Annual herbs, plants that die within a year, don’t do well in water and should be avoided. Dill, coriander, and cilantro are a couple of examples. They usually don’t have enough time to establish roots.
If you’re buying herbs, choose carefully. Select quality stems that look long and green. Avoid ones that have been cut short or have begun to decay. Grocery stores and farmer’s markets sell bundles of herbs that are good for water-growing. You could also buy established plants from a gardening center and then take cuttings from them.
If you’re working with store-bought herbs that have already been cut to size, don’t worry about cutting at an angle. Snip the bottom off each stem so they can grow new roots.
If the cutting has any flowers on it, consider removing them too. They won’t be useful. Instead, they divert nutrients from the roots. The removed leaves are edible. If you wish to reuse them, wash them in cold water, wrap them in paper towels, then store them in a refrigerator. They can last at least 1 week this way.
If you are having trouble keeping a stem upright, find something that can hold it in place. You might try punching a hole in a Mason jar top, for example, or fitting chicken wire over the jar. Get a separate container for each herb you wish to grow so the roots have plenty of room to spread out. If you need to take the herbs out later, you won’t have to deal with tangled roots.
If you’re able to get a colored jar, you won’t need to worry about covering up. Try using tinted Mason jars, for instance. Even if you don’t cover the jar, the herb may still grow. However, keep a close eye on the water quality. The extra sunlight may cause algae to grow more quickly.
Bottled water is also safe to use. Avoid distilled water, since it lacks nutrients the herbs need.
Make sure the cut end is in the water, or else the herb won’t be able to grow.
Most herbs can grow in partial shade as long as they receive at least some sunlight for a few hours each day. Herbs don’t hold up well in cold weather, but this shouldn’t be an issue as long as your home is well-heated. If you’re growing herbs outdoors, bring them indoors during the winter to prevent frost damage.
At a minimum, change the water out at least once a week. If you let it get too dirty, it could prevent the herb from growing. Once the herb sprouts roots, the water most likely won’t need to be changed as often. The roots help keep it clean.
If an herb has begun to rot, throw it away. Sometimes cuttings don’t take to water even when you do everything right. Once the herbs grow roots about 2 in (5. 1 cm) long, you can transplant them to a more permanent home. Try putting them in pots filled with a quality potting soil.
Plucking off the adult leaves forces the plant to develop new ones. By doing this, you can keep water-grown herbs going all winter. Try to avoid taking more than ⅓ or ¼ off of an herb at any time. If you prune it too much, it may not be able to continue growing.
