"Kay Easton" wrote in message
...
In article , Kerry
writes
Ten days ago I took some cuttings from a rosemary bush and put them in
a pint glass of water on my kitchen windowsill. I didn't add rooting
powder to the water as the pot I have says not to be used for edible
plants. According to the instructions (which I found on the web and
can no longer locate), in six weeks, the rosemary should have rooted
and be ready to put into soil.

It has since occurred to me that I don't really know what to look for
(spot the clueless newbie). I was vaguely expecting something that
looks like roots in a biology textbook. However, the ends of the
cuttings are becoming covered in a fine cotton wool-like substance. Is
this mould? Should I rinse it off? Should I give up on this batch and
take more cuttings?

It takes a lot longer than 10 days, and they work better in almost any
other season than winter. I find more success with rooting in soil than
in water, and others say that the roots that form in water don't take
kindly to the transfer to soil. Others on the ng are better than me at
cuttings, but what I do as a simple way is to cut a number of twigs just
below a leaf, strip all leaves off the bottom two thirds, push them two-
thirds into a a flower pot of moist soil, put the whole lot into a large
plastic bag, tie the top, and forget about it. Every 6 weeks or so, I'll
remove any mouldy bits, and check the bottom of the pot. When I see
roots coming out of the bottom of the pot, it's time to replant. I don't
get 100 per cent success or anything like, but I usually get at least
two or three. I suppose it's the frog approach to propagation - start
off with lots, apply minimal care, and be happy that a few will make it
- as opposed to the human approach of start with one or two and lavish
lots of care an attention to guarantee that they both make it.

That's a nice no-fuss way for an amateur to propagate, when rooting
efficiency is not at a premium.
But do you really use soil (garden soil) as distinct from potting compost?

Franz