Not all plants do equally well when transplanted, so it is a good idea to read a bit about it before trying to transplant something. In this article, I explain everything you need to know about this when it comes to rosemary.
Rosemary does transplant well, although it is not risk-free as the plant can become damaged. Root bound or overwatered rosemary can often be saved by transplanting it to another, larger pot or container with more soil or into the ground.
I share five important things you should know about transplanting rosemary in this article. Specifically, if the plant actually likes it, whether or not it is easy, some tips to make it easier, and the benefits and risks of doing it.
Does Rosemary Like to Be Transplanted? Sometimes…
It can become necessary to transplant or repot your rosemary to keep it thriving (or even living). For example, if it has become root bound or severely overwatered, but does it actually like it?
Well, in those cases, rosemary definitely likes being transplanted as it is needed to keep it alive. Or rather, it likes it once the transition is finished. The process itself can be stressful for the plant and shouldn’t be done too often.
Another situation where transplanting can help rosemary is if you can move it to a spot with significantly better growing conditions, for example, more sunlight or better soil. Again, though, it likes the end result and not the actual process of being transplanted.
You might also want to transplant your rosemary purely for aesthetic reasons. For example, to put it in a nicer pot or in a better looking spot in the garden. This is also perfectly fine to do, but shouldn’t be done too often.
So while rosemary doesn’t necessarily like the process itself, it loves what transplanting can bring. If you want to learn more about this, head over to my article about why it can sometimes be crucial to transplant rosemary.
I should also mention that if you buy a plant from a store, it should almost always be repotted right away. That’s because store-bought rosemary is usually grown to look appealing on a shelf, which means many individual stems in a small pot to make it look bushy. It looks good but also means that the root system can be comprehensive and needs more room.
If your rosemary needs more room for its roots, I have a guide on how to repot rosemary which you should take a look at.
Is It Easy to Transplant Rosemary? Explained
Transplanting rosemary from one pot to another or into the ground is easy. Relocating an established rosemary that grows in the ground to another spot is more comprehensive but also possible. That said, transplanting is never without risk as the plant can take damage.
If you’re planning on moving an established rosemary bush from one spot in the ground to another, I recommend having a look at my guide for that.
Of course, transplanting rosemary is only easy if you know how to do it. If you have never done it, you need to learn the process first. Here are the basics.
- Prepare the target location by adding soil and watering it
- Dig up the plant with a lot of soil around the roots
- Transfer the plant to its new spot
- Fill in with soil to make the plant fit
- Water the plant lightly
I have another article where I cover how to put rosemary in the ground in much more detail and show photos of me going through each step of the process.
While it is not that complicated to transplant rosemary, there are some small but potentially crucial mistakes that are easy to make. I’ve certainly made some of them before but you don’t have to if you are better prepared than I was. I cover everything you should know to avoid the most common mistakes when transplanting rosemary here.
I have a handful of tips that can make transplanting your rosemary much easier and more likely to succeed without the plant taking damage.
4 Tips That Can Make Transplanting Rosemary Easier
Sure, transplanting rosemary is not very complicated but it is also a relatively delicate process that can go wrong even for experienced gardeners.
Here are some tips that can make it much easier.
- Dig up the plant with a lot of soil around the roots
- Water the new spot before and after transferring the plant
- Harden off or acclimate your plant if needed
- Having the proper supplies
The tip about bringing a lot of the soil from the plant’s old spot is probably the most important of them all. I learned this from a genuine expert gardener with several decades of professional experience. An extremely knowledgeable person.
If you bring a lot of the old soil when you transplant your rosemary, the roots will have a much easier time getting used to the new spot.
The expert I talked to about this also mentioned that it is beneficial to make the soil in the new spot wet before transferring the plant. This counts no matter if you move your rosemary from one pot to another or if you are putting it into the ground.
Like the previous tip, doing this makes the transition much easier for the roots and helps the plant become established faster.
Make sure you also give the plant a bit of water after transferring it.
Another thing not everybody considers but that can determine if your plant is going to thrive or not even survive is hardening off or acclimating it. This means to get a plant used to a new environment gradually over some time rather than moving it directly.
Hardening off is rarely necessary if you just move rosemary from one spot in your garden to another. It can be crucial to do if you move it from inside to outside though, as it will experience a significant change in sunlight and temperature. I have written another article where I go in-depth with everything you should know about putting rosemary outside.
The easiest way I have found to harden off rosemary is to put it outside for a few hours on day 1 and then bring it back in. Then put it outside for a few more hours the next day before you bring it back in again. Continue to let the plant stay outside for a gradually increasing amount of time every day for about a week at which point it should be able to stay outside permanently.
For extreme changes in the amount of sunlight and temperature, consider doing this process over two weeks instead of one.
The last tip I mentioned is to have the proper supplies. Which supplies you need depends on your specific situation, but it is not a lot no matter what. You can learn what you need to know about the tools and supplies needed for transplanting rosemary here.
Benefits of Transplanting Rosemary (Help Your Plant Thrive)
The advantage of transplanting rosemary is that it can potentially allow it to thrive much more than before. This can either be by giving it better growing conditions, for example, more sunlight or better soil, or by saving it from being root bound or overwatered.
Another advantage that I mentioned briefly earlier in this article is the aesthetic aspects of transplanting your rosemary. Sure, it is often done purely for practical reasons, but you can also do it to move your plant into a nicer pot or container or to a spot in the garden that looks better.
You might also want to do it for practical reasons. Perhaps you want your rosemary to grow right outside your kitchen window so you can just pick it right off the plant when you cook? Consider moving it there if the growing conditions allow it.
Risks and Disadvantages of Transplanting Rosemary
The advantages of transplanting rosemary are significant but it is important to know that there are also risks and disadvantages. The plant can become damaged or even not survive the transition.
I have written another article where I cover the risks of transplanting rosemary in detail so head over to that if you are interested, but here is a brief summary.
Of course, there is always the risk that you accidentally break or damage the plant or part of it by dropping it or hitting it with something but that’s not all.
Perhaps the biggest risk when transplanting rosemary is that the plant will suffer from transplant shock.
Transplant shock means that a plant’s roots are unable to adapt to a new environment after being transplanted. This inhibits the plant’s ability to obtain water and nutrients efficiently, leading to stunted growth.
Transplant shock is often only temporary, though. If your rosemary suffers from it, you can usually save it with proper care, which mostly means slightly more water than usual to help the roots out. Don’t water extra for more than a week or so, though, and only do a bit more as the roots can otherwise rot.
I have written another article where I cover transplant shock in rosemary in detail including what to do about it, why it happens, how to reduce the risk, and more.
So since there is risk involved with transplanting rosemary, I recommend that you only do it if you need to (for example if the plant is root bound) or if you want to for aesthetic or practical reasons. Or if you just want to practice the process. I always encourage people to practice and just try things. Gardening is supposed to be fun.
If you are not sure if you should do it, I have another article where I cover how to tell with certainty if your rosemary needs to be transplanted.