The good news is that you can grow basil from cuttings from the comfort of your own home. Basil is one of the popular culinary herbs that you will find in people’s homes. Its leaves are usually great for cooking, adding flavor to a variety of foods, which is one of the reasons we love it. Also, it can be a great plant for bringing life into your kitchen. It is also a medicinal herb that can be used for swelling, intestinal gas, treating colds, and inflammation.
Buying basil from a store can be quite expensive, especially if you love cooking with it, therefore, we would advise you to grow your basil from home. How do you do that? You ask. One of the ways to ensure that you have basil all year round is to propagate them from cuttings.
Below is a guide on how to grow basil from cuttings
Take Cuttings
The best time to take the cuttings is usually during the growing season, which is during summer, spring, and fall. This is one of the effective ways of how to grow basil from cuttings. Do not take them during other times. Also, take cuttings from the plants that are not flowering as the flowering plants are usually nearing the end of their growing cycle, which will not be great for you.
We would advise you to take your cuttings from an organic outdoor plant, and avoid using basil that is already cut, from the grocery store, as it is not reliable to root them. To take the cuttings, the first step is to sanitize your pruning shears. You can use alcohol, which will disinfect it and ensure that there is no spread of diseases. With your shears or scissors, cut below the leaf node to create 4-5 inches long cuttings. Cutting from the leaf node is crucial since this is where the chances of growing roots are high.
Root The Cuttings In A Pot
The very next thing is to get a pot that is around 10 inches with drainage holes in the bottom for rooting the basil. You should then fill the planting pot with a soilless potting mix, vermiculite, or perlite as it allows for proper airflow for the roots to grow and develop. You can buy this mix at a nursery near you. Once this is done, you can then place the pots in some lukewarm water so that the mix can get some moisture all through to the top. However, it is essential to ensure that it does not get too wet as the roots will rot.
You can also use a rooting hormone If you like for cuttings to take root faster. To do this, dip the end of the cutting into the powder before planting them into the pot. Water your basil once or twice in a day to keep them moist, but be careful not to oversaturate them. It could take around three to four weeks for the cuttings to root, whereby the plants are now ready for planting.
Transplant The Cuttings
Once the basil cuttings have taken root, it is time to transplant them. If you want to transplant them indoors, we would advise you to put your basil indoors after the last frost date to ensure that frost injuries to the new shrub are avoided. Choose a pot that has holes for drainage, and use soil that is organic and full of nutrients. Plant tour cuttings about two inches deep, to ensure the roots are covered. Also, do not limit the sunlight it gets; give it around four to five hours of sun per day. You can also transplant them directly in your garden.
Growing basil from cuttings is an effective way of ensuring that you have basil leaves all through the year. When it comes to harvesting, the trick is to harvest often, as the more you harvest, the more the plant will grow. With the above points, you are now conversant with how to grow basil from cuttings.
Read more growing herbs in your kitchen here.