Why is my rosemary dying?

[WolfpackWife]

I have a medium-sized rosemary plant, planted in a sufficiently sized terra cotta pot. My mom potted it for me when we moved here and it flourished last summer/fall, was fine through the winter, but now it seems very saggy and sad. Parts of it have died. It gets plenty of sun, I don't over water it. Recently I've noticed that when I do water it, a lot of soil seems to flow out of the bottom and the water drains quickly. My mom said to trim it, as they "like haircuts" and maybe it would improve. I did trim it and it seems to look more green and lush, but it's not nearly has happy looking as it was last year.

What am I doing wrong? I thought rosemary was nearly kill-proof. At the beach, it grows wildly in gigantic bushes, and yet I am having trouble keeping a little plant alive. DH thinks maybe it needs more root space. I don't know what it's deal is.

ETA: Further, can anyone share what they do to keep rosemary they trim? I have heard that it's good to freeze it, and that it's bad to freeze it. I've got plenty, but I don't' know the best way to keep it since I don't need all of it at once.

[HouseofWool]

It sounds like your soil is a bit compacted. Can you loosen it up and spoon in some compost? Nutrient loss happens pretty quickly in potted plants.

[alotofyarn]

I don't know, but I have a terribly time keeping plants alive in pots... I do much better with them in the ground!

[MsSassyBaskets]

I've never been able to keep rosemary alive, and I'm not a total black thumb. You might try repotting in a bigger pot with more space and new soil, if you think the roots might be getting compacted.

[WolfpackWife]

I'll check the soil and see if we can get some nutrients in there, and I'm also thinking of repotting it, which is what DH says he thinks needs to happen. My mom said that rosemary is usually much happier in the ground, but that's not possible with apartment living. She's got huge rosemary plants thriving in our backyard at home, all potted! She's really good at all things plants, though.

[diggitydot]

I'd definitely repot in a larger container, loosen the soul, and maybe add in some organic mulch. I'd also add some large rocks or gravel in the bottom of the pot to allow for adequate drainage.

[MsSassyBaskets]

I'll check the soil and see if we can get some nutrients in there, and I'm also thinking of repotting it, which is what DH says he thinks needs to happen. My mom said that rosemary is usually much happier in the ground, but that's not possible with apartment living. She's got huge rosemary plants thriving in our backyard at home, all potted! She's really good at all things plants, though.

Careful not to over-fertilize, that can kill it too. Compost is definitely better... or look up some instructions online for appropriate types and amounts of fertilizer for your size plant.

[SoonerTexan]

Mines starting to look crappy lately too

[WolfpackWife]

It's been strange to see the rosemary fail to thrive this spring/summer when it's allegedly a pretty easy plant. Instead, our lime tree (affectionately named Hector) isn't even supposed to do very well in our VA climate and he's just flowering away, growing stronger. No limes yet, but I thought for sure he'd be history after we moved him inside for the winter.