When to plant rosemary
In zone 8, most of the UK: plant out from April to June and in September. First harvest about 90 days later.
Growing stages
Rosemary: calendar by hardiness zone
| Zone | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 6, not hardy here: grow in a pot brought in for winter | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Sowing or planting | Sowing or planting | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | |
| Zone 7, not hardy here: grow in a pot brought in for winter | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Sowing or planting | Sowing or planting | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest |
| Zone 8reference | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest |
| Zone 9 | Harvest | Harvest | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Harvest | Harvest |
| Zone 10 | Harvest | Harvest | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Harvest |
- Zone 6
- −23 to −18 °C (−10 to 0 °F): high mountains (not hardy here: grow in a pot brought in for winter)
- Zone 7
- −18 to −12 °C (0 to 10 °F): upland Britain, eastern France, the Alps (not hardy here: grow in a pot brought in for winter)
- Zone 8
- −12 to −7 °C (10 to 20 °F): most of the UK and France
- Zone 9
- −7 to −1 °C (20 to 30 °F): south-west England, Brittany, Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts
- Zone 10
- −1 to 4 °C (30 to 40 °F): Isles of Scilly, the French Riviera, coastal Corsica
Indicative months. A cold year or a garden at altitude shifts everything by a month; watch the frosts too.
Rosemary in practice
- Spacing
- 60 cm along the row, 60 cm between rows
- Sun
- full sun
- Watering
- low
- Difficulty
- easy
- In a pot
- yes
- Support
- none
- Family
- Mint family (Lamiaceae)
- Perennial
- yes
Good companions for rosemary
Keep apart
none noted
Questions about rosemary
When to plant rosemary?
In zone 8: plant out from April to June and in September. The four other zones are in the calendar above; at altitude or after a long winter, aim for the end of the window.
How long until harvest?
About 90 days after planting in zone 8, then the harvest lasts about 180 days.
How far apart?
60 cm between plants along the row and 60 cm between rows.
Can you grow rosemary in a pot?
Yes, in a deep enough pot, in the sun shown above. Soil dries fast in a pot: watch the watering more than in the ground.
What to plant nearby?
Good companions: dwarf bean, cabbage and carrot. Keep apart: none noted.
Updated 20 October 2026, Hortipix catalogue version 1. Windows still being checked against Le Guide Clause, Vilmorin and Terre vivante (RHS and Cornell for the UK and the US), compared with OpenFarm (CC0). They remain indicative.