![]() Woody-stemmed herbs such as rosemary or thyme do well with soil propagation, but you can also propagate soft-stemmed herbs directly in the soil too. Your second option for propagating an herb cutting is simply to plunk it straight in the soil. Water propagation works especially well for soft-stemmed herbs like basil or mint. I like using water propagation, mainly because I can see the roots developing, and I know something is actually happening. These mint plants all have nicely developed roots. Once your cutting has a well-developed root system, plant it in a container or your garden. I highly recommend Alaska Fish Fertilizer, this is all I use, and it’s pretty easy to find.īe sure to monitor your water level so tiny new roots don’t dry out, and change the water weekly. I have always had great success using a fish fertilizer for propagation (and gardening in general). You can add a tiny bit of fertilizer to help your herb cutting along. Place your cutting in the water and place the jar in a sunny location. Old jam or pickle jars are great for propagating. ![]() With water propagation, you’ll be placing your cutting into a small vessel of water and waiting for a root system to develop. In the end, which you choose usually comes down to personal preference. Both are equally easy and will yield good results. When propagating herbs (and nearly all plants), you’ve got two choices – water propagation or soil propagation. Strip any leaves from the lower half of the cutting, making sure you leave at least four leaves at the top of the plant. See how the stem is still green? Perfect! When taking cuttings of woody-stemmed herbs, it’s best to snip newer growth on the tip of the plant that isn’t tough yet. For many plants, this node also tells the plant to produce roots, even if the roots don’t grow from the node. These little joints on the stems contain the cells responsible for making new leaves, buds, and stems. Be sure your cutting has at least 4 – 6 leaves on it and at least one node. Now you’ll take a cutting at least 6″ – 10″ long. Plants are always at their happiest first thing in the morning. If you’re taking cuttings from plants outdoors, it’s best to do so first thing in the morning. Using dirty tools can introduce bacteria or other pathogens to your plants, which can quickly wipe out your lovely herb. Wash the blades with soapy water if they need it, and then disinfect them by wiping the cutting edge’s surface with a cotton bud soaked with rubbing alcohol. A pair of scissors, small gardening snips or even a sharp paring knife can all be used. Whenever you plan on taking a cutting from a plant, herb or otherwise, it’s important to use a sharp and clean tool. I’ve put together a list of these herbs for you later in this post. Some herbs are easier than others to propagate from cuttings. ![]() Keeping this in mind will help you choose which herbs to propagate and which to grow from seed or a nursery start. It often takes a month or two for cuttings to develop a decent root system. Propagation is easily done but requires a bit of patience. You can propagate most plants with a cutting. Like nearly everything else on this planet, herbs want to grow, replicate and take over the world. Grab your kitchen shears, a few empty jars and let’s get growing. The world’s laziest gardener, checking in, hey-oh! And as you all know, it has to be easy to do if I’m sharing it. Depending on how carried away you get (why are you looking at me like that), you could repopulate your entire neighborhood in peppermint. And with your expansive herb garden, you can say goodbye to expensive packets of fresh herbs from the grocery store. ![]() You may never have to buy a nursery start again. There are so many herbs that are easy to propagate by cuttings. With a little extra time and patience, you could easily double your lemon balm patch, start a few cuttings to bring inside once the temperatures drop, or grow new rosemary plants to give as gifts to the cooks in your life. Turn herb cuttings into new plants with water or soil and some patience. It’s easy to propagate herbs from cuttings. While I’m always very proud of my tiny little seedlings, and they do well in the garden, they never look as hardy as anything from a professional nursery.Īll that being said, I do think there’s one area of the garden where everyone should be getting free plants – the herb garden. Let’s be honest starting seedlings yourself has its own pitfalls. Some people just find it easier to use nursery starts. Many gardeners take this fact for granted and purchase seed packets, or nursery starts year after year.įor many of us, drooling over the annual The Whole Seed Catalog from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds is akin to marking pages in the Sears Christmas Wish Book. It’s incredible how many plants there are in the average garden that you can grow again next season for free.
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