Basil
Basil is one of the easiest herbs to propagate and once you have one plant you can propagate it to have a lifetime supply of basil to enjoy.
I recommend you take cuttings on several varieties to have a mixture of basil plants to harvest throughout the year.
Some of my favorite basil plants to grow are Mamouth Basil, Sweet Basil, Basil Tree, Italian Basil, and Thai Basil. Each one has a distinctive flavor to make that drink or dish just right.
Basil is a great companion plant for tomatoes to keep the dreaded Tomato Horn Worm out of your garden.
How to Propagate Basil Plants
If your basil is starting to flower it is time to prune your basil and use the cuttings to propagate your plant to start several plants.
Remove any of the flowering buds on the cutting before taking a cut.
Cut a start on the stem when you removed the flowering bud, it can be any length you would like.
Remove all the lower leaves on the stem that will be submerged in the jar of water.
Place several cuttings in the same jar and place the jar on a window sill that receives filtered light.
Allow the stem to root which may take a few days to a week or more.
Once they have a strong root system plant each cutting in a pot using high-quality potting soil and place it on the window sill to continue to grow until you are ready to plant in the garden or inside to harvest fresh basil throughout the year.
After an additional few weeks in the pots, they are ready for transplanting outdoors or into a larger container for your indoor herb garden. You can plant several cuttings in the same container if you want a larger plant.
I would recommend you take cuttings throughout the year but especially before the first frost so that you can have a herb garden with fresh basil during the winter and for plantings the next Spring so that you do not have to buy new plants.
Best Potting Mixes
Now that you know how to propagate Basil plants, you only need one to grow a garden full of basil and I recommend you reach out to your gardening friends to share cuttings off different varieties of basil to have more than one variety in your garden.
