How to Dig Up a Rosemary Bush

Rosemary -- a perennial herb with flavorful leaves -- can become unsightly if you do not prune it regularly. If a rosemary plant appears unhealthy with spindly stems, you have some options to remedy the situation. You may succeed in rescuing it, or you can simply dig up the rosemary bush to remove it from your herb garden. If you wish to replant the rosemary, dig it up in the autumn, and it should recover by the following growing season.

Things You'll Need

Shovel

Small tarp

Instructions

- 1
  Prepare a new planting location if you wish to replant the rosemary bush. Dig the hole deep enough so you can plant the rosemary bush with the woody stems beneath the surface of the soil. Make the hole wide enough to accommodate the bush.
- 2
  Spread a small tarp near the spot where the rosemary bush grows so you can transfer the bush to the tarp immediately after removing it from the soil.
- 3
  Insert the tip of a shovel into the soil about 4 inches from the outer perimeter of the bush. Push the shovel deep into the soil. Remove the shovel, and repeat the process to loosen the bush from the soil, working the shovel beneath the root ball as you loosen it.
- 4
  Lever the rosemary bush from the soil with the shovel, taking care to preserve as much of the root system as you can. Transfer the rosemary to the tarp.
- 5
  Place the rosemary bush into the prepared hole immediately if you will be replanting it. Situate the rosemary in the hole so the woody and leggy stems will be beneath the surface of the soil. Cover the roots with soil, and fill the hole completely. Firm the soil with your hands. If you will not be replanting the rosemary bush, wrap the roots and give it away, or simply discard it.

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