Basils are herbaceous plants that belong to the plant family Lamiaceae (mint family) and there are over 160 varieties of these plants known all over the world.
This plant has been an important part of traditional medicines in India where it has been used for over 5000 years and it is still very much important as a spice in delicacies around the world to date.
Basils are one of the most popular herbs in Europe and America and the flowers and leaves produced by this plant are very edible and apart from being edible the leaves also produce essential oils.
In gardens and yards, basils can be grown as ornaments and they can be added to gardens to attract pollinators as the flowers produced by this plant attracts insects such as butterflies, moths, bees, etc. That are the main pollinators of most garden plants.
Basils are garden herbs that make an important part of the human diet because of its nutritional qualities and the fresh flavor produced by this plant (and its leaves) makes it highly preferred by many.
Your gardens will not be complete in the absence of healthy and nutritional herbaceous plants; even though you can purchase basils from the market you can also grow your own plant and be a proud gardener.
If you are someone who loves gardening, love to add this flavored herb in your food and you have the desire to grow your own basil plant from a healthy basil stem cuttings then you should read further to learn more.
Growing basils is very easy to carry out and with just a few simple and direct steps you will be able to grow your own healthy and productive basil plant and with a little number of stem cuttings, you can grow a bunch of basils.
Have you been thinking of adding basil to your garden and you do not know how? Do not know how to grow basil plants from cuttings and would love to know how to go about growing this herb using this simple method?
If your answer to any of the questions is “Yes” then this is the right place for you to be. In this article, we will take you through a step-by-step guide that you can follow to grow basils from cuttings with ease.
What are the things needed for growing Basils from Cuttings?
Before heading towards the steps involved in growing basils from cuttings, it is important that you have an idea of the necessary tools that are needed for the facilitation of the best development possible.
Basils are super easy to grow and with just a few simple tools that can be easily accessed around your home, you will be able to propagate your basil plants from cuttings.
Below are the tools needed for growing basil plants from cuttings:
#1 – Scissors or pruners:
This simple tool is needed for detaching the stem from the mother plant and also for the removal of leaves. This is very essential (preferably pruners) so as to ensure clean cuts and also to prevent damaging the stem which could make it diseased.
NB: before using any of these tools for cutting, it is important that you disinfect them so as to avoid or prevent the spread of the disease.
#2 – Pots:
This is needed as a growing compartment for the cutting that is going to be sown to grow a new healthy plant.
This pot can be ceramic, plastic, or metallic; just make sure that it has good drainage for the escape of water as this plant does not do well in an area that has too much water (i.e. too wet or soggy).
This can be of any shape and they are used for growing the plant at a very young age before they are transplanted to the new spot or location.
#3 – Potting mix, perlite, or vermiculite:
These are essential nutrient-providing substances that are needed for the growth and development of the cuttings.
These substances are mixed in appropriate proportions for growing cuttings and they can always supply the plant base with the necessary nutrients that will help boost the plant growth.
You cannot do without these materials as they play essential roles in the overall development of your plants from cuttings to maturity.
How to Grow Basils from Cuttings
As earlier stated, growing basils are very simple and easy to carry out and with the help of these steps, you will be able to grow your plant from cuttings with so much ease.
In this section of this article, we will take you through some steps involved in growing basils from cuttings so you should read further to know more. Below are the steps involved in growing basils from cuttings:
Get a cutting from a healthy plant:
With a simple hand tool (either scissors or pruners) cut off a vigorous growing stem just below a leaf node i.e. the point of attachment of the leaf to the stem.
Make sure that the cutting is at least 4 inches long and not more than 6 inches. Just make sure that a healthy cutting is removed from the plant.
NB: clean the cutting tool; hand pruner or scissors, before and after use to prevent the spread of diseases from diseased plants. Using a dirty tool can make the damaged surface susceptible to diseases.
Prepare the cutting:
Pinch off the leaves that are at the base of the cuttings to make the base bare. You can also scrape the outer part of the stem gently just before planting is carried out.
The part where the leaves are removed from is the part that will be planted in the potting medium and it is also the point where root germination will occur.
Prepare the potting mixture:
The potting mixture used can either be a specialized potting mix, vermiculite, or perlite.
The growing pot should be filled with any of the potting mixtures and it should be directly placed in a tray of water so as to moisten the mix from the lower part.
Just make sure that the potting mixture is not too wet – keep it moistened so as to allow the plant’s survival.
Plant the prepared cutting:
Make a hole about 2 inches deep in the potting mixture and plant the cutting in the potting mixture.
The base of the plant should be covered very well and the plant will begin to germinate in a few days after planting.
Place in a good location:
The planted cuttings should be placed at a location that is warm with partial shade. The plant should not be exposed to full sunlight after planting as it can kill the plant and destroy its potential of growing.
Water often:
Make sure that your basil plant is provided with water from time to time so as to keep the soil moist. Just avoid overwatering and less watering as they can be damaging.
NB: If you want to grow them in your garden under full sunlight after attaining a more convincing height you can either grow them with the pot or transplant them to the selected planting site in your garden.
Conclusion
Growing your own basil plant can be a very lovely exercise to carry out and with the steps mentioned above, you can always grow your own basil plant with much ease and convenience. Enjoy growing your own basil plant!
On behalf of the author, thank you so much for taking the time to read this article !
