[AlaninCarlisle]

I've had mine in the heated propagator at about 20C for over 2 weeks now and nothing showing yet. Anyone any experience of this? Is it time to resow? I wanted to grow on about half a dozen plants for family members

[Kleftiwallah]

You will find it far easier to take cuttings and grow those on.      Cheers,    Tony.

[RobbieG83]

i'd give it another week or so some seeds take 3-4 weeks to germinate and it always happens when you are about to give up on them

[VegGirl7]

Not that i'm trying to put you off, but...  I've tried many times to grow rosemary from seed in the past and have given up hope of it ever working 
They are meant to be erratic to grow from seed and I think I only ever managed to get a couple to germinate, then only one made it to around 1 inch... and promptly died as soon as I potted it on. 
Even trying to grow from cuttings has been a failure for me so I resorted to buying a grown plant...
having said that, you've nothing to lose from leaving them for another couple of weeks - apparently they like well drained soil and you need to be careful not to over-water (leaving soil to almost dry out between watering), especially once they have germinated

I hope you have more luck with growing it than i've had!

 

[totalnovice]

Not that i'm trying to put you off, but...  I've tried many times to grow rosemary from seed in the past and have given up hope of it ever working 
They are meant to be erratic to grow from seed and I think I only ever managed to get a couple to germinate, then only one made it to around 1 inch... and promptly died as soon as I potted it on.   

This is exactly the same as i experienced. I have just bought myself a rosemary bush for £5 at the garden centre, and it looks fab - so I am just not going to bother with rosemary seeds ever again.

[AlaninCarlisle]

Thanks, I'll give them another two weeks and take on board what you say about dryish conditions. If all else fails, I have a bush - any advice about taking cuttings?

[JayG]

I can't think of any plant easier to successfully root cuttings from - just cut off a few 6-9" sprigs, strip off the leaves from the lower 3" or so, and push into your garden soil (or pot up if you prefer.)

Keep the cuttings reasonably well watered and in a few months you will have new plants (I've replaced my rosemary bush with cuttings at least 4 times in the last 12 years and given loads away - they are foolproof if you don't try to grow them in waterlogged conditions, either as cuttings or bushes.)

[AlaninCarlisle]

Just a brief update. I gave up on the seed-germination, took cuttings as advised and sowed leek in the seed pan of compost where the rosemary had refused to germinate. Sod's Law, what is now appearing amongst the leek seedlings, five weeks after I sowed them? Yes! Three or four Rosemary seedlings

[mumofstig]

  Tis always the way 

[gavinjconway]

I tried a few times without success then tried one batch by simply putting the seed on the soil and not covering at all. Then misted them with fine spray of water every day.. Got quite a few to germinate..  But I do agree that cuttings are best!!

[JayG]

Could be Rosemary's way of getting its own back by having a larf at the expense of the nasty humans who keep snipping the ends off their shoots! 

Be interesting to see how the two methods compare (my money would be on the cuttings to out-perform the seedlings in the short term.)

[Rampant_Weasel]

i think i managed 2 plants out of the last lot i sowed, i basicaly left them in the house until they germinated.i now have 2 good plants.
the germination is very poor but i persevered because i like to look at my garden and know most plants have been reared from a seed.
however, taking cuttings is far easier.