Grow fragrant rosemary sprigs for your kitchen and a sunny herb garden with Rosemary SimplyHerbs multi-seed pellets.
Ready to grow your own rosemary? Follow our step-by-step Rosemary Grow Guide for pellet sowing, germination, transplanting and pruning advice suited to your climate.
Quick Grow Facts
Plant: Culinary rosemary, Salvia rosmarinus (syn. Rosmarinus officinalis); SimplyHerbs programme. Evergreen, branching, woody perennial.
Seed form: Multi-seed pellets. Pack sizes count pellets, not single seeds or guaranteed plants. Sow one whole pellet per cell or starting pot.
Sowing: Local label depth 5 mm. The breeder says cover seed and provide light during germination. Use fine, draining seed mix; keep the pellet evenly moist, not waterlogged.
Germination: Aim for 20–22°C; local expectation 14–28 days, not a guarantee. The breeder's 5–8 days describes 50% to maximum germination, not time from sowing.
Position and spacing: Full sun and excellent drainage. Breeder spacing 30–46 cm for the herb crop; give older plants and humid-site plants more room.
Size: Breeder height and spread approximately 30–61 cm; local supplier about 60 cm each. Long-lived plants can grow larger; this is not a guaranteed lifetime size.
When to start: Protected sowing in suitable temperatures; plant outdoors in a mild period after hardening off and local frost risk. “All year” does not mean every outdoor season is suitable.
Picking: Take light tips only from rooted, actively growing plants. The breeder's 42 days is from transplant under crop conditions; the local label's 90–400 days has no defined harvest stage.
Pellet counts, storage and packet directions
The local supplier lists 10–15 seeds per pellet; the newer breeder catalogue lists seven. Current lot documentation is needed to confirm the count in your packet, so neither is guaranteed here. More than one seedling per pellet is normal.
Reseal unused pellets promptly and store airtight, cool, dark and dry. No product-specific shelf life is confirmed. Pelleting does not prove untreated or food-grade status: never eat sowing seed or pellets or use them as sprouts. Follow the current packet's treatment and crop-use directions.
Growing Notes
- Keep the pellet moist through germination, then gradually allow the surface to dry slightly between waterings. Never leave roots standing in water.
- Move on healthy rooted plugs without tearing apart their seedling cluster; thin surplus stems gently if crowding develops.
- Harden seedlings off gradually. Protect young plants from frost, harsh wind and sudden heat.
- Trim leafy tips once established and lightly shape after flowering. Avoid cutting into bare old wood.
Garden and Kitchen Uses
Enjoy aromatic foliage in a sunny container or free-draining bed. Pick sparingly while plants are young; use clean, washed sprigs in cooked vegetables, roasts and bread, observing any treatment or pesticide harvest restrictions.
