Darn right that was interesting Greg! I have struggled with over wintering Rosemary but the last couple years it has come through...up against a South facing wall, trim it right down before winter, mostly bury in chopped leaves and then cover with a small cold frame (4' x 4') and it seems to work. I am in zone 6B but we get the crazy freeze/thaw as well. -12 last night and -15 night before...today and tomorrow + 4 and rain! Then a plunge again! Crazy. Thanks for the video and have a great day! Mike 🇨🇦 🍁 👍
Hi Greg, last year I watched your first rosemary video. I too live in zone 6 but in Ohio and always brought my rosemary in during the winter, but didn't have luck keeping it alive. This fall, because of that video, I decided to do what you did and cover my rosemary plant with a little mesh container covered in heavy plastic. We'll see, the last I checked on it it looked like it was still hanging in there. We haven't had significant snow yet, but I'll definitely try insulating with snow when I have the opportunity. Thanks again, for the great idea.
The main thing is that the plastic is transparent to let the light in - otherwise its just a cold box. I hope yours makes it. All my snow melted and now it's -19c as I type this response - I hope they make it! May I'll wrap a blanket around the base to mimick what the snow does
Sunny days equal cold nights because clouds act as an insulating layer. Same way your plastic bag acts as a barrier. Thank you for the tips. This vid is exactly what i was looking for, hopefully my rosemary survives this winter 🥶. The farmers almanac says this winter is supposed to be a doozy
First, I love your content, Greg. Thanks for being awesome. I'm in WA, 8b, 10 miles south of Canada. It rarely even snows here, but once in a great while we'll get an arctic blast from the north. This happened recently where temps were in the low teens, wind chill well below 0 F. I've got a few rosemary bushes around my yard (unknown variety) which have always survived extreme cold temps. You know what else survived our last cold spell? Cilantro in 6" nursery pots, lol. I forgot about them so they were left uncovered, and I'm sure the soil in the pots turned to solid blocks of ice since my pond froze 8" thick. Anyway, when the temps got back into the 40s and the snow was all gone I checked them...no signs of damage and the plants look perfectly happy. 🤣 My pak choi & broccoli also made it through just fine. Lettuce, not so much.
Sunny days are always when it will be colder at night, even here, 1000 miles from any ocean influence in Illinois. What happens is that clouds trap the heat but a clear sky allows radiant heat to escape and drop the local temperatures. The clouds themselves are an insulating blanket. I saw the same effect when I used to live near Montreal. On bright sunny days, the kind that can make you "snow blind", I hated knowing that I had to walk to school because I knew it would be a very cold walk.
Yes, but you have to understand that the ocean has an incredible effect on the weather. It was -5c this afternoon at 3pm; now it's 7pm and its +1c. The heat is coming off the ocean currents. The Atlantic ocean is a massive heat system. There are no ocean currents in illinois :)
I went with the pot method and put the plant in the garage this year. I try to get it out for some sun on warmer days but i guess it will just stay dormant until I can get it out in March. Might transplant into a bigger pot come spring.
Great simple video of a very practical idea anybody could use to overwinter a sometimes-finicky Mediterranean herb. Do you have any particular varieties of rosemary you have found to be more cold-hardy than others?
I get frost bite when my hands are cold even if I go into my refridg freezer. I must have thin blood. My hands itches badly. I have to wear gloves to avoid frost bite. Does this happen to you working in winter without gloves.?
My hands go numb all the time :) The trick is to keep them dry and only have them exposed for short amounts of time. Once they are wet - or if you are holding something cold, the heat drains out of them fast!
Thank You❣️❣️❣️
If you can find some clear bubble wrap add that.
Thank you so much! Just moved to zone 6a and really wanted to have a perennial rosemary at the corner of my garden. Will give this a go.
Darn right that was interesting Greg! I have struggled with over wintering Rosemary but the last couple years it has come through...up against a South facing wall, trim it right down before winter, mostly bury in chopped leaves and then cover with a small cold frame (4' x 4') and it seems to work. I am in zone 6B but we get the crazy freeze/thaw as well. -12 last night and -15 night before...today and tomorrow + 4 and rain! Then a plunge again! Crazy.
Thanks for the video and have a great day!
Mike 🇨🇦 🍁 👍
Very similar the here from the sound of things. All that snow disappeared the next day overnight, and then it got down to -18c last night
Hi Greg, last year I watched your first rosemary video. I too live in zone 6 but in Ohio and always brought my rosemary in during the winter, but didn't have luck keeping it alive. This fall, because of that video, I decided to do what you did and cover my rosemary plant with a little mesh container covered in heavy plastic. We'll see, the last I checked on it it looked like it was still hanging in there. We haven't had significant snow yet, but I'll definitely try insulating with snow when I have the opportunity.
Thanks again, for the great idea.
The main thing is that the plastic is transparent to let the light in - otherwise its just a cold box. I hope yours makes it. All my snow melted and now it's -19c as I type this response - I hope they make it! May I'll wrap a blanket around the base to mimick what the snow does
Glad you finally got snow for this plant and to show rabbit tracks'...lol. I wondered how that plant was doing so far!
Sunny days equal cold nights because clouds act as an insulating layer. Same way your plastic bag acts as a barrier. Thank you for the tips. This vid is exactly what i was looking for, hopefully my rosemary survives this winter 🥶. The farmers almanac says this winter is supposed to be a doozy
First, I love your content, Greg. Thanks for being awesome.
I'm in WA, 8b, 10 miles south of Canada. It rarely even snows here, but once in a great while we'll get an arctic blast from the north. This happened recently where temps were in the low teens, wind chill well below 0 F. I've got a few rosemary bushes around my yard (unknown variety) which have always survived extreme cold temps.
You know what else survived our last cold spell? Cilantro in 6" nursery pots, lol. I forgot about them so they were left uncovered, and I'm sure the soil in the pots turned to solid blocks of ice since my pond froze 8" thick. Anyway, when the temps got back into the 40s and the snow was all gone I checked them...no signs of damage and the plants look perfectly happy. 🤣
My pak choi & broccoli also made it through just fine. Lettuce, not so much.
That's cool!
Sunny days are always when it will be colder at night, even here, 1000 miles from any ocean influence in Illinois. What happens is that clouds trap the heat but a clear sky allows radiant heat to escape and drop the local temperatures. The clouds themselves are an insulating blanket. I saw the same effect when I used to live near Montreal. On bright sunny days, the kind that can make you "snow blind", I hated knowing that I had to walk to school because I knew it would be a very cold walk.
Yes, but you have to understand that the ocean has an incredible effect on the weather. It was -5c this afternoon at 3pm; now it's 7pm and its +1c. The heat is coming off the ocean currents. The Atlantic ocean is a massive heat system. There are no ocean currents in illinois :)
Follow up question- wondering if it would be beneficial to mulch around the roots with some straw?
Yes
I still have lettuce hanging on under clear rubbermaid totes lol. Might get several more to stack somewhere and then bring out to extend my season.
Brilliant!!! I'm going to try this : )
I have some rosemary in a planter on my deck, I'm interested to see if it survives this couple of super cold days 🤞🏻
Interesting & helpful.🤠
One might use a cheap tomato cage and trash bag similarly.
Here where we live we are in zone 4 last night was -5 F. I doubt this would work here but it is a good idea for those in warmer winters
Mine was growing in a unheated green house and still died .Its hit or miss in zone 6 unfortunately.
I went with the pot method and put the plant in the garage this year. I try to get it out for some sun on warmer days but i guess it will just stay dormant until I can get it out in March. Might transplant into a bigger pot come spring.
Sounds great!
I thought you meant -19 F at first 😂 Was Saying to myself no way he’s in zone 6 lol
ha ha - yes C not F :)
Great simple video of a very practical idea anybody could use to overwinter a sometimes-finicky Mediterranean herb. Do you have any particular varieties of rosemary you have found to be more cold-hardy than others?
There is one called "arp rosemary" - which is hardy to zone 6. Sadly, I don't have that kind
👍
I get frost bite when my hands are cold even if I go into my refridg freezer. I must have thin blood. My hands itches badly. I have to wear gloves to avoid frost bite.
Does this happen to you working in winter without gloves.?
My hands go numb all the time :) The trick is to keep them dry and only have them exposed for short amounts of time. Once they are wet - or if you are holding something cold, the heat drains out of them fast!
Wow nice! Good to know. You think it would work in zone 4? lol
The greenhouse would have to be more elaborate, more clever, and you'd have to get lucky.
@@maritimegardening4887 so you’re saying there is a chance? Haha just kidding. Yeah zone 4 is not fun. But I guess it could be worst 😉