Planting Rue
Rue is a warm season herb in the Rutaceae family. Getting the timing right is the difference between a strong stand and a disappointing one, so the windows below are given relative to your own last spring frost and first fall frost rather than a generic calendar date. Look up your local frost dates and count back or forward from there.
Rue is started indoors 8–10 weeks before your last spring frost date, giving seedlings a head start before they move outside.
Transplant young plants outdoors 0–2 weeks after your last frost, once the danger of frost has passed.
Rue can be grown by starting indoors and transplanting. Starting indoors gives the longest, most controlled season, while direct sowing is simplest where the season is long enough.
Spacing and Planting Depth
Give Rue room to mature. The figures below come from verified extension and seed-supplier data for typical varieties.
| Spacing in row | 12 inches |
|---|---|
| Row spacing | 18 inches |
| Plants per sq ft | 0.67 |
| Planting depth | 0.125 inches |
| Sun requirement | Full sun |
Days to Maturity
Rue reaches maturity in 80–100 days from transplant.
Rue is ready to harvest after about 90 days. Harvest before the first fall frost, which will end the plant's productive season.
Conditions and Care
As a warm-season herb, Rue needs warm soil and settled weather to thrive, and is set back or killed by frost. It is frost hardy and can shrug off light freezes, so it can stay in the ground later into the season than tender crops.
Rue needs full sun — give it at least six hours of direct light a day for the best growth and flavor. Sow seed about 0.125 inches deep — small seed is sown shallow and barely covered, then keep the soil evenly moist until seedlings establish.
Rue belongs to the Rutaceae family; rotating where you grow members of this family each year helps limit the build-up of soil-borne pests and disease. Rue is generally grown as a single planting each season rather than succession sown.
Companion Plants
Pairing Rue with the right neighbors can improve growth and deter pests; a few combinations are best avoided.
Keep away from: Basil, Cabbage, Sage
Growing Notes
Perennial; can irritate skin. Antagonistic to several herbs.