Rosemary is one of the most popular culinary herbs due to its intense aroma and can be used in a variety of ways both in the kitchen and in natural medicine. The Mediterranean shrub is usually propagated via cuttings, which usually works without complications. However, propagation by sowing is difficult.
How do I grow rosemary from seeds?
To grow rosemary from seeds, the fine seeds should be sown under glass from mid-March or in a cold frame from mid to late April, covered only thinly with soil and kept evenly moist. The germination time is about three to five weeks and germination is irregular.
Rosemary is a light germinator
The fine rosemary seeds should be sown under glass from around mid-March or in cold frames from mid to late April. Since rosemary, like so many herbs, germinates in the light, the seeds should only be covered very thinly with soil or simply pressed down. The germination time is around three to five weeks. You can proceed as follows when sowing:
- Fill small seed pots (€6.00 on Amazon) with herb or lean potting soil, which you mix with sand in a 1:1 ratio.
- The soil should be as fine as possible. For this purpose, you can sieve them beforehand.
- Moisten the soil using a spray bottle.
- Now spread the seeds evenly.
- To make this more successful, you can also mix them with sand and only then sow them.
- Now sprinkle fine soil over it thinly – about twice the seed strength.
- Press the seeds lightly using a board or something similar.
- Place the planter in a warm and bright place.
- The temperature should be between 18 and 22 °C.
- Keep the substrate evenly moist.
Germination can be stimulated by using gibberellic acid, a plant growth hormone.
Seeds germinate very unevenly
Rosemary seeds germinate very irregularly, so you may have to be very patient. The plants are transplanted into individual pots as soon as the first real leaves grow after the two cotyledons. However, they should not be planted out until the following year, as the young plants are still very sensitive in their first year and cannot under any circumstances overwinter outside. You would most likely freeze to death. The plants are planted in the bed from mid to late May - i.e. after the Ice Saints - at a distance of approx. 30 x 40 centimeters.
Tips & Tricks
Young plants should be evenly moist - but never wet! – be kept until they have reliably taken root and grown well. However, fertilization is not necessary.
