How to Keep a Rosemary Bush Alive Indoors

Rosemary bushes thrives in semiarid, sun-drenched areas such as the Mediterranean, but in many areas where rosemary will grow outdoors in the summer, gardeners must bring the plants indoors during the winter months to keep them alive. Keeping rosemary bushes alive indoors during the long, cold winter months can seem challenging at first, but thankfully they are resilient plants and will hang-on indoors until the weather warms if provided with very bright light, cool temperatures and the proper amount of water.

Fluorescent lamp
Pruning shears

Instructions

- 1
  Gradually acclimate the rosemary bush to low-light conditions before moving it indoors. Move it from full sun to partial shade for two weeks. Move into solid shade for two more weeks.
- 2
  Move the rosemary bush indoors after the four-week acclimation period. Place it near a window in an east- or west-facing room with bright light and temperatures around 55 to 60 degrees F.
- 3
  Water the rosemary once a week to a depth of around 1 inch. Do not let the soil around rosemary plants dry out since they are a Mediterranean species and expect the majority of their moisture during the winter months.
- 4
  Shine a fluorescent lamp on the rosemary bush for two hours a day to supplement the available light. Shining a lamp on the plant will decrease the likelihood it will become spindly or leggy from lack of light.
- 5
  Prune the rosemary bush only if it develops dry or dead branches. Prune the branch back to within 2 inches of the base using pruning shears.
- 6
  Move the rosemary bush to a partially shaded spot once all danger of frost has passed. Keep it under shade for two weeks before moving it back into full sun. Resume care as usual once the weather warms to 78 degrees F.

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