pepperhead212
Executive Chef
Anybody here love rosemary, try to grow it, but it's too cold in their area? 20º is about the minimum for most varieties. I lost my 15 year old one last winter (the cover blew off the hoop house, in a severe cold snap, and I had just had knee surgery, soooooo...), so I ordered 3 of a good sounding variety from Richter's herbs, in Canada - Hill Hardy Rosemary. I planted one in a 4 1/2 gal fabric pot, and that thing is doing great - better than any other type of pot I have tried! Here it is after about 5 months, from about 4" tall, and I had harvested a lot by this time:
IMG_20181017_103602670 by pepperhead212, on Flickr
But I planted 2 in the ground, and figured I'd cover one, when it gets below 20º, and leave the other uncovered, to see how it does. I did this on Thanksgiving - the only time until Sunday night it got in the teens - but on Sunday night (got to 11º, maybe lower) and all of Monday (only got to 16º, for a high, then back down to 13º overnight) I totally forgot about it! So, when I went out there today, I was expecting 2 dead plants, but there wasn't a hint of freeze damage on either of them!
IMG_20190123_120437972 by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Now granted, this is only a brief cold snap, but it's enough to kill any rosemary I have grown in the past, if uncovered. And this wouldn't be resistant in a VERY cold region, but it is definitely a good sign for regions 6-7.
I grew Arp one year (actually about 3 years, but it also died from cold) - the first cold resistant rosemary - but the flavor was not the same. This one is identical in flavor and appearance to normal rosemaries.
Rosemary is one of those "must have herbs", in my kitchen...seems I have too many of those!
IMG_20181017_103602670 by pepperhead212, on Flickr
But I planted 2 in the ground, and figured I'd cover one, when it gets below 20º, and leave the other uncovered, to see how it does. I did this on Thanksgiving - the only time until Sunday night it got in the teens - but on Sunday night (got to 11º, maybe lower) and all of Monday (only got to 16º, for a high, then back down to 13º overnight) I totally forgot about it! So, when I went out there today, I was expecting 2 dead plants, but there wasn't a hint of freeze damage on either of them!
IMG_20190123_120437972 by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Now granted, this is only a brief cold snap, but it's enough to kill any rosemary I have grown in the past, if uncovered. And this wouldn't be resistant in a VERY cold region, but it is definitely a good sign for regions 6-7.
I grew Arp one year (actually about 3 years, but it also died from cold) - the first cold resistant rosemary - but the flavor was not the same. This one is identical in flavor and appearance to normal rosemaries.
Rosemary is one of those "must have herbs", in my kitchen...seems I have too many of those!