When you re-plant basil cuttings you don’t only contribute to a more sustainable world by halting your consumption, you also get a really nice plant that will make an excellent addition to your kitchen or windowsill.
As I mention in this post, why you should grow your own vegetables, I have in the last year really taken a liking to gardening and growing my own food. To this date, my plants mostly consist of vegetables that are suitable for planting in larger pots, but I am investigating the possibility to lay a bigger gardening bed in my yard.
In this post, I am going to tell you how you can re-plant basil cuttings from an already existing basil plant. It doesn’t matter if the plant is bought or if you have been growing it yourself from seeds, the technique is applicable to every situation.
Why basil?
Basil tastes good and is a staple in my house when I cook. It goes well with a lot of other spices and herbs. It is also a beautiful plant to look at making it a contribution to your home décor.
There are 35 different types of basil but the most common ones are sweet basil, commonly used in Italian cuisine, and Thai basil which is more common in Asia. They differ a bit in taste where the sweet basil is more suitable for bruschetta and pesto and the Thai version is more suitable for Asian cuisine due to it having a taste a bit similar to anise.
Basil contains essential oil compounds to help it fend off threats like bugs, rodents, and different strains of bacteria in the soil. When we basil we eat these oils and our body can experience similar effects, giving our immune system a boost.
One of the greatest parts of basil is that it contains different antioxidants that help to fight free radical damage. Antioxidants, like the ones found in basil, helps the body fight oxidative stress caused by toxins in the diet and environmental pollution, slowing down the effects of aging.
So now that you know that basil is not only nice to look at, it is also very good for you, let’s continue to how to re-plant basil cuttings.
Re-plant basil cuttings
This process is pretty straightforward. First up, you need to cut or pinch a leaf pair and some of the stem from a healthy part of your plant. Take the leaf pair and put it in a glass of water. Make sure that only the stem is in the water if the leaves are in the water they can rot after a while.
Put the glass on your windowsill or where it is sunny and bright and change the water every other day to keep it fresh. Depending on what type of basil you have, the time for the stem to grow out roots can differ, but it usually takes a couple of days or a week.
When roots have emerged and become a little longer it is time to plant the basil in some soil. Take a pot that holds 5-10 liters and fill it with high-quality soil. Don’t fill it to the brim, leave a little bit for stabilizing the plant after you have planted it.
When the roots come out, it should look something like this
Make a little hole in the soil and gently submerge the basil cutting with one hand, scooping in the soil to fill the hole with the other. Make sure that the plant is stable (add a little soil around the stem if necessary) and that the roots of the basil are completely covered with soil. Don’t pack the soil too hard, it will become harder after a few days when you water it, but in the beginning, the roots need to be able to spread.
Spray the plant every day to keep it moist. Once the plant has grown a bit more stable you can start watering it, instead of spraying it, when the soil feels dry.
I hope this post inspires you to do some re-planting of your own. Let me know in the comments how your plant is doing!
Good luck!
This one seems to do just fine; it has even got some flowers
