If you’re into cooking and saving money, 1) let’s hang out! and 2) I reckon you’ve probably tried some frugal supermarket “hacks”, to varying degrees of success.
I’m talking stacks of empty Gu pots. I’m talking slimy, spidery spring onions that you “propagated” in that now-unusable glass.
I do not judge you: I am you. Which is why, for both of our sakes, I thought I’d share a herb-growing hack that gardeners actually back.
It turns out that you can grow a full-on rosemary bush from the little sprigs you get in the supermarket. Here’s how the pros do it – and common pitfalls to avoid when growing the gourmet greenery.
Start off by stripping the plants of leaves
Gardener Simon Akeroyd recently shared on TikTok how he grows entire rosemary bushes from little supermarket clippings.
He starts by removing the lower leaves, running his hands down the stem to take them off. There should only be a little burst of rosemary leaves at the very top.
Then, he uses scissors to snip the stem just below a pair of buds and places the severed stems in water. Once they grow roots (this should take a few weeks), you can plant them individually into pots.
“Soon, the baby becomes a grown-up rosemary which you can keep in a pot or plant in the garden,” the gardener says.
Here’s the full video:
How to take care of your rosemary plant
Once your herb has sprouted, you’ll want to take good care of it. Thankfully, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has some sage advice.
They’re pretty low-hassle plants in general. “Rosemary is very easy to grow and needs little maintenance once established in a warm sunny spot with free-draining soil,” the RHS shared.
They do, however, recommend watering newer rosemary plants and pruning the more established ones. And once it comes to late August, the RHS also suggests you “apply a thick layer of mulch, such as garden compost or gravel, around the base of (outdoor) rosemary in autumn, to protect the roots from winter cold. If you’re using garden compost, leave a gap around the base of the stem to avoid rotting.“
While summer sprigs have the best flavour, the good news is that the herb is available year-round (I’m thinking about those winter roasties already).
Catch you in the herb aisle?