How to Grow a Rosemary Bush

Acquire a young rosemary bush, either by purchasing one from a plant nursery or propagating one at home using a cutting. Choose a bush-type cultivar such as "Tuscan Blue," "Arp" or "Spice Islands."

Prepare to propagate a rosemary bush by creating a rooting pot. Fill a 4-inch nursery pot with compost. Wet the compost with 2 cups of water to thoroughly saturate it. Let it drain for a few minutes while you take a rosemary cutting.

Select a cutting from a healthy, thriving rosemary bush in spring. Choose a cutting with healthy foliage and a somewhat pliable stem. Clip the cutting 4 to 6 inches from the tip. Remove the leaves from the lower half.

Insert the cutting into the pot of compost. Stick it in until the bottom set of foliage rests on the surface of the soil. Pinch the soil closed around the base. Set the potted rosemary cutting on a shallow dish filled with water to provide moisture during the rooting process.

Cut the base off a 2-liter plastic soda bottle. Slip the soda bottle over the top of the rosemary rooting pot to hold warmth around it. Remove the lid.

Place the pot on a table or ledge in front of a sunny window. Water the rosemary periodically by refilling the shallow dish it sits in with water. Plant the rosemary cutting outdoors in two months, or once roots begin to appear at the drainage holes of the nursery container.

Choose a planting site outdoors. Select a spot with full sun for at least five hours a day. Avoid areas with poor drainage.

Break up the soil to a 6-inch depth using a handheld cultivator. Spread a 2-inch layer of coarse sand or horticultural grit across the bedding site to improve drainage. Work the sand or grit into the bed with the handheld cultivator until the soil has loosened up and the sand is fully incorporated.

Plant the rooted rosemary cutting or young nursery plant in a hole corresponding to twice the volume of its original nursery container. Form the hole using a garden trowel.

Water the rosemary bush to a depth of 5 inches immediately after planting, then decrease water to 1 inch every 10 days from then on. Avoid overwatering rosemary bushes.