How to Propagate Basil from Cuttings (7 Easy Steps)
Growing basil is easy enough, and it’s no different when learning how to propagate basil. You can propagate basil from cuttings or simply grow it from seeds each year.
Fragrant and delicious, basil is a wonderful plant to grow in the garden. When you harvest some basil next time, try a fun little gardening experiment. It’s so easy to learn how to propagate basil from what you’ve pinched off the plant for dinner.
Try these tips on growing basil from cuttings!
Growing Basil from Cuttings
Basil is very easy to propagate from cuttings! Even young kids will love to see the roots forming up close when trying this fun gardening trick at home.
Try these tips to help your plant become bushier while also growing basil from cuttings.
Harvesting Basil Cuttings
When you remove basil from the plant, don’t just take the leaves. Use what you need for dinner, but then place the stem in water to propagate a new plant!
Harvesting basil cuttings is very easy – simply cut a stem piece from your plant that is at least several inches long.
Just remove the leaves for cooking and then your basil cuttings are ready for propagation.
How to Propagate Basil from Cuttings
Follow these steps to root basil cuttings in water.
- Snip or pinch off a stem of basil leaves that is at least 3 inches long.
- Remove the basil leaves you need for dinner or meal prep, leaving a few at the top.
- Stick the basil cutting (stem) in a small vase or cup of water.
- Place the basil cuttings in a window with indirect sunlight.
- Check on the basil cuttings each day to see if any roots are forming. Replace the water each day or every other day to keep it fresh and free of contaminants.
- Roots should form in several days to a week. When they do, you can transfer your rooted basil cuttings to soil.
- Continue to monitor and water the newly propagated basil plant as it gets established.
Basil Propagation Success
Now that you know how to propagate basil from cuttings, you can create more basil plants whenever you want!
Knowing me, I’d likely do this almost every time I harvest basil for a meal. No doubt I would swiftly run out of space to plant the new plants!
Propagating basil from stem cuttings is an easy gardening activity for all ages. Teach your children about the wonders of nature while they’re young and they will enjoy gardening for a lifetime to come!
Do you have any questions or other tips to share on how to propagate basil? Feel free to shout out in the comments below. I always love hearing from you!
By the way, if you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out my other articles on plant propagation! You may also enjoy an overview on vegetative propagation if you enjoy this end of gardening as much as I do. 🙂
Happy Gardening!
