There’s nothing quite like having a steady fresh supply of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) growing in your garden throughout the summer months. I’ve mostly grown basil near my tomatoes either from seed or purchased seedlings. But, did you know that basil can also be grown from cuttings? Here’s exactly how to grow basil from cuttings to give you an endless supply of this delicious herb.
This can be especially useful if it’s getting near the end of summer and you would love to keep your basil supply going by planting some in a pot that you can keep on a nice sunny windowsill indoors. You might also be interested in how to grow fresh herbs in a balcony garden.
What Are The Advantages Of Growing Basil From Cuttings?
When you grow basil from cuttings, it takes far less time for the little plants to grow than it would if you were planting basil seeds in the garden or even into small pots. That’s because you’ll have to wait around two weeks for the seeds to germinate and then a few days more before the true basil leaves start to grow.
*This website is reader-support so this post may contain affiliate links for which I earn commissions.*
But if you grow this spicy herb from cuttings, you only have to wait for the roots to form and new plant growth to happen which can be in as little as two weeks. This is definitely an easy way to extend your growing season and have fresh basil all year round.
Sneaky Ways You Can Get More Basil Plants For Your Garden
While it’s relatively easy to take some cuttings from any mature basil plants that you already have growing in your garden bed, what if it’s the wrong time of the year or your basil hasn’t grown enough yet? Let’s investigate a few other places that you can get your basil cuttings from.
I’m quite familiar with purchasing basil seedlings from my local garden centre to grow in my own garden, but they also sell larger live basil plants in pots. These are ideal because you can just take some tip cuttings and then allow the plant to continue growing. Or, you can just plant this out in your garden if the timing is right.
You’ll also find fresh bunches of basil available at greengrocers or farmer’s markets. If you take these home and place them in water straight away, you can then cut off the tips and root them to propagate new plants.
Of course, another way to get basil cuttings is from a friend’s garden. Just make sure you ask permission first before you go and clip a few sprigs off the plant. The same goes for community gardens that will often have this plant growing. They won’t mind you taking a few clippings if you ask first.
When taking your cuttings from a healthy basil plant or just some fresh basil clippings, make a clean cut just below a pair of leaves or a leaf node. Try to ensure that the cutting is around 7 to 15 cm (4 to 6 inches) long.
Now that you have your supply of fresh basil cuttings, it’s time to propagate them. You can either do this using potting mix or just root them in water.
Propagating Your Basil Cuttings In Soil
For this, you’ll need a small pot or two or even a seedling tray. Fill this with potting soil or seed-raising mix if you happen to have some. You can even just use vermiculite as this is quite a good material to get fast root growth.
Make sure you remove at least the lower leaves from each cutting and a couple of leaves further up if your cuttings are quite long. Essentially, you just want to leave two or three sets of leaves at the top. You can dip the base of the stems in rooting hormone, but because these will root fairly easily, it’s not totally necessary.
I also like to use a pencil or dibber to make a hole in the potting mix before I insert the stems of the plants. This avoids damaging the stems as you’re pushing them into the mix.
Once you have all your cuttings inserted, it’s a good idea to cover the pots with a plant cloche or clear plastic bag to create a humid environment. This means you won’t have to water them quite as much. However, you do want to keep an eye on them and mist the little plants when you notice that the soil is dry.
Ideally, you want to put your cuttings in a warm spot but keep them out of direct sunlight. When I used to work in propagation professionally, we always had under-bench heating for our cuttings. You can achieve the same thing at home by using an inexpensive heat mat that you just plug into a powerpoint. Or, you could get a little fancier and invest in a grow light instead.
Whichever method you use to keep your little cuttings warm, they should start to produce roots within just a couple of weeks. You’ll know that your new cuttings have rooted when you start to see new leaves growing at the top.
Basil Propagation Using Water
Basil is one of those plants that will root fairly well just in water. So, if you’re short on time or don’t have the stuff that you need to use the soil propagation method, this is a good alternative.
All you need is a small clear glass, jar or vase that you fill with clean water. Filtered water is best if you have access to this. But, if you do need to use tap water, just let it sit for around 24 hours so that it distils a little.
You can prepare your cuttings in the same way as above. Just make sure that there are no leaves submerged in the water when you put the stems in the glass. Place the jar in a warm spot that gets only indirect light.
It’s important to change the water every two or three days to keep it fresh and free from algae. This will also ensure that the fresh water is oxygenated. With this method, you should start to see some little roots growing within around 14 days.
Wait until the new roots are around 2 to 3 cm (1 inch) long before potting your new basil plants into a pot filled with premium potting mix. You don’t have to wait for new growth before potting up your rooted cuttings.
And, that’s all there is to growing basil from cuttings. I do hope you give it a try because it’s so easy and you should get excellent results.
Frequently Asked Questions
As basil stems are fairly soft, it should only take around 2 to 4 weeks for your cuttings to root. However, this will depend on the growing conditions.
You’ll find that the roots will grow faster when you put them in water. But it might take a little extra care when you transfer these into potting mix because the roots have to adjust to the new growing medium.
Basil will grow equally as well in pots as in the ground. You just need to remember that plants growing in pots will need to be watered more often.
Basil has relatively shallow roots with a maximum depth of around 30 cm (12 inches).
Final Thoughts
Now that you know how easy it is to grow basil from cuttings, there’s no excuse for not growing this delicious herb all year round. Just make sure that you can give it plenty of warmth, bright light and ample water. Remember that basil is an annual, so if you want a constant supply, make sure you take cuttings regularly and propagate them.
This is a great way to ensure that you always have plenty of basil for your culinary adventures in the kitchen. Oh, and don’t forget to experiment with different basil varieties such as Thai basil.
