Growing and propagating basil

Growing your own food and herbs is a great way to be more sustainable and reduce packaging. When i first moved to London I bought a basil plant from the supermarket but I soon realised that it wouldn't last long in the tiny pot it comes in so I would need to buy a bigger pot for it. And if I wanted to make something that required a lot of basil, like pesto, my small plant won't be enough. I bought a bigger pot and started propagating it to fill up the new pot and have enough to make a batch of pesto without destroying my plant.

How to care for a basil plant

First it's important to have it in a suitable container, not too small and with the right amount of drainage. Shop bought herbs tend to need a pot upgrade fairly quickly, if your not planning to propagate or expand your plant too much all your plant should need is a pot that will add about 2cm all the way around the original plant and make sure it has drainage holes to let any excess water run out too. When repotting a supermarket bought plant you might want to space out the stems as they are often too close together. You can do this by gently tearing the soil in half or quarters and replanting them a bit apart in the new pot. Another important aspect to consider is natural light, you want to make sure your plant is in a bright spot next to window but you don't want it to get direct sun all day as that will dry it out too quickly.

How to propagate your basil plant

Cut a piece about 8cm just above a leaf node and remove the lower leaves until you have only two large leaves left at the top. Place it in a jar or cup of water and make sure the nodes where you removed the leaves are submerged. Place on a bright windowsill and keep the water fresh by changing it out every few days.

After a week you should see roots start to grow as seen above. Keep checking it and changing the water and wait until there are a longer and thicker roots (mine normally take about 2 weeks but sometimes it takes a little longer). Once you think there are enough roots plant it up in soil.