Growing rosemary from seed (it’s not as easy as it sounds)

Rosemary is one of those herbs that a lot of people love to grow, but starting it from seed can be surprisingly frustrating. Germination is slow, progress feels minimal at first, and it’s easy to think nothing is happening.

I recently went through the whole process myself, from sowing and waiting (quite a bit), to caring for small seedlings and slowly ending up with a healthy plant. What helped most wasn’t a single trick, but understanding rosemary’s pace and adjusting expectations along the way.

I put together a detailed step-by-step video guide showing how to grow rosemary from seed, covering the process from the very beginning through the early growth stages:

Starting it from cuttings isn't all that easy either, but I managed it. It is growing slowly but steadily.

Rosemary isn't an herb I use a lot, but I'm in Salmon country and putting sprigs under Salmon when I'm baking it, helps it not stick to the pan and imparts a subtle, pleasant flavor.

Rosemary is one of my absolute favorite herbs, for nearly everything!  I have tried growing it both from seed and cutting, and even buying a small plant from my local farmer's market.  For some reason, I cannot keep it going.  I don't give up, as I really want to grow a nice plant some day.  I love what Jeff said, follow her pace.  I think I just got impatient & expected too much too soon for her growing time.  

More research and I will definitely check out the video!!  Thanks for that share, Jeff!  --Tess

Tess Misch wrote: For some reason, I cannot keep it going.  

I live in a mild climate, but it's very wet in the winter. I finally learned that for it to grow well, it needs to be against the south wall of the house, protected from the worst of the winter wet.

I don't know where you are Tess, but consider what micro-ecosystems are available to you, and maybe you can choose a spot it will like better, as well as being patient with it?

I found out that I get better germination with seed that is at least a year old... And the plants seem hardier the the few I would get with fresh seeds.

Jay Angler wrote:

Tess Misch wrote: For some reason, I cannot keep it going.  

I live in a mild climate, but it's very wet in the winter. I finally learned that for it to grow well, it needs to be against the south wall of the house, protected from the worst of the winter wet.

I don't know where you are Tess, but consider what micro-ecosystems are available to you, and maybe you can choose a spot it will like better, as well as being patient with it?

Good to know the direction best for growing.  I have a friend who has a HUGE rosemary bush right next to her front door and it is LOVELY.  We get wet winters here, where I am as well.  We do get some low temps, maybe a blast of snow or a storm, but mostly chill & wet.  

As of right now, I am apartment living and had terrible luck growing her in containers.  I started off with small ones, then moved to larger ones.  I think I just didn't have the depth of knowledge I needed at the time.  I spoke with the growers at the farmer's market and tried to get some insight, but they weren't helpful.  I want to try again, but will be taking the time to better understand the plant.  I love growing herbs as they have SO many uses, IF I can actually get them to grow.  

I feel horrible when I lose a plant, like I 'wasted' its life.  But I don't want to give up, I want to get better.  Something someone once said to me is that container gardening is more difficult than ground growing b/c the soils are so different in relation to nutrients & micro growth.  I may have to be patient until I can get a spot to grow my own food, at least some of it.  --Tess

A decade ago, I apparently put a rosemary plant in the PERFECT spot near a sunny south-facing shed wall at my parents house. It is literally planted in one hole of a cinder block and hasn't been watered in many years - and to date it's the healthiest rosemary I've ever grown. Whenever I go to plant my next rosemary, I'll be thinking of that one.

i bought a seedling from a discount store 5 years ago. i planted it out near my cherry. i mulched it well the 1st few years and when i remembered gave it some 10-10-10. it not only survived but has grown about 10in around. it dies back when frost hits it but comes back in the spring. apparently our deep snow protects the roots from dying out completely. i harvested some for the 1st time this year and got quite a bit.  its on a slight slope in heavy clay in full sun. everything ive read about rosemary tells me it wont survive winter but it does here with utter neglect. im going to divide the plant to try in in other spots next spring.

I live in N California zone 9B, and for me Rosemary is a plant that just wants to be left alone. I have the best luck when I plant it near something that wants attention. The one planted behind a raised bed never gets watered, and I couldn't possibly use that much rosemary. It gets butchered occasionally when it's taking up to much room. It's also one of the only plants I can plant into the ground the gophers don't destroy. I don't know if they don't like it, or it's exceptionally tough.
I have had good luck with cuttings. I tried the method where you put damp sphagnum Moss in a clear plastic bin. I put root tone on the bottom of the cutting. The cutting goes in the moss. put the lid on. I opened it every couple of days to let fresh air in. I don't remember how long it took, because it's been a while, but most of the cutting rooted. I planted them once there was a good root system. I planted what I wanted, and gave a bunch away to family and coworkers.