Lavender and Rosemary Care

If foliage is browning, begin with diagnosis. The pruning and harvest guides cover separate tasks, so choose the one that matches the tissue you intend to remove.

• Lavender

  A species-focused profile of English lavender, with clear guidance on identity, drainage, establishment water, mature spacing, woody pruning and winter limits.

• English Lavender Turning Brown: Diagnose Before Cutting

  For English lavender and lavandin, separate normal woody structure and spent bloom from wet-root decline, drought, winter injury and pruning damage by checking pattern, tissue and soil together.

• Pruning English Lavender at the Live-Growth Boundary

  Prune established English lavender and lavandin while leafy shoots remain below every cut, shaping after bloom and delaying uncertain dead-stem decisions until live growth is clear.

• Harvest Lavender for Drying

  Harvest lavender while the buds are strongly colored and only partly open, then use loose bundles, darkness, and moving air to dry the stems cleanly.

Use the watering guide for moisture checks, the repotting guide to assess root crowding, and the winter guide when deciding whether an indoor location is suitable.

• Rosemary

  A field guide to rosemary in beds and containers: full sun, a freely drained root zone, measured watering and a winter plan matched to cultivar hardiness.

• Watering Container Rosemary by Soil and Pot-Weight Cues

  Use upper-mix moisture and pot weight to decide when container rosemary needs water, then wet the root ball fully and empty the runoff.

• Repotting Rootbound Rosemary at Its Original Depth

  Repot rootbound rosemary only after inspection confirms crowding, using a modestly larger draining container that preserves its original planting depth.

• Overwintering Rosemary Indoors

  Move container rosemary inside before frost only if you can provide very bright light, cool conditions, drainage, and air movement through winter.