Basil is a wonderful plant for the garden. With a warm flavor that pairs perfectly with tomatoes, this herb is also very easy to grow. Of course, you can grow basil from seed. It’s a really easy plant to start that way.
But did you know that there is a shortcut that I like to use in growing my basil? Did you know that you can get large, full grown basil plants with this hot gardening tip?
Basil stems are one of those cool plants that you can grow from a cutting. You can stick a stem of basil in a glass of water, and in a few weeks, it will have enough roots to sustain itself. Then you can plant it in a pot.
I typically buy those three or four dollar basil plants from the produce department this time of year. I start gradually pinching off the stems and sticking them in a water on my kitchen window sill. By the time spring comes, I’ll have plenty of basil plants to put outdoors. And the parent plant is still in good shape too!
Don’t you love free plants? I sure do!
To do this, break off the stem where it meets several leaves. Strip any excess leaves from the stem and put it in water. Give the plant about 3 or 4 weeks to grow roots and then you can pot it up. When the last frost date in your area comes, you can plant it outdoors.
Basil likes full sun, and other than that, it’s a pretty low maintenance plant to grow.
Feeding My Family 