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Aug 08, If you are looking to reduce the size, you can prune back the overall plant by one-third at a time. Then wait two to three months and you can prune back by one-third again.

Use a pair of loppers to clip thicker branches.

If you are doing rosemary pruning simply to create a busier plant, you can remove the end one to two inches ( to 5 cm.) of the branches. Mar 17, When pruning to reduce the size of your rosemary, Fedele says you can cut the entire plant back by one-third any time during the growing season.

To significantly reduce the plant’s size, she says it’s better to cut it back over a series of prunings, ideally spaced every three months. Fedele adds it’s easy to propagate your rosemary. Hard pruning rosemary also promotes new bushy growth.

Cut off about 15 to 25 cm on green growing stems making sure not to cut into any bare wood and leave plenty of green leaves below your cut especially if you prune overgrown rosemary. Work your way around your rosemary until you’ve removed about a quarter to a third of the plant.

Dec 14, Trim off the tips of lanky shoots by at least one-half, cutting at a degree angle, in early spring.

Long-handled loppers offer better leverage and are useful for severing branches without mangling them and disrupting healthy new growth.

Cut the entire plant back in late winter to early spring to renovate an older rosemary. Don't.