little guys...they looked a bit more robust this morning when I walked by.


I've been told not to over water them. Are they getting lots of sunlight?


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## PrincessFiona60

taxlady said:


> I've been told not to over water them. Are they getting lots of sunlight?



Ive got them on the back steps, so they don't get their little fronds burned out, they get at least 6 hours of sunlight each day.  I soaked them two days ago when they looked like they were starting to wilt.  They are dry again, how much should I be watering them in their infant stage?  They are still in their little pellet pots.


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## taxlady

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Ive got them on the back steps, so they don't get their little fronds burned out, they get at least 6 hours of sunlight each day.  I soaked them two days ago when they looked like they were starting to wilt.  They are dry again, how much should I be watering them in their infant stage?  They are still in their little pellet pots.


I never bought them quite that small, so I'm not sure. Mine have been between 3" and 6" tall. I just treated them the way I do bigger plants.  Maybe it's time to put them in bigger pots.


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## PrincessFiona60

These are from seeds, they still have their baby leaves.


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## menumaker

Fish it out if you have used a sprig but if you have chopped it as finely as you possibly could then it will be absolutely fine. It just depends how you have used it. Chopped absolutely fine it is wonderful with potatoes for instance. Don't forget to add it to your bathwater for a little touch of luxury. Good for the boys as well as the girls because it doesn't have a 'flowery' scent but a rich herbal one. Wonderful as a hair rinse as well after shampooing


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## GotGarlic

Rocklobster said:


> Submerge a few sprigs in oil, let sit for a week and you have Rosemary oil.



This is a very dangerous idea. You're likely to have a nice batch of rosemary-botulinum oil.


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## taxlady

PrincessFiona60 said:


> These are from seeds, they still have their baby leaves.


Hmm. What do the baby leaves look like? Is there a way you could take the plant, with all the earth, out of the pot, in such a way that you could put it back in the pot fairly undisturbed, to see how much the roots have grown?


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## taxlady

GotGarlic said:


> This is a very dangerous idea. You're likely to have a nice batch of rosemary-botulinum oil.


I was wondering about that. Rosemary vinegar would be safer.


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## PrincessFiona60

taxlady said:


> Hmm. What do the baby leaves look like? Is there a way you could take the plant, with all the earth, out of the pot, in such a way that you could put it back in the pot fairly undisturbed, to see how much the roots have grown?



Here is what the biggest of them looks like...the pics are fuzzy, they were almost bone dry and I've lost one of them for sure.  There are 4 left out of the whole packet...most never even sprouted.


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## taxlady

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Here is what the biggest of them looks like...the pics are fuzzy, they were almost bone dry and I've lost one of them for sure.  There are 4 left out of the whole packet...most never even sprouted.


Yeah, that's definitely baby leaves. 

Nope, no way to get those out of the "pots" safely. I have used peat pots, but I don't like them, because they don't really disappear when they are transplanted and then they cramp the roots. I wonder if that's what's happening with your pellet thingees. Yeah, they probably need more water at this stage than the ones with needle-like leaves.

Maybe someone who has grown rosemary from seed has some better advice than mine.


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## Rocklobster

GotGarlic said:


> This is a very dangerous idea. You're likely to have a nice batch of rosemary-botulinum oil.



Good for up to a month in the fridge. Done it many times....still here to talk about it..
One of many articles and recipes on the subject...http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/hanukkah/flavored-oils

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/m...INFUSED-OLIVE-OIL-GIADA-DE-LAURENTIIS-1212214


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## PrincessFiona60

taxlady said:


> Yeah, that's definitely baby leaves.
> 
> Nope, no way to get those out of the "pots" safely. I have used peat pots, but I don't like them, because they don't really disappear when they are transplanted and then they cramp the roots. I wonder if that's what's happening with your pellet thingees. Yeah, they probably need more water at this stage than the ones with needle-like leaves.
> 
> Maybe someone who has grown rosemary from seed has some better advice than mine.



I should have just been more patient and bought already grown seedlings.


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## taxlady

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I should have just been more patient and bought already grown seedlings.


Might not be too late for that. I consider buying seedlings the less patient method.


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## PrincessFiona60

taxlady said:


> Might not be too late for that. I consider buying seedlings the less patient method.



I wanted them back in March...bought the seeds instead...


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## Andy M.

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I wanted them back in March...bought the seeds instead...




We see potted rosemary Christmas trees (about two feet high) at Costco during the holiday season.  Then you have a multi-purpose plant-decoration and food.


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## PrincessFiona60

Thanks Andy, I'll look into those in the season...most likely will head to the garden center and get a couple grown ones for out front.


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## Cheryl J

Andy M. said:


> We see potted rosemary Christmas trees (about two feet high) at Costco during the holiday season. Then you have a multi-purpose plant-decoration and food.


 
I got one of those about 3 years ago! I decorated it with tiny little Christmas ornaments - it was the cutest little thing, and my house smelled so good every time I walked in. 

Unfortunately, it only lived about 2 years. I think I overwatered it. I did get a lot of use out of it as far as cutting off sprigs for cooking, though.


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## GotGarlic

Rocklobster said:


> Good for up to a month in the fridge. Done it many times....still here to talk about it..
> One of many articles and recipes on the subject...http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/hanukkah/flavored-oils
> 
> http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/m...INFUSED-OLIVE-OIL-GIADA-DE-LAURENTIIS-1212214



Refrigerating it is an important detail you left out. But here's some research-based information: http://fyi.uwex.edu/safepreserving/2013/12/02/safe-preserving-flavored-vinegars-and-oils/


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## Mad Cook

Co-incidentally, I picked up some french tarragon while shopping today and will be making tarragon vinegar when I've been out to get the cider vinegar tomorrow.


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## Kayelle

They plant rosemary that become huge bushes between the multicolored blooming Oleander in the median strip of the freeway that leads from out here in the Heritage Valley to the ocean. It's a beautiful drive, and smells heavenly with the windows down. It never gets artificially watered and it's doing fine, even in our terrible drought. That should tell you how much water it really needs.

Rosemary is my second to last favorite herb, the last being tarragon that I can't stand at all.


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## taxlady

I have read that people are starting to bonsai with rosemary.


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## Addie

PrincessFiona60 said:


> These are from seeds, they still have their baby leaves.



Unless it is a cactus, I use the knuckle rule for all plants. Stick your finger into the dirt down to your first knuckle. If the dirt feels dry, water.


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## LPBeier

During my catering days I would use rosemary stems as skewers for cubes of fish or prawns, brush them with a small amount of oil and grill them.  We would serve them on the "skewer".  It added a really nice flavour to the fish.


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## CWS4322

taxlady said:


> I was wondering about that. Rosemary vinegar would be safer.


I infused vodka with rosemary, lavender, and some red peppercorns a couple of years ago...it was wonderful after 3 weeks. The ratio was 2 parts rosemary to 3 parts lavender.


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## PrincessFiona60

LPBeier said:


> During my catering days I would use rosemary stems as skewers for cubes of fish or prawns, brush them with a small amount of oil and grill them.  We would serve them on the "skewer".  It added a really nice flavour to the fish.



When  I was working in the University Cafeteria, the Chef came up with those for a huge affair the school was sponsoring...I thought he was nuts, no accounting for other people's taste, etc.  I don't know how many kabobs I made, looked like a forset on the table, but when all was done, there were few left and the kitchen staff, me included, were able to try them.  Excellent.


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## CraigC

LPBeier said:


> During my catering days I would use rosemary stems as skewers for cubes of fish or prawns, brush them with a small amount of oil and grill them.  We would serve them on the "skewer".  It added a really nice flavour to the fish.



Funny, I'm just the opposite, I think the flavor is over powering for delicate seafood.


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## LPBeier

CraigC said:


> Funny, I'm just the opposite, I think the flavor is over powering for delicate seafood.



That's the thing.  The fact that the fish is just on the skewer of rosemary it just gets a tiny bit of flavour.  As PF says, it doesn't sound appealing but is actually quite tasty.  It was a favourite item on our menu.


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## Addie

CraigC said:


> Funny, I'm just the opposite, I think the flavor is over powering for delicate seafood.



I am with you Craig. I want to be able to taste the sea in my much loved seafood. To date, the only food I have found a use for Rosemary is lamb. Maybe I need to experiment more. I just can't get past the pine smell.


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## GotGarlic

We like to grill pork chops brushed with a mixture of Dijon mustard thyme. Then, after we turn them over, we top them with a sprig of rosemary. It infuses the pork with a light rosemary flavor. Delicious. I imagine that's what the seafood skewers taste like.


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## CraigC

GotGarlic said:


> We like to grill pork chops brushed with a mixture of Dijon mustard thyme. Then, after we turn them over, we top them with a sprig of rosemary. It infuses the pork with a light rosemary flavor. Delicious. I imagine that's what the seafood skewers taste like.



That is what I mean, a very bold flavor that works its magic with strong meat flavors, but can be very overwhelming with seafood. Game, beef, lamb and pork work well with rosemary!


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## CWS4322

I love the smell of this pork roast cooking. It uses a lot of milk, but the gravy is amazing and the rosemary on top--my stomach starts growling before the meat is done. I usually make this in the fall and winter a couple of times and it is one of my go-to mains for when I invite friends over.

Milk Pork : Recipes : Cooking Channel


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## CWS4322

CWS4322 said:


> I infused vodka with rosemary, lavender, and some red peppercorns a couple of years ago...it was wonderful after 3 weeks. The ratio was 2 parts rosemary to 3 parts lavender.


It made a great 'tini. I tasted it after a week and adjusted the amount of rosemary and lavender.


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## Mad Cook

GotGarlic said:


> This is a very dangerous idea. You're likely to have a nice batch of rosemary-botulinum oil.


The oil and rosemary need to be heated but I can't give you heat or timings as I'm not at home to look it up.


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## Mad Cook

Rocklobster said:


> Good for up to a month in the fridge. Done it many times....still here to talk about it..
> One of many articles and recipes on the subject...How to Make Flavored Cooking Oils - Hanukkah | Epicurious.com
> 
> Rosemary-Infused Olive Oil Giada De Laurentiis Recipe by TinaJonesSF | Epicurious.com


Ah, so you do heat it. I think GG thought, as I did that, you were suggesting just shoving some leaves into cold oil and leaving it like that.


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## Rocklobster

Yeah. Sorry I didn't mention that. I guess I just assumed that was common knowledge and there would be more discussion on that particular process.. my bad.....


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## Roll_Bones

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Here is what the biggest of them looks like...the pics are fuzzy, they were almost bone dry and I've lost one of them for sure.  There are 4 left out of the whole packet...most never even sprouted.



Wow. Does not even look like Rosemary.
Those peat sprouting pots should be soaked in water regularly until the plants are at least a few inches tall.
If thats a watered plant pictured, you need lots more water. The pot itself absorbs most of it anyway.
Soak them until they are water logged. Then allow then to dry out a little before soaking again.
This is not the time to parch them.  You will kill them.



taxlady said:


> I have read that people are starting to bonsai with rosemary.



And what a very good idea that is.  Nice needle size and seems like very easy to train. I wonder if there is a variety with shorter needles?

For anyone that wants to grow Rosemary, cuttings are great for propagating.
I take some at the end of season and put cuttings in water.  I keep the water changed and allow them to grow in the water until spring.
Then they go into pots or into the garden.

I am working solely with seeds and cuttings these days.


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## PrincessFiona60

Thanks, that was the information I needed to grow these pesky things.. Surprised I haven't killed them..yet.


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## GotGarlic

I haven't grown rosemary from seed, but in general, it doesn't do well with a lot of water. Rosemary originated on the arid hillsides of the southern Mediterranean area. I wouldn't soak them until they're water-logged. I'd just try to keep them moist.


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## Kayelle

GotGarlic said:


> I haven't grown rosemary from seed, but in general, it doesn't do well with a lot of water. Rosemary originated on the arid hillsides of the southern Mediterranean area. I wouldn't soak them until they're water-logged. I'd just try to keep them moist.



That must be why it does so well even on the freeway here unattended.
This little micro climate of Ca. is said to be most like the climate in the Mediterranean.


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## PrincessFiona60

I would love to have my own rosemary in time for Thanksgiving, thinking on a roast leg of lamb for that event.


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## GotGarlic

Kayelle said:


> That must be why it does so well even on the freeway here unattended.
> This little micro climate of Ca. is said to be most like the climate in the Mediterranean.



I would agree, yes.


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## Roll_Bones

GotGarlic said:


> I haven't grown rosemary from seed, but in general, it doesn't do well with a lot of water. Rosemary originated on the arid hillsides of the southern Mediterranean area. I wouldn't soak them until they're water-logged. I'd just try to keep them moist.



Those starter pots are designed to be soaked first even before you use them.
Their purpose is to hold water.
If you don't soak them, they will dry out to fast and the seedling will die.

I agree less water is best with mature rosemary plants.  But at this stage and in peat seed starter pots, they must be soaked and allowed to drain and almost dry before soaking again.
Seeds and seedlings do not do well under stressful conditions.  Under watering a peat seed pod is a mistake.

Read the directions on a seed starter pod.  It says to embed the seed and to soak the whole pot until saturated.
Then continue to keep the pod moist until time to plant.
Not only is this how its supposed to be done, its common sense.


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## GotGarlic

Roll_Bones said:


> Those starter pots are designed to be soaked first even before you use them.
> Their purpose is to hold water.
> If you don't soak them, they will dry out to fast and the seedling will die.
> 
> I agree less water is best with mature rosemary plants.  But at this stage and in peat seed starter pots, they must be soaked and allowed to drain and almost dry before soaking again.
> Seeds and seedlings do not do well under stressful conditions.  Under watering a peat seed pod is a mistake.
> 
> Read the directions on a seed starter pod.  It says to embed the seed and to soak the whole pot until saturated.
> Then continue to keep the pod moist until time to plant.
> Not only is this how its supposed to be done, its common sense.



I wonder how they manage to reproduce by themselves, on a sunny, dry hill in France without someone soaking them all the time.


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## roadfix

We have a huge rosemary bush and I often take the sprigs and toss them into the propane fire pit, filling the air with a nice aroma.


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## Kayelle

roadfix said:


> We have a huge rosemary bush and I often take the sprigs and toss them into the propane fire pit, filling the air with a nice aroma.



Cool...it would smell like a pine campfire!!


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## Roll_Bones

GotGarlic said:


> I wonder how they manage to reproduce by themselves, on a sunny, dry hill in France without someone soaking them all the time.



You are totally missing the point.  The point has nothing to do with the plant itself.  Its all about the peat starter pots or pods as some call them.

These things are completely dry when you buy them. They are designed to be soaked either right before you put the seed in or immediately after.
This is how a starter pod works.
The seed does not get soaked, it gets a steady moist medium until it sprouts.
When these pots start dry out, they are supposed to be soaked again or kept moist at all times.

The seed or seedling is never soaked or in standing water.   They are inserted into these pots and they need to be kept moist until they sprout and are ready for planting.
Once they sprout they still need sufficient water to survive.

Once out of these pots, do as you like with them.  But while the seed or plant resides in a starter pod, they require water.  Lots of water or they will dry out and kill the plant.

Looking at the OP's photo, it is evident they are to dry.
It is also evident these are expanding type seed starter pellets, that must be soaked for them to expand.
The medium is to dry for those plants.
The OP should soak these pods and keep the complete pod moist.  Not just a little bit of water near the plant.


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## PrincessFiona60

The question wasn't whether they should be watered, but knowing the plants come from a dry climate originally, exactly how much I should be watering them. They were soaked early that morning, they became that dry during the day and that is the shady side of the building.

I do know that plants need water to grow, I'm not a complete idiot, just a question of how much as I am a famous killer of plants, most of the time from over watering.


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## Addie

PrincessFiona60 said:


> The question wasn't whether they should be watered, but knowing the plants come from a dry climate originally, exactly how much I should be watering them. They were soaked early that morning, they became that dry during the day and that is the shady side of the building.
> 
> I do know that plants need water to grow, I'm not a complete idiot, just a question of how much as I am a famous killer of plants, most of the time from over watering.



I have found the knuckle rule to be useful when it comes to plants. Except for cactus. Put you finger in the dirt down to your first knuckle. If the dirt feels moist, don't water. If dry, get water to them quickly. Use a watering can that has a long narrow spout. You are less likely to over water it. Water only until the top of the soil feels damp. It is a rule that has saved many a plant from my murderous attempts to kill it. When you have a houseful of plants, it can often be difficult to remember what plant gets what. That's why I always used a fish based fertilizer for them. It get diluted in water before feeding to the plants. Less likely to burn the plant with too much fertilizer. 

Just be careful though. What felt as moist in the morning, can quickly become dry by afternoon. I always watered my plants in the evening. They will suck up less water overnight, then from morning to afternoon. During the hottest part of the day. 

Unfortunately I get no sun in this apartment. So when I moved in here, I no longer have plants. I am on the north side of the building. I am lucky I even get daylight. I live in a cave.


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## GotGarlic

Addie said:


> I have found the knuckle rule to be useful when it comes to plants. Except for cactus. Put you finger in the dirt down to your first knuckle. If the dirt feels moist, don't water. If dry, get water to them quickly. Use a watering can that has a long narrow spout. You are less likely to over water it. Water only until the top of the soil feels damp. It is a rule that has saved many a plant from my murderous attempts to kill it. When you have a houseful of plants, it can often be difficult to remember what plant gets what. That's why I always used a fish based fertilizer for them. It get diluted in water before feeding to the plants. Less likely to burn the plant with too much fertilizer.
> 
> Just be careful though. What felt as moist in the morning, can quickly become dry by afternoon. I always watered my plants in the evening. They will suck up less water overnight, then from morning to afternoon. During the hottest part of the day.
> 
> Unfortunately I get no sun in this apartment. So when I moved in here, I no longer have plants. I am on the north side of the building. I am lucky I even get daylight. I live in a cave.



That works with houseplants, which mostly came from the moist tropics, but most herbs are from drier climates, so they don't usually need daily watering. That can kill them quickly. Basil is the primary exception;I always plant that with my tomatoes so they get a lot of watering. 

I've never grown herbs from seed, PF, so I'm sorry, I can't advise you on that.


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## PrincessFiona60

I'm just going to dump a glass of water on them for good measure this morning on my way by, recheck them before the sun gets on that side.    Less sun exposure where they are sitting, but it is the asphalt side of the building so it gets much hotter.  My patio is at the end of the building so gets sun exposure almost all day and our temps are holding in the 90's this weekend, supposed to get to 100 tomorrow.


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## Addie

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I'm just going to dump a glass of water on them for good measure this morning on my way by, recheck them before the sun gets on that side.    Less sun exposure where they are sitting, but it is the asphalt side of the building so it gets much hotter.  My patio is at the end of the building so gets sun exposure almost all day and our temps are holding in the 90's this weekend, supposed to get to 100 tomorrow.



It is only 81ºF here. No humidity. No A/C or fan on. Very comfortable. But then I am old and love the heat.


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## Roll_Bones

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I do know that plants need water to grow, I'm not a complete idiot, just a question of how much as I am a famous killer of plants, most of the time from over watering.



No one said you were.  
Were those pellets you soaked, to get them to puff up?  Its what they look like.
I would get a bucket of water and fill it up with water and little soluble fertilizer.  A peat container or pod has zero nutrients and is only a medium for the seedings to get a start in.
I would drop each pod into the nutrient rich water until they sink and are fully soaked. (This will not hurt the seedling).
Remove from the solution and allow to drip dry.  When they fell light again, semi dry, drop them in again.  
Once you have a decent size seedling, then you can plant the pod and seedling into the garden or into a container.
Make sure to soak this pod before planting it.

Advice is given with good intentions.  You can take the advice or ignore the advice.  Its all up to you.


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