Pruning & Propagating Rosemary
In the Courtyard, there is a big rosemary bush.
And over the years, it became a wild jungle.
Here's how it looked in February:
Rosemary jungle
In short, it needed pruning.
Pruning is an important part of gardening, I have learned. By cutting back the plant, you are encouraging new growth and flowering. In the case of the rosemary, I learned that pruning can help keep the plant bushy (less woody).
That day, I only cut a small amount, as I was dipping my toes into the art of plant styling.
I hung some of it up to dry in the Glass Room for future cooking.
A few weeks later (early March), I decided it was time to prune harder.
Chloe Scissorhands
This time I cut much more. I was happy with the results. The Courtyard is on its way to looking tidier.
In my reading about rosemary, I learned that you can propagate it. I thought that would be a fun experiment to try.
Following the directions I read online, I cut the part of the plant with the soft stems (which is at the top). I cut at an angle (which helps it to absorb water). Then I took the leaves off from the bottom third of the stem (the cuttings were about 6 inches in length). And put them in a vase of tap water near a window.
Rosemary cuttings placed in water on March 7
Twenty days later...
... and that brings us to today, March 27. I was surprised and delighted to see that five of the eight stems had grown roots!
Three of them had very healthy, strong-looking roots. I planted them in small pots.
Date planted: March 27
I left the other two in the vase to grow stronger (I hope). Then my plan is to plant them straight into the ground somewhere and see how they do compared to the potted ones.
Still growing
Stay tuned to see the growth of the propagated rosemary! Maybe it will become a jungle like its parent.