Can Rosemary Grow From a Cutting?

Take the Cuttings

• To propagate rosemary with stem cuttings, use a sharp knife or a pair of pruners to remove a 3- to 4-inch length of stem from a healthy rosemary plant. Choose a stem that is flexible but firm enough to break with a snap when you bend it. Strip the foliage from the lower half of the rosemary stem.

Plant the Cuttings

• Although hormone powder isn't an absolute requirement, use of hormones promotes development of roots in a shorter time. Dip the cut end of the stem in hormone powder or liquid hormone, then plant the stem in a pot filled with a coarse, well-draining potting mixture such as a peat-based potting mixture combined with a large handful of sand. Slide the pot into a plastic bag, then close the bag with a rubber band. Place the pot where the cutting is exposed to indirect, bright sunlight and keep the potting mixture slightly moist. Rosemary cuttings usually root in two to three weeks.

Growing Conditions

• Like most herbs, rosemary will rot in soggy soil and thrives in sandy, well-drained soil. While rosemary survives in partial shade, full sunlight produces a healthier plant. Most rosemary varieties are not cold hardy and won't survive winter outdoors. Dig the plant and move it to a container with a drainage hole. Place the pot in your sunniest window and keep the potting mixture just barely moist.

General Care

• Water rosemary often enough to keep the soil slightly moist. Don't overwater and don't allow the soil to become bone dry. Pinch the outermost tips of rosemary plants to induce bushy, full growth and prune the plants as needed to maintain a pleasant size and shape. Feed rosemary in late winter or early spring, using a weak solution of a balanced liquid fertilizer. Always apply fertilizer to moist soil.