Rosmarinus Officinalis or rosemary is a perennial herb that grows across the United States. The herb grows up to 4-feet tall and 4-feet wide depending on the variety you plant. If you are wondering how to grow rosemary from cuttings, you have come to the right place.
Find The Mother Plant
The first step is to find a mother plant – from which you can take cuttings. The ideal conditions to grow rosemary include a lot of moisture and a warm place but out of the sun. These are the ideal conditions for the rosemary plants to take root.
You can grow the herb from hardwood, softwood, and leaf cuttings. Propagating the plant from cutting is fairly simple although the method can be slightly different when it comes to softwood, hardwood or leaf cuttings. We will focus on propagating a rosemary plant from softwood cuttings.
Best Time For Rosemary Cuttings
The best time to take rosemary cuttings is during springtime once new growth has developed. Make sure you avoid taking cuttings that are actively flowering for this purpose. You should cut the plant just below the branching point – right below where a side stem or a leaf seems to sprout.
The plant has special tissues made up of meristematic cells in this area. Meristematic cells are designed to grow new plant parts like leaves and roots. It will encourage stem and leaf growth when pruning above these points.
When you prune below these points, the rosemary plant will grow new root faster because of the meristematic tissue.
The Following Steps On How To Grow Rosemary From Cuttings
The first step is to make a clean cut with a sharp knife about 6 inches down from the tip of the soft new branch. With rosemary, the leaves grow so close to each other and you should ensure that you cut just below a branching point.
2. Remove the lower leaves of the cutting by clipping or pinching them off. You can easily remove the leaves of a rosemary cutting by running your fingers down the branch.
3. You can root the cuttings in water by changing the water daily so that bacteria doesn’t buildup.
4. Put two drops of liquid seaweed into the water to stimulate the growth of the cutting. A 50/50 mix of vermiculite and perlite solution gives a better chance of success with growing rosemary.
5. When growing the cutting in a vermiculite and perlite solution, you should make a pocket for the leafless end of the rosemary cutting.
6. Then, place the mixture in and around the bare stem. The stem should have good contact with the mixture and water.
Moisture and Warmth
If you live in a drafty and cool place, you should erect a makeshift greenhouse over the cuttings to trap in moisture and warmth. Keep an eye on the cuttings to see if too much moisture is building up. Too much moisture can cause the cuttings to become moldy. The growing medium should stay evenly moist.
Check and Test Rosemary Cuttings
7. Check the cuttings in 3 to 4 weeks to see if the roots are taking shape. Give the rosemary cuttings a gentle tug test to see if roots are emerging. If you feel resistance, the chances are that the roots have formed. Now the rosemary plants are ready for transplanting.
8. Once they have rooted, place them into a large container with potting soil. You may even place them in your garden. It will not take too long before you harvest rosemary from garden to table.
If you are wondering how to grow rosemary from cuttings, you have come to the right place. The aforementioned article provides information on growing rosemary from cuttings.
Happy planting!