“Endless basil?” you say. “Endless? You mean I can grow all the basil I need from one plant? You keep saying this ‘endless’ word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
On the contrary, my friend. You really can grow an endless supply of basil from just one plant! In fact, that single plant could supply you with enough basil for all of your homemade pesto, meatball, and spaghetti sauce needs for an entire year.
Here’s an example of our basil harvest (with Neighbor Kitty inspecting it) from a few years back. This technique really works! There’s no trickery involved, and you won’t believe how easy it is.
Here’s how to grow endless amounts of basil from just one plant. Buy a potted basil plant–our grocery store sells them in the produce department. This single plant is going to be the start of your Endless Basil Empire.
Cut off all the stems in the middle, above the bottom set of leaves (as shown). Plant the rooted stubs in your garden and set the stems aside. Each one of these stems will grow into a full basil plant, and the stubs will too! Here’s how:
Remove the bottom leaves (circled) from each stem. Use these leaves in a recipe, or dry them for future use.
Next, place your stems into a jar or glass full of water. You can use just about any kind of container–I like to use a quilted canning jar because it’s pretty to look at, and the clear glass lets me see how the roots are growing. Set your jar in a sunny windowsill.
In a few days, you’ll see tiny little roots emerging from each stem. Add more water to the jar if it gets low.
After 7-10 days, each stem will have multiple, long roots. That’s how you know that your basil is ready to plant. You can plant them outside in your garden or grow basil indoors in a pot.
Be sure to give your newly planted basil a little boost of nutrition. I like to use a bit of diluted fish emulsion with kelp to help them get off to a good start.
Pretty awesome, right? And yes, once those plants are established you can start the process all over again.
Do you like to cook with basil? What’s your favorite recipe?
