As we continue to build our vegetable patch (where we’ll be practicing companion gardening) we need to get a lot of rosemary plants. But they’re expensive when buying from the garden centre so we are growing rosemary from cuttings.
We did this last year to great effect, but this year we’re scaling things up because we need a lot more plants. We have several very healthy rosemary plants, and growing rosemary cuttings is really, really simple.
First, get some plastic trays you can use.
You’ll also need some sand and potting compost mixture. Mix them together with more sand than compost.
You’ll also need sharp secateurs or aknife.
Using your secateurs or knife, cut 7-9cm healthy shoots from your rosemary bush.
Strip the leaves from the bottom half of the cuttings.
Take your cuttings and pop them into trays – I usually put two cuttings in a square.
Once you’ve filled your tray, place it out of direct sunlight. I occasionally spritz the cuttings when the sand mixture gets too dry. Don’t overwater. Just keep it damp.
The roots should start to form in 6-8 weeks. When you tug the cuttings after that time, you should feel some resistance because the roots will be holding them back.
At this point you’ll be able to transplant them into pots or beds and watch them grow.
Rosemary’s role in companion gardening
Beans, broccoli, cabbage and peppers benefit from being planted alongside rosemary. Planting carrots and pumpkins nearby is not a good idea as rosemary makes a poor companion for them.