“To make a garden, you need a piece of land and eternity”.
Gilles Clément.
Hello, young Padawan
Today, we will do something fun and useful. You can do it alone or with your children, even if they are small, as long as they are supervised by a big Padawan, with or without a green hand, lol.
Basil is excellent and good for the body (see the benefits of basil in this article here, ed), but if, like me, you love sprinkling it on your pasta, salads, and even desserts, there are many chances that one pot won’t be enough for you.
Well, that was before knowing the ultimate trick, since after reading this article, you won’t buy any more. You will just have to use this trick to multiply your basil like the Irish leprechauns with their pot of gold at the foot of the rainbow.
But, stop, I’ve already said too much. Let’s move on to the article.
How to have endless basil.
So, what is the recipe for having basil all year long with just one small pot? Well, dear Padawan, it’s very easy. You just need to have a first pot of basil, then take cuttings. Yes, it’s possible, simple as pie, nice, quick, and really impossible to miss.
Here’s how you do it, step by step. Choose relatively long stems from your starting plant, and make a precise cut just below two nodes. To be clear, start looking from the top of the stem, where the head is, then move down to the first cluster of leaves, down the stem, and finally, the second cluster of leaves. Make your cut just below this second cluster, about 5mm.
Then, with small scissors, cut the leaves on the two clusters of leaves that you have identified on the stem (nodes) to start the roots to emerge. Put everything in a glass filled with water, making sure that all the inserts of leaves that you have cut are well underwater.
Now, place your basil stems glass in a well-lit area and wait. In just ten days, you’ll witness the magic. Roots will start to appear at the nodes where you made the cuts. It’s like watching a miracle unfold!
When the roots are 1 cm long, you can plant the stems in a pot, water them, and watch your new basil plant blossom like crazy!
Basil likes light and water (without having the roots drowned by a pot immersed in water). So remember to check that the soil is moist and the plant has enough light; it will reward you a hundredfold!
You are now self-sufficient in basil. You’ll love to use it with pasta, summer salads, tomatoes, fruit salads, and strawberry-basil sorbets—in short, antioxidants are yours. Not to mention the two small activities to enjoy with the kids on Wednesday afternoon: cuttings and planting a few days later!
All that remains is for me to wish you a lovely weekend and enjoy your basil. I will see you next Friday.
XO 🌱
