Propagating herbs — making new plants from the ones you already have — is one of the most satisfying skills in the garden. A rosemary cutting taken in summer becomes a new plant within weeks, a clump of chives divided in spring becomes three new clumps, and a packet of basil seed becomes dozens of plants for the price of one bought plant. Propagation saves money, it gives you plants identical to the parent — which matters for named varieties — and it lets you share herbs with friends.
Different herbs propagate in different ways, and using the right method for each herb is the whole skill. Rosemary, mint and oregano root readily from cuttings. Chives, mint and oregano divide easily. Basil, dill and cilantro are best from seed. This guide covers all three methods, herb by herb. If you are unsure about a method for your area, check your local extension service for advice.
Cuttings: rosemary, mint, basil and more
Cuttings are the method for woody and soft-stemmed perennial herbs. Rosemary is the classic: take a cutting 10 to 15 centimetres long from a healthy, non-flowering shoot in late spring or summer, cut just below a leaf joint, strip the lower leaves, and push it into moist, free-draining compost. Keep it humid — a clear plastic bag over the pot works well — and out of direct sun until roots form, usually within three to four weeks. Mint roots even faster: a stem cutting in water will show roots within days, and a cutting in compost will root within a week or two. Basil also roots readily from cuttings in water or compost, which is useful late in the season when you want a few extra plants.
Thyme, sage, oregano and lavender all root from cuttings taken in summer, though lavender is slower than the others. lemon balm — usually grown from seed or division — also roots from cuttings. Take cuttings in the morning, when the plant is full of water, and never take cuttings from a diseased plant, because the cutting carries the disease with it. Use clean, sharp secateurs, make a clean cut, and label each pot with the herb and the date. Our seed starting calculator can help you time cuttings alongside your sowings.
Division: chives, mint, oregano and lemon balm
Division is splitting an established clump into pieces, each with roots and shoots, and replanting them. It is the method for herbs that form clumps, and it rejuvenates a tired plant at the same time. Chives should be divided every three or four years: dig up the clump in spring, pull it apart into pieces with a sharp knife or two forks back to back, and replant the healthiest pieces. Mint is divided the same way, though it rarely needs encouragement — it spreads so fast that division is usually about controlling it, not multiplying it. Oregano and lemon balm divide readily in spring, and thyme can be divided if it has layered — sent down roots where its stems touch the soil.
Divide in spring, as new growth starts, so the pieces establish before the growing season. Water the pieces well after replanting, and do not harvest from a newly divided plant for a few weeks — let it build up strength. Use a sharp, clean tool, and make clean cuts rather than tearing, because ragged wounds rot. Division is also the way to share herbs: a single clump of chives can give you half a dozen new plants and several more for friends, all identical to the parent, which seed cannot guarantee.
Seed: basil, dill, cilantro, parsley and chamomile
Seed is the method for annual herbs and for herbs that do not come true from cuttings. Basil is the easiest: sow indoors in warmth a few weeks before the last frost, and it germinates within a week or so. Dill and cilantro are sown direct where they are to grow, because they dislike transplanting, and they germinate in one to two weeks. Parsley is slow — it can take two to three weeks — and soaking the seed in warm water overnight can speed it up. Chamomile seed needs light to germinate, so press it onto the surface of the compost and do not cover it. Chives can be grown from seed, though division is faster.
The rules for herb seed are the same as for any seed: sow at about twice the width of the seed, keep the compost moist but not wet, give seedlings light as soon as they appear, and thin ruthlessly. Use fresh seed — germination falls with age, and a packet that is several years old may give half the plants it should. Our guide to damping-off seedlings covers the disease that kills seedlings in cold, damp compost, and our seed starting calculator can help you work out sowing dates for your last frost date.
Layering and other methods
Layering is a useful method for herbs with low, flexible stems. Thyme and oregano layer naturally: a stem that touches the soil sends down roots, and the rooted piece can be cut away and replanted. You can encourage it by pinning a low stem to the soil with a wire hook, covering a section with compost, and waiting a few weeks for roots to form before you cut it free. Rosemary can be layered the same way, though cuttings are usually faster. Mint spreads by runners that root wherever they touch soil, which is why it must be kept in a pot — a runner that escapes the pot will root and start a new plant wherever it lands.
Lemongrass is propagated by dividing the clump: dig up the plant, split it into pieces with roots attached, and replant. Bay is propagated from cuttings or from seed, though both are slow. Whatever the method, the principles are the same: use healthy parent material, keep the new plant moist but not wet, keep it out of direct sun until it has roots, and label it — a tray of unlabelled cuttings is a mystery you will regret in a month's time.
Saving herb seed
Saving your own herb seed is easy for some herbs and pointless for others. Dill and cilantro — whose seed is coriander — are easy: let a few plants go to seed, wait until the seed heads are dry and brown, cut them, and shake the seed into a paper bag. Basil seed can be saved by letting a plant flower and set seed, though seed-grown basil may vary from the parent if other varieties are nearby. Parsley seed can be saved in its second year, when the plant flowers and sets seed. Chives set seed readily, and the seed can be sown fresh.
Dry the seed thoroughly, store it in a cool, dry, dark place in a labelled paper envelope, and use it within a year or two. Do not save seed from mint — seed-grown mint is variable and often poor, and mint is so easy from cuttings and division that seed is never worth it. Do not save seed from a hybrid herb, because it will not come true. And label everything: seed that is not labelled is seed that will be sown in the wrong place at the wrong time. If you are unsure whether a herb will come true from seed, check your local extension service for advice.
Common mistakes
The most common propagation mistake is taking cuttings from a diseased plant and spreading the disease to a new bed. The second is taking cuttings in the heat of the day, when the plant is wilted and the cutting dries out before it can root — take cuttings in the morning. The third is keeping cuttings too wet, so they rot instead of rooting — moist, not wet, and with airflow. The fourth is trying to grow mint from seed, when cuttings and division are far easier and more reliable. And the fifth is transplanting dill and cilantro, which should be sown direct. Use the right method for each herb, take cuttings from healthy plants in the morning, and be patient — roots take weeks, not days, for most woody herbs.
| Herb | Best method | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rosemary | Cuttings | 10–15 cm shoots in summer; roots in 3–4 weeks |
| Mint | Cuttings or division | Roots in water within days; always in its own pot |
| Basil | Seed or cuttings | Seed indoors in warmth; cuttings root in 1–2 weeks |
| Thyme, sage, oregano | Cuttings or division | Summer cuttings; divide in spring |
| Lavender | Cuttings | Slower to root; take in summer |
| Chives | Division or seed | Divide every 3–4 years in spring |
| Dill, cilantro | Seed direct | Dislike transplanting; sow where they are to grow |
| Parsley | Seed | Slow to germinate; soak seed overnight |
| Chamomile | Seed; needs light | Press onto compost surface; do not cover |
| Lemongrass | Division | Split the clump in spring |
Frequently asked questions
Which herbs grow best from cuttings?
Rosemary, mint, basil, thyme, sage, oregano and lavender all root from cuttings. Mint and basil root fastest — mint in water within days — while rosemary takes three to four weeks and lavender is slower still.
How do I divide chives?
Dig up the clump in spring, pull it apart into pieces with a sharp knife or two forks back to back, and replant the healthiest pieces. Divide chives every three or four years to rejuvenate a tired clump.
Can I grow mint from seed?
You can, but you should not — seed-grown mint is variable and often poor, and mint is so easy from cuttings and division that seed is never worth it. Grow mint from a cutting or a bought plant, always in its own pot.
How do I propagate basil?
From seed indoors in warmth, or from cuttings — a stem cutting in water or moist compost roots within a week or two. Sow seed a few weeks before the last frost, and plant out only after all danger of frost has passed.
When should I take herb cuttings?
In late spring or summer, from healthy, non-flowering shoots, in the morning when the plant is full of water. Keep cuttings humid and out of direct sun until roots form, and never take cuttings from a diseased plant.