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Growing Layers of Lavender and Rosemary

ByJennifer
20 Comments
I  really wanted to add to my Lavender and Rosemary plantings this summer without added cost, so I used my Auntie’s age old method for her roses of using jars like mini-greenhouses. I know you can also layer the plants, but I haven’t had much luck with that technique before. I decided to grow Lavender and Rosemary by layering which is an old growing technique to force roots and create new plants. Even though this worked for my aunt, I recommend using plastic jars like pasta jars, large soda bottles or plastic milk cartons cut down and turned upside down instead of glass. It has the same effect with out a fire or burn risk. Glass of any kind outside in a garden and sunlight can create a prism effect and start a fire or burn near by items especially if it’s dry out.
Two glass jars placed upside down over small lavender and rosemary plants in soil, with green foliage in the background. "Jennifer Rizzo" watermark in the lower right corner. Use plastic jars instead of glass jars for this technique

Growing my layering ss easy to do! After stripping the branch of leaves except for at the very top and exposing some of the white stem part underneath by scraping back the thin bark, I put the bare, scraped bark in the loose soil, and keeping the ground damp place  the cut down plastic jars over the top. I’ve learned a lot about using cloches including how to keep Rosemary alive all winter in the Midwest, where it’s considered a tender perennial.
Three glass jars are placed upside down over small herb seedlings—such as lavender and rosemary—in soil, with green plants flourishing in the background. Use plastic jars instread of glass for this technique.
I had hear you can use rooting hormone, but I didn’t use it, I wanted to see what would happen with out it. I had read somewhere that you can root both Rosemary and Lavender plants in water such as propagating coleus, so I thought, why not, what have I got to lose by trying layering? It took about 3 weeks, but then I had roots! Once they are established I keep them moist. Anytime I have carefully removed them to check for roots, I’ve put them back in in saturated soil and replaced the plastic jar bottom.  It was so easy and cheap.
Close-up of lavender plants with purple flower spikes and green stems growing in a garden, perfect for harvesting lavender at peak bloom.
Now since I am in zone 5a, My lavender does great year after year, but unless I dig up my rosemary and replant after winter, it just bites the dust every year. If you’re in a warmer climate such as zone 7 an over you should have no problem. Though my garden does looks like it is growing glass jars.
Three glass jars filled with water each hold cut stems of red and green leafy plants, perfect if you want to make more plants. "Jennifer Rizzo Design Co." is labeled on the photo.
Jen
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20 Comments

  7. no root compound? impressive Jenn! I love how you just try things – no fear –

    have a great rest of your week 🙂
    xo+blessings,
    Anne Marie

  9. You make this look soooo easy! I planted 3 large lavender plants for my little patch and they all croaked! I am wondering if it is too humid here in our part of KS to grow it…I was so sad to see them die, it’s been a crazy summer around here! Yours looks lovely, thanks for sharing it with us!

  14. Smarty pants!! Cool idea…’course all I can grow in this Texas heat right now would be the jars…and they’d probably wilt!
    Debbie

  18. Hey girlie…
    You know… you always make more work than you need to for yourself lol. Rosemary and lavender propagate all by themselves– easily. Just grab a long branch of either plant and where the branch touches the ground easily, strip a smidge of that area and just bury it using a U piece of wire to keep it in place…. water the plant & new buried piece of the plant like you normally would. Before you know it– ta da a new rooted plant. Then you just cut the new plant free from the “mother” plant. You can even do this directly into pots. Easy-peasy~

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