Growing new rosemary plants from cuttings is one of the easiest and most rewarding ways to multiply your garden. Instead of starting from tiny seeds that take months to grow, a small snip from a healthy rosemary bush can give you a brand-new, strong plant in just a few weeks.
Here is exactly how to do it, step by step.
What Kind of Stem to Cut?
The most common mistake people make is choosing the wrong part of the plant. Rosemary bushes have two types of wood: older, brown, stiff stems (hardwood) and fresh, green, bendy stems at the tips (softwood).
- Avoid the old, hard wood: Dark brown, woody stems take a very long time to grow roots. They often dry out or rot before anything happens.
- Choose the fresh, flexible growth: The best cuttings come from the top of the plant. Look for stems that are green and bendy at the top, but just starting to turn a little bit woody and firm at the bottom. This is called “semi-hardwood,” and it roots the fastest.
Water vs. Soil: Which is Better?
You can grow rosemary roots in either a glass of water or directly in a pot of soil. While both methods work, one is better for the long-term health of the plant
Rooting in Water:
- The good: It is fun to watch the roots grow, and you do not need any special dirt.
- The bad: Roots that grow in water are very weak, thin, and fragile. When you finally move the plant from the water into dirt, the plant often goes into shock and dies because the delicate water roots cannot handle the heavy, dry soil.
Rooting Directly in Soil (The Better Choice):
- The good: Roots grown in dirt are thick, strong, and ready for the real world. The plant never has to go through the shock of being moved from a glass of water into a pot.
- The bad: You cannot see the roots growing, so you have to be patient and trust the process.
Step-by-Step: How to Make the Cuttings
Preparing the cutting correctly tells the plant to stop growing leaves and start growing roots instead.
- Take the cut: Using clean scissors, cut a healthy stem that is about 4 to 6 inches long.
- Strip the bottom leaves: Gently pull the leaves off the bottom 2 inches of the stem. This bare part of the stem is what will go into the soil. Roots will grow out of the tiny scars where the leaves used to be.
- Snip the very top (Highly Recommended): Cut off the soft, top tip of the cutting. If you leave the tip on, the plant will waste its energy trying to grow taller. If you remove the tip, the plant is forced to send all its energy down to the bottom to create roots.
- Plant the cutting: Poke a hole in your soil with a pencil, slide the bare 2 inches of the stem into the hole, and gently press the dirt around it so it stands straight up.
Success Tips for Growing Strong Roots
To make sure your new rosemary plants survive and thrive, follow these simple rules:
- Use the right soil mix: Rosemary comes from the hot, dry Mediterranean coast. It hates sitting in wet mud. Use a soil that drains very quickly. Mixing regular potting dirt with an equal amount of sand or perlite is perfect.
- Create a mini greenhouse: Cuttings do not have roots yet, so they dry out very quickly. Place a clear plastic bag or a clear plastic cup upside down over the pot. This traps the moisture in the air and keeps the leaves from drying up while the roots form.
- Find the right light: Put your pot in a warm, bright spot, but keep it out of direct, burning sunlight. Too much direct sun will cook the cutting before it has a chance to root.
- Keep it slightly damp, never soggy: Water the soil just enough to keep it lightly moist like a wrung-out sponge. If the soil is soaking wet, the stem will turn black and rot.
- Be patient: It usually takes about 3 to 4 weeks for a rosemary cutting to grow roots. You will know it is working when the cutting stays green and eventually starts pushing out new, tiny leaves.
