Rosemary Rescue: Bring your herbs inside before the first frost

For me, it's still a bit early to start raking leaves. Just look up—there's plenty of foliage left to fall! I really dislike doing things twice, so I usually hold off on our first fall cleanup until around Thanksgiving. In the meantime, there’s still plenty to keep us busy. Today’s project? Transplanting my rosemary!

The plan is to move the rosemary from my garden to a pot, allowing it to gradually adjust to its new home on my kitchen counter—just in time for Thanksgiving. After all, no turkey is complete without some fresh, homegrown herbs!

The whole mission took only about 15 minutes. I started by grabbing a shovel and getting to work.

Since I’ll be transitioning it indoors, I gave the plant a good shake to remove any bugs that had taken up residence since I planted it last spring. I strategically placed it at the top of one of my garden beds, knowing that the strong scent would help deter many pests, including rabbits.

After giving it a good shake, I brought it inside. I filled my sanitized pot with Black Gold Succulent and Cactus potting mix and used the sink nozzle to moisten the soil. I then dug a hole wide enough to accommodate the roots and nestled the rosemary in.

I chose a succulent mix because, like most Mediterranean herbs, rosemary thrives with good drainage. This mix allows excess water to escape, preventing root rot and ensuring healthy growth.

Once the rosemary was in its new pot, I gave it a thorough soak and then placed it back outside. I’ll be bringing it indoors tonight and putting it back out tomorrow, repeating this process for a few weeks to help it acclimate to its new environment.

One additional tip: I didn’t do it today because I lacked a tray, but it's wise to sit the pot in a tray filled with gravel to enhance drainage.

Be sure to let the soil dry out slightly before watering again. Stick your finger in the pot, and if it clings to your finger, wait another day or two before checking again.

That’s it for now! Tomorrow, I’ll rinse and repeat with some sage. While my sage usually overwinters just fine outside, having an indoor plant would make it easier to access.

Happy gardening!

Love,

Bedhead