Rosemary

Plant your rosemary in a sheltered, sunny spot against a south wall, cover the root area with leaves or brushwood from autumn and loosely wrap the shoots in horticultural fleece so that it does not dry out in winter sun. Stand containers in a bright, cool, frost-free place, and in spring remove the protection gradually, as soon as there is no longer a threat of continuous frost.

Cuttings (main method): In late spring to early summer, or alternatively in early autumn, cut 5 to 10 cm long, not yet woody shoot tips at an angle with a sharp knife, but not during flowering, otherwise they hardly root. Remove the lower leaves so that only 2 to 3 pairs of leaves remain at the top. Insert the cuttings in free-draining, low-nutrient seed compost, or put them in a glass of water to root first. Keep the soil evenly moist and place the pot somewhere bright and warm (approx. 20 °C). The first roots form after 2 to 3 weeks, new shoots after 4 to 8 weeks.

Layering: Particularly suitable for creeping or low-growing varieties. In spring or summer, bend a flexible shoot of the mother plant down into a shallow hollow in the soil (approx. 5 to 8 cm deep), fix it with a wire staple and cover the contact area with soil. After a few weeks to months roots form; then separate the layer from the mother shrub and plant it in the desired spot.

Sowing (only as a supplement): Rosemary is a light germinator: press the seeds in only lightly, without covering them. Sow from February to April in moist, sandy seed compost at 16 to 24 °C. Germination is irregular and takes 15 to 35 days, sometimes longer. Sowing is much slower than cuttings and the germination rate is often low; true-to-type traits can be lost. Growing the species rosemary from seed is nevertheless possible.