Propagating ABC - Rosemary

Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis)
Rosemary makes great garden, and house plant. It provides year round interest with evergreen, fragrant foliage, and beautiful lilac blooms. Kitchen garden essential, it makes great knot garden, and topiary material. Why not, grow Rosemary in your own garden?
Rosemary could be propagated from seeds, but we do not recommend it. Rosemary seeds neither germinate easily, nor do they produce quality plants. For best results, propagate Rosemary from tip cuttings.
We got some of our first cuttings, from Miss Bond, -neighbor, who grew it in her front yard. Good lady, passed a while ago, but both, the plant and her memory
stay with us, doing fine. We have also got some other Rosemary cuttings from our favorite A&A Plants nursery near Greensboro, NC. While nurseries are about selling plants, they will let you take a cutting or two if you ask nicely!
Here are a few simple steps to follow, to propagate Rosemary.

1. Take cuttings from mother plant. Make them approximately 3 inch long. Rinse in cold water. Remove bottom half of the foliage.
2. Chop, and dry discarded foliage, and reserve it for future culinary use.
3. Fill container with fresh water.
Add Rosemary stems to it. Immerse stems, only.
Wet foliage promotes rotting, not rooting!
Leave the cuttings at room temperature, and close to the window (best, with either eastern, or western exposure).
4. Most cuttings will root within next two weeks. Some may need a little longer.
Be patient, and please, remember to refresh water occasionally.

5. Plant rooted Rosemary in a pot. If you live in hardiness zone 7, or above, consider planting it directly in the ground. We have planted our rooted Rosemary tips in a variety of ways. Some, diretly in the ground, to grow as a low border hedge. The other tips are planted in pots. We will grow these as topiaries. We will keep you updated on the progress they made.

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References - Find more about: Hardiness Zones
Special Thanks
Special Thanks to Town & Country Gardens Contributors: blogger, dive-angel (Karin), flickr, Jasmine&Roses, Rita Crane Photography. Rita Crane, daughter of LIFE magazine photographer Ralph Crane. Her work can be seen on Flickr at Rita Crane Photography or on her website., TMR Davies, W.D. Williams

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