If you are situated in the USDA hardiness zone 6 or above, then you can quickly grow one of the nicest herbs there is. (Find out What Zone Am I in for Gardening)
A Rosemary plant is popular and can be grown as hedges or for areas that require edging. Aside from this, rosemary plants are great to use in the kitchen.
These annual herbs are as much at home in window boxes, a pot, and you can even grow them indoors if you have the right sort of area.
To cut down on a long time growing from seed, here you can learn how to grow rosemary from cuttings.
Besides rosemary, how to plant a few other accompanying herbs can be seen here. All the info is free, no need to leave your name, email address, or anything. Just leave a reply if you find it helpful.
What Kinds of Plants Can You Grow from Cuttings?
Taking cuttings is one of the best ways to use your potting bench; outdoor plants can be grown from seed. However, to save time and get a jump on the growing season, you can be the FastTrack to success when you take cuttings to grow new plants.
Besides the time saving, once you see which plants are ideal, you can see that you can make significant cost savings.
Ornamental Flowers
- Azalea
- Chrysanthemums
- Clematis
- Hydrangea
- Lilac
- Roses
- Wisteria
House Plants
- Rubber plant
- Snake plant
- Ivy
- Jade
Vegetables
- Celery
- Peppers
- Tomatoes
Herbs
- Basil
- Lavender
- Mint
- Rosemary
- Sage
Step-by-Step for Growing Rosemary from Cuttings
- Remove a 2 to 3-inch cutting from your mature donor rosemary plant. Be sure to use a clean, sharp knife, scissors, or shears.
- Your rosemary cuttings need taking from the soft or the new wood part of your plant. The softwood section is the easiest to harvest during the spring. At this time, the plant will be in its most active growth phase.
- Remove any lower leaves on the bottom two-thirds of your new rosemary cuttings, be sure to leave five or six leaves minimum.
- Take your rosemary cutting and place it in some well-draining potting soil or another potting medium.
- Cover your pot with a plastic bag (you can use plastic wrap), as this helps the cuttings retain moisture
- Place your pot with the cutting in indirect light
- Once you begin to see new growth, you can remove the plastic
- You can now transplant your rosemary cuttings to new locations
Benefits of Planting Rosemary from Cuttings
You will find a few benefits of learning how to grow rosemary from cuttings.
- Quicker Harvests: Rosemary rooting is much faster when you do it from cuttings instead of seeds. You tend to find the seeds have a low germination rate as well as being slow. Once you plant rosemary this way, you can use your rosemary plants in a few months.
- Copies of Donor: Your cuttings will be exact replicas of the donor plant. You will find the same taste and resistance to disease as the mother.
- Plants for Free: Once you begin, you can have an endless supply of Rosemary plants and never have to purchase anymore, or even rosemary for your kitchen.
FAQ
Can You Grow Thyme from Cuttings?
One of the best herbs to accompany your rosemary plants is thyme, especially for use in cooking.
- With thyme, you need to take your new cuttings from stems taller than two inches. The stems also need to be soft, as they grow woody if they are close to maturity.
- With sharp shears or knives, take around three-quarters or two-thirds of the stem, and be sure to leave three or four sets of leaves on the bottom.
- You will then need to cut below a growth node on the plant as this helps with new growth.
- To prepare them for growing into new plants, remove leaves at the bottom of your cutting, but leaving two or three sets at the top.
- Using a mix of perlite and potting soil and moisten with water. Make a hole with your finger, and then insert over half the cutting into the hole. Push the soil around the stem, as this gives support until the roots have formed.
- Cover with a plastic bag to retain moisture on your new plant. You may find it advisable to grow roots faster by dipping the cutting in rooting hormone.
- Uncover the containers throughout the day for a few hours to allow for air circulation.
- Around six weeks after the roots have formed, you will have thyme plants to accompany your rosemary.
Can You Grow Lavender from Cuttings?
Lavender is another popular plant to grow from cuttings. You can follow the same steps as above, or you can take a more straightforward approach and grow your cuttings in water.
While this is easier, it has a downside that your lavender cuttings may find harder than those propagated in soil. (Read Growing Onions in Containers Guide)
To use the water method, take a container and fill it half full of water. Add your cuttings, though make sure no leaves are touching, as they will rot.
You may see your roots growing faster than they would in soil, yet wait until they are thick before you transplant.
Can You Grow Basil from Cuttings?
Basil is another herb you can grow from cuttings, and doing so cuts down on growing time by 50%.
After a few weeks, before you get good roots, you can see fast growth to harvest for use. Basil cuttings can also be taken year-round rather than at certain times.
Like your rosemary cuttings or your lavender cuttings, you can use soil, or you can take cuttings and grow them in water.
With your basil, you can see root growth in around 10 to 14 days, and once they are large enough, you can transfer them to a pot and keep it in your kitchen or move to another sunny area.
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