How to Propagate Basil Cuttings
(So You Have Enough for Pesto!)
Basil is often thought of as an Italian herb, but it’s actually native to parts of Africa and Southeast Asia. It likes sun, warmth, and well draining soil.
Its natural life cycle involves growing flowers and producing seeds. It drops those seeds which grow new plants that flower and produce more seeds. Its prerogative is to produce seeds to reproduce. If you’ve ever tried to grow basil, you will undoubtedly have found that it sent up flower stalks mid-season (this is called “bolting.”) When it flowers, the leaves start growing smaller and lose their sweetness. It’s not growing for the human palate – its growing to reproduce.
So, what’s a gardener to do when we want abundant, sweet, basil leaves all season long?
Whether you buy your basil seedling from the store or start your own from seed, taking cuttings is an efficient way to make fresh basil plants throughout the season. The trick, though, is to do this proactively, when your plant is young and lively, before it starts sending up a flower stalk.
When your plant has a few stems that are at least 6 inches long, you can start cutting those branches off right below a leaf node (where a pair of leaves are attached to the stem). Then remove all but the top cluster of leaves from the stems, and put the stems in a jar of water in a sunny window. Change the water every couple of days, and in 2 weeks you’ll see some healthy roots growing at the end of the stem.
For every cutting you take, you should get a whole new basil plant. These can be planted directly in the garden, but plant them on an overcast or rainy day, or cover with some burlap or other breathable fabric for the first day or two to help them acclimatize.
Now, when your original basil plants start flowering, these cuttings will have another month or so of youthful zest before going to flower.
If you find yourself with more basil than you know what to do with, give basil pesto a try.