How To Propagate Rosemary from Cuttings in 4 Easy Steps

Rosemary is strong…like really really strong! If you’ve ever accidentally put too much rosemary in a dish, you’ll know the distinct powerful taste that cuts through every ingredient and ruins the whole meal. But, I guess that’s the unique thing about rosemary; you only need a little bit of it to add immense flavor to anything. 

Anyways, enough of rosemary as an ingredient, let’s talk about rosemary as a plant. 

This article will teach you about propagating rosemary through cuttings. And, yes, I’m well aware that there are other ways to propagate a rosemary plant i.e. from seeds, water propagation, and layering.

However, using cuttings is much more reliable and hassle-free, so why not take the simpler, more efficient route?

How To Propagate Rosemary in 4 Easy Steps

1 – Gathering Supplies

Like any other plant propagation task, you’ll need:

Start by cutting off strong and decently lively stems from a parent rosemary plant. Each piece should be 5-7 inches long and must have multiple nodes from where new roots will sprout. 

2 – Planting The Cuttings

Once you have your hands on the rosemary cuttings that will serve as a foundation for your bigger plants, it’s time to begin the potting process.  

In a container, put your potting soil mix and spread it evenly. Then, place your rosemary cuttings (bottom side down) in the soil and make sure they remain upright.  A fairly large container should hold multiple cuttings at a time.

If you want, you can even dip your cuttings in a rooting hormone powder before potting them. This additional step can potentially save you a decent amount of time by promoting quicker root growth in the cuttings.

Another tip! You can take rosemary cuttings and place them in water for 10 to 15 days, until they take root, so the chances of them surviving when you plant them in the soil mix will be greater!

3 – Watering & Aftercare

Once your rosemary cuttings are in the potting soil, ensure that it’s provided with enough water regularly.

Newly propagated plants often require moist environments to root to their fullest potential. Avoid overdoing the water, however, as it can spoil the roots. 

Sunlight is also an important factor. DO NOT place your rosemary cuttings in direct sunlight! Indirect light, like that inside a room with open windows, would be plenty in the initial stages of rooting.  

4 – Transferring To Bigger Soil

Yeah…surprise surprise…you can’t grow whole damn rosemary plants in tiny containers!

Once the roots develop enough, you’ll eventually need to transfer the cuttings to your garden or a bigger pot that allows the root to spread maximally and support a bigger plant. 

The transfer process isn’t that complicated. Just take the cuttings out of the potting mix container with the roots attached and plant them in your garden.

Direct sunlight exposure is okay now but the watering frequency should remain the same. 

Final Words

So, there you go, you propagated your first rosemary plant!

Now, you have an endless rosemary supply every year to make the Christmas turkeys more fragrant than ever. Also, I bet you’ll be making a lot of soups and stews; rosemary just adds a new layer of depth to savory foods like that. Enjoy and…thank me later!