How to Propagate Rosemary from Cuttings

A few years ago I wrote post about propagating rosemary from cuttings placed in water. That method for propagating rosemary is a viable method for sure but you probably will have more success if you take your rosemary cuttings and stick them in soil instead. Recently I posted a video on the YouTube channel that explains both propagation methods for rosemary. You can watch that below but here is a quick run down of how to propagate rosemary through cuttings.

An updated article with this information and more can be found here: A Complete Guide to Propagating and Growing Rosemary.

How to Propagate Rosemary from Cuttings

  • Take six inch cuttings of healthy rosemary branches
  • Strip the leaves from the lower half to 3/4 of the cutting.
  • Use Rooting hormone on the cut end before sticking in the soil medium. Rooting hormone isn’t necessary but it will speed growth of roots and add some protection against fungal diseases.
  • Place the cut end of the rosemary cutting in a rooting medium. In the video I used a peat/bark fines mix at 50% but many other mediums will work just as well like sand, sand/peat, or peat/perlite.
  • Moisten the medium and put in a shady location to decrease water loss. Keep the rosemary cuttings watered daily or more often if the rooting medium dries out too quickly.

They should have some nice roots growing on your rosemary cuttings in about 4 weeks but if no roots form and the cuttings are still healthy give them more time.

Here is my post on rooting rosemary cuttings in water if you would like to try that method. I’ve covered it in the video above as well!

Propagating Plants

How to Propagate Leyland Cypress from Cuttings

Plant propagation can continue at almost every time of the year, the winter is no exception. This is especially true if you have a little space in your house to put your cuttings or can manage to manipulate them into interesting centerpieces! In this post…

Read More

How to Propagate Purple Leaf Plum from Cuttings

One of the reasons I like gardening so much, and I believe that other gardeners share the same reason, is to see the result of your work. To see a job finally come to completion. I enjoy the journey and the process too, but it…

Read More

How to Save Coleus Over The Winter

Coleus (Solenostemon now Plectranthus scutellarioides) is one of those lucky annuals that can be saved from a merciless death by frost and freeze. Coleus, which is actually a tropical perennial, can be kept indoors as a house plant then replanted outside in the spring once all…

Read More

Propagating Beautyberry Through Cuttings

If you’re looking for a plant that provides fall color in the form of berries as well as late season nourishment for the birds than look no further than the beautyberry (Callicarpa). Our beautyberry that we purchased in the spring is turning a deep purple…

Read More