Before you prune your rosemary bush, make sure that your pruning shears are sharp and clean. The herb is quite popular in French and Italian cuisines for its warm spice. The needle-like leaves have an aromatic scent and fresh flavor, and are commonly used in cooking. Use a good pair of pruning shears to trim back just below the flower area. In cold winters, bring plants under cover for protection. To learn how to use fresh rosemary clippings, scroll down! You should also prune any damaged or dead shoots, and trim a couple inches off of the outermost stems to encourage new growth. Find tips for this here: Rejuvenating Rosemary Plants. Add dolomite or lime at least once a year to increase the pH level and keep the herb happy. For an even more, stir in 1-2 whole vanilla beans or ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract. You can prune rosemary if need be. Then wait two to three months and you can prune back by one-third again. Pruning Rosemary Just take your pruners and clip off some of the growth to use in your recipes or to propagate new plants. It is easy to do! Pruning rosemary in the fall will cause the plant to focus on putting out new growth late in the year which uses a lot of the plant’s stored energy. Don't prune them for the sake of it - unless as a hedge or you are trying Topiary! A good rule of thumb is to schedule your last trim of the season no later than 4-6 weeks before the earliest expected frost. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/5\/5b\/Prune-Rosemary-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Prune-Rosemary-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/5b\/Prune-Rosemary-Step-1.jpg\/aid10073648-v4-728px-Prune-Rosemary-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"