Rosemary Bush

[davidanthony]

I have had a large Rosemary bush in my front garden for over 20 years, and has always been the picture of health. However in the last 3 months it has started to die off. I have not done anything different in where it is located or its watering and feeding routine, so bemused as to why after such a long time is is now dying. Any thoughts please ?

[hammerman]

You've been very lucky to have it for that long....It's usually recommended to replace Rosemary every 5-10 years.

Might of just come to the end of it's life and like humans, the older things get, the more they can be susceptible to diseases etc.

[Chipchopper]

Some times, 'Hard pruning' can rejuvenate old established plants.
You can do this with rosemary providing you don't prune past the lowest cluster of leaves, as rosemary will not regrow from old, bare wood.
This is best done in early spring, after the frosts have ceased.

[coccinelle]

I just think it's come to its latter months and you'll need to replace it. helas...

[nungate]

have you tried to take a couple of "cuttings" from it so you could have a new plant from the old? Take a small sprig and pull it off hopefully it will have a small piece of a stem tail (for want of a better word) attached. Dip it in a bit of rooting powder and pop it in a little pot, water it and put it into a clear plastic bag and hopefully it'll take root and you'll have a new plant to plant out next year.

[davidanthony]

Many thanks to all for the constructive comments. I guess after all this time it has indeed turned it's toes up and gone to the big herb garden in the sky.