How to Grow Rosemary From a Branch

Rosemary holds a secure place as a staple herb in many kitchen gardens. The intensely fragrant, needle-like leaves and shrubby growth habit perform double duty as both an ornamental and as a culinary herb. However, the plants only last for a few years and must be replaced once they become leggy and woody. Growing a new rosemary plant from a branch or cutting is one way to replace older, less vigorous plants while reproducing the attractive characteristics for which it was initially chosen.

Things You'll Need

3-inch starter pot
Coarse sand
Compost
Pruning shears

0.3-percent IBA (indolebutyric acid) rooting talc
Propagation mat
Spray bottle

Instructions

- 1
  Start new rosemary plants in late spring or summer when the plant is actively growing. Take the cutting before or after the main flush of blossoms, but not while the plant is in full bloom.
- 2
  Fill a 3-inch starter pot with a mixture of 3-parts coarse sand and 1-part compost. Leave 1/4 inch of space between the soil and the top of the pot. Pour water into the pot to thoroughly saturate the soil.
- 3
  Take a 3- to 5-inch long portion from the tip of the branch. Make the cut just below a node, or where the two leaves emerge, using pruning shears.
- 4
  Strip off all the leaves from the lower third of the cutting. Dip the end of the rosemary branch in 0.3-percent IBA rooting talc.
- 5
  Stick the rosemary branch into the starter pot up to its lowest set of leaves. Press the soil in around the stem to hold it upright.
- 6
  Set the potted rosemary cutting near a source of bright light. Apply bottom heat with a propagation mat set to 75 F.
- 7
  Mist the rosemary cutting and soil once a week using a spray bottle. Spritz it five or six times. Allow the soil to dry out slightly before misting it again.
- 8
  Check for roots on the rosemary branch in four weeks. Move the starter pot onto a sunny window ledge. Water the plant with a few tablespoons of water whenever the soil feels dry.
- 9
  Plant the rooted rosemary branch into a permanent bed or planter the following spring as soon as daytime temperatures warm to 68 F.

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