having problems getting rosemary started

Would I be better off to wait until early next spring and buy a plant from a local nursery?

It takes a while to root rosemary this time of yr, Cajun2. Some cuttings will make it, others won't.

It's a combination of moisture/dryness and dryness/moisture. Sounds weird, eh?

The tips will root easier than the woodier parts. I'd recommend perlite/potting soil as a good rooting medium. If all else fails, I'll send you some.

Are you trying to start it from seed. If so, it takes forever to germinate and then the germination rate is very low. Then once they do germinate they are very slow growing. It would be better to wait until early spring to buy a plant.

Yes, I think I will have to just wait until the spring to get one from a nursery. I don't have any seeds and have tried to transplant two rooted cuttings so far and I've since read they don't like to be moved. Now what's to say transplanting the nursery one will make it? hmmmm Still a transplant :-S

How to Take Plant Cuttings


Take cuttings from vigorous, healthy shoots. Most cuttings should be 4 to 6 inches long. Cut just below a node (where a leaf is attached) with a sharp, clean knife.

Remove leaves from the lower half of the cutting. Use a rooting hormone on all except easy-to-root plants such as coleus. Rooting compounds are available in many garden supply stores, mail-order seed and nursery companies, and mass merchandisers. Carefully use the hormone as directed. Keep cuttings clean. Don't place them in dirty containers or on dirty tables.

Containers
A 6- to 8-inch plastic pot can be used to root several cuttings. Place the pot in a large plastic bag and close it to maintain high levels of humidity.

in your area rosemary should be hardy. Also nurserys should be having sales even in the south i would think. so you might be able to get a nice one at a good price. just make sure you get one that is a nice cullinary var. and plant it some place that is damp but gets good drainage. rosemarys are a funny things they don't like to dry out and they don't like there feet wet eather. as far as transplanting i have never had trouble with that. they also don't grow from seed well germination is sporatic(simple translation: Good Luck. getting a growing plant is much better.

another way for rooting cuttings i have not tried this yet but it sounds good:
get a 10 inch +- clay pot and another clay pot about 2-3 inches smaller. Plug the hole in the smaller one so the hole is water tight .Fill the bottom of the larger one with soil so the top edge of the smaller one is level with the larger one when placed inside of the bigger one. Fill in between the pots with soil and fill the little one with water. Then stick your cuttings in the soil about every inch or two and keep the little pot filled with water. the water will leach out of the little pot and keep the soil moist. also make the soil wet to start with

Hi Cajun2, this is sundry's daughter speaking.
I've got a couple of rosemary cuttings rooted in some water right now, if you might be interested in a trade, or just paying shipping or whatever on one of those, they're up for grabs.

That's such a nice offer, but since I've already killed TWO rooted cuttings, I'm a little reluctant to try a third.

I don't really have anything but seeds to trade right now. Maybe a caladium bulb or something ; )

If you're interested... I guess it's worth a try.
Hard to turn down a plant as nice as Rosemary!

~ Carole
cweid57@hotmail.com

what kind of seeds have you got?
you can email me at kittyvampy@yahoo.com if you would rather do that instead of continuing it here
-Kim