Successful rooting of lavenders and rosemaries in lunder 10 days

15 years ago

Hello folks at gardenweb,

I just want to share my experiences along with a few of my friends as well where it comes to rooting lavenders and rosemaries using the stem cutting method. We have managed to root our lavenders and rosemaries in under 10 days by using soft young green stems and plonking them in a mixture of AV mix (African Violet)perlite and vermiculite. Another friend of mine managed to root her lavs and rosemaries using a very moisture retentive but well draining soil. No rooting hormone was needed or used. Hope this helps all those trying to root their cuttings. It doesn't take 4 to 6 weeks at all!

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Comments (11)

Daisyduckworth
15 years ago
A lot depends on the temperature of the soil. People living in cold or cool climates find that cuttings take much longer than those in warmer areas. Even in my subtropical climate, cuttings take a lot longer in winter than in summer, regardless of growing medium, watering etc.
joyceteo
Original Author
15 years ago
Before I had experimented with the medium, I did take 2 different types of stem, green young soft ones and woody ones and I found that it still took 4 to 6 weeks or even longer to root. I live in the tropics with lots of heat and it still took a long long time some even 3 mths to root. However once I switched the medium, the roots showed up super quick! Whoohoo! Under 10 days! Unbelievable! My fellow lavender growers are just as thrilled. We had a hard time before we played around with different medium, and 99 percent of our cuttings could not survive as it was taking too long and the humidity was a real big issue as disease got to the cuttings before roots could form.
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lva57
15 years ago
Hi!

Would love to try this as rosemary & lavender are my two favorite herbs. One question though (and please forgive me if it sounds weird!): do you combine the african violet mix, perlite & vermiculite? And if so, what is the ratio? What about watering? I know both rosies & lavies don't like wet feet at all & love to be dry. Thanks for the tip!
joyceteo
Original Author
15 years ago
Hey there,
The mixture I was recommended was 1:1:1. 1 cup av mix, 1 cup perlite, 1 cup vermiculite. Mix them up well and as for watering, do no let the mixture dry out. I think the other thing that's important is to use young green stems and not the woody hard ones. My gf was using another medium and I'm not quite sure what it's called as the bag of soil has no name on it so I can't recommend it and she got just as quick results, her lav and rosemaries rooted in just 8 to 9 days! Take young green stems of the rosemaries too.
lva57
15 years ago
Thanks for the answers. I am definitely going to buy the mediums tomorrow & start rooting them. Will let you know if I'm successful.
batyabeth
15 years ago
Very stupid question here, but I gotta ask. If the stem is in the rooting medium, and that is in the pot, how in heaven's name do you check to see if has roots without pulling it up? I have odd visions of little red flags going up or a bell ringing. Or a glass pot!!! Seriously, my lavender's on it's last legs and it's time to take cuttings, but this has been stumping me! Abashedly, Batya
joyceteo
Original Author
15 years ago
Hey Batya,

I like to root mine in clear plastic containers and i can see the roots of my dentata cuttings from underneath. These roots that just formed took only 9 days. Quick and easy. My friend who did hers in an opaque container had to GENTLY prod aroud to loosen the earth to pull it up to check for roots. U can also see the cutting growing vigourously once roots have formed.
karri_sue
15 years ago
Joyce,
What brand of AV medium do you use? The only one I can find is Miracle Grow and it has a fertilizer in it. Does that hurt? Have you tried other varities other than dentata?
Thanks,
Karen
francescod
15 years ago
L. dentata is the easiest lavender to root for me. L. dentata doesn't go dormant under short days like L. angustifolia and L. x intermedia. I always get 90% or better no matter when I take the cuttings. If cuttings haven't struck roots within a week to 10 days, I get worried. It also transplants well in the heat of summer, unlike the other two species. I have my best success taking cuttings of L. angustifolia or L. x intermedia just as they break dormancy and put on an inch or so of growth in early spring. If they haven't struck roots or at least shown some stem swelling within a week or two, I know I won't have a good crop. I can usually get 80-90% success vs. 2-10% success by taking cuttings then than at any other time of year. That is a huge difference when you are taking upwards of 2000 cuttings of several cultivars, so I don't even bother with trying at other times of the year. Woody cuttings just don't root for me.

Rosemary: I take cuttings any time there is soft tip growth but have found that the cuttings don't root nearly as well in the winter (short days) or after the mother plant has gone through a freeze or two.

Either Rosemary or L. dentata (or any of the other tender lavenders) can also be rooted in water. The water should be changed every day.

I use Pro Mix BX (the seedling mix is about the same as BX and can be found in smaller bags than the BX) and perlite at 1:1.
The rest of my set up has a lot to do with my success: bottom heat 70-75ÂºF, mist system (mist-o-matic) that only turns on as needed by the cuttings-not on a timer, light shade, heated greenhouse. Yes, it is more than most folks would consider buying but it gives you an idea of an "ideal" environment might be.
joyceteo
Original Author
15 years ago
Hey Karen,

Iam using a British brand of AV mix called J Arthur Bower's AV mix. I guess the mix francescod recommended should work just as well since she did mention her lav angustifolia and intermedia cuttings rooting in 2 weeks. Take the green stems and not woody ones.

Wow francescod, 2000 cuttings of several cultivars? How can I get in touch with u? I would like to get my hands on some of them.
karri_sue
15 years ago
Thanks for the info!
Karen

Successful rooting of lavenders and rosemaries in lunder 10 days

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Daisyduckworth

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Successful rooting of lavenders and rosemaries in lunder 10 days

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Daisyduckworth

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lva57

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