Meaning to pot the water roots directly to gritty mix without transitioning?

I understood water roots could only function when immersed fully in water...

No, I mean why do you have water roots in the first place? Did you root (grow) a cutting in a glass of water?

Yes I rooted cuttings of thyme and rosemary in water.

I have never tried to stick a branch of rosemary or thyme into soil. Can they be propagated that way?

Yes, absolutely. Next time give rooting a try in the gritty mix instead. You can cover the pot and cutting with a Ziploc bag to keep moisture in, until it roots.

Thyme and rosemary, being woody Mediterranean shrubs, would probably root better straight into a medium than in water. Rosemary roots easily. I haven't done thyme, I've just removed ready rooted pieces.

You can transition it to gritty mix. At least there is no harm in trying unless you are afraid of losing it. For the first week keep it well watered in a warm well lit place and then wean it out that habit. If everything goes well the cutting will develop the soil roots and discard the water roots.

Honestly, I would fully expect the water roots would all quickly die upon being put into a gritty mix. But, as long as the cuttings are "expendable", why not experiment?

Dennis

"I have never tried to stick a branch of rosemary or thyme into soil. Can they be propagated that way?"

I have never tried those particular plants, but from what I have read and experienced, just about any plant which can be rooted from cuttings can be rooted directly in a media.

I root plants in water and transfer to potting soil and pea gravel 3:1 wet soil so it is moist but not wet then I place in a 2 gallon ziplock bag and place in a warm sunny area turning bag every day till it starts growing leaves then I take out of bag and enjoy the majority of the plants live and a few casualties happen so try it with several starts not just one

Thank you all for your comments! My rosemary has successfully rooted directly in a gritty mix! Thyme did not do so well. Im trying Thyme directly in a moist perlite medium now.

When I covered the plants with a ziplock bag, I have had strands of fungus grow inside the bag on the medium and on the cutting!

Trying to root the thyme without the bag now.

Glad the rosemary cooperated!

If mold is a big issue, then your media may have been too moist. So you might also try one or more of these:

1) making sure the media is just barely moist

2) using a media low in organics (like straight perlite or straight Turface

3) putting the pot with the cutting(s) in a plastic bag but don't close the bag all the way so you still get a little air exchange