Tag Archives: Propagating Rosemary

Plants to Propagate in October

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Rosemary:

  • Select Stems: Choose healthy, flexible tip growth (semi-hardwood) that is green and bends instead of snapping; avoid woody, brown bases or flowering tips.
  • Make the Cut: Using disinfected, sanitized pruners snip a 4-to-6-inch piece Strip Leaves: Gently pull the leaves off the bottom 2 to 3 inches of the stem.
  • Rooting: Dip the end in rooting hormone (optional) and place it in a well-draining mix (such as perlite and peat or potting soil) or water.
  • Overwintering: Keep the pots indoors near a bright window or under grow lights, cuttings need to be protected from freezing winter weather.
  • Transplant in Spring: Roots typically develop over several weeks to months. New plants can be individually potted or planted in the garden when spring arrives

 

Lavender:

  • Select Stems: Choose healthy, non-flowering side shoots from the current season that are firm and slightly woody at the base, but still flexible at the top (semi-ripe or hardwood). Avoid thick, old wood.
  • Make the Cut: Using disinfected sanitized pruners, snip 3- to 6-inch cuttings just below a leaf node where growth hormones are concentrated
  • Strip Lower Leaves: Remove the leaves from the bottom half to two-thirds of the stem, leaving only a few tiny leaves at the top.
  • Apply Rooting Hormone (Optional): Dip the bottom node into a rooting hormone powder to encourage faster root development.
  • Pot in Well-Draining Soil: Insert the cuttings into pots filled with a fast-draining propagation mix, multi-purpose compost, or a mix of compost and grit. Space them out along the edge of the pot.
  • Water and Create Humidity: Water the soil thoroughly to settle it. Cover the pot with a clear plastic bag supported by small plant canes, like a bamboo skewer, securing it with an elastic band to maintain high humidity (remove the bag periodically to let air circulate and prevent mold).
  • Overwintering keep the potted cuttings indoors on a bright windowsill, or in a greenhouse. Do not let them freeze or sit in  waterlogged soil.
  • Transplant in Spring: Roots typically develop over several weeks to months. New plants can be individually potted or planted in the garden when spring arrives

Propagation Tips: Rosemary Cuttings

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Cuttings are the most common way on how-to propagate rosemary.

Take a 2- to 3-inch cutting from a mature rosemary plant with a clean, sharp pair of shears.

Rosemary cuttings should be taken from the soft or new wood on the plant. The soft wood is most easily harvested in the spring when the plant is in its most active growth phase.

Remove the leaves from the bottom two-thirds of the cutting leaving at least five or six leaves.

Take the rosemary cuttings, dip bottoms in rooting hormone and place it in a well draining potting medium.

Cover the pot with a plastic bag or plastic wrap to help the cuttings retain moisture. Place in indirect light.  When you see new growth, remove plastic. Then, transplant to your new location.

Photos & Article by Carlotta Lucas

Propagation Tips: Layering Rosemary

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Spring is a good time to propagate Rosemary.  Two methods used in propagating Rosemary, and they are by cuttings and by layering.

This article explains how-to layer Rosemary.

Choose a long stem that will bend over enough to reach the ground.

Measure to see if you can pin the stem to the ground easily.

Strip away 1/2 inch of bark and leaves on either side of where the pin goes.

Note: An metal coat hanger can be cut to size and use as a pin.

Leave at least 2-3 inches of Rosemary’s leaves at the tip.

Bury the pin and the bared bark with soil.

Repeat process on other stems to make several new starts.

Once new growth appears on the tips on the stems, cut the stem away from the mother plant. Make your cut behind he pinned area, which is where the new roots form.  Transplant rosemary starts into a pot, or into a new garden location. Protect from hot sun, and keep moist until established.

Pictures &  Article by: Carlotta Lucas