How to Grow Basil From a Cutting

Basil, or Ocimum basilicum, is one of the easiest herbs to grow and a particularly good choice for the beginning gardener. Cuttings root quickly and grow into undemanding, easy-to-maintain herbs that you can grow in your kitchen or garden. Basil is so easy to start from cuttings that even the greenest novice with the brownest thumb can have a bountiful harvest.

Clean, sharp scissors
Clear glass or jar
4-inch pot
Sterile potting soil

Instructions

- 1
  Cut a 6-inch tip from the stem of a parent plant, using clean, sharp scissors. Snip off any bloom buds on the stem and remove leaves from the lower half of the stem. Take the cutting from a healthy, mature basil plant in spring or early summer, before young green stems turn woody.
- 2
  Put the stem in a clear glass or jar of water. Don't allow any of the leaves to touch the water.
- 3
  Set the cutting on a warm, brightly lit windowsill out of direct sun. Your basil will root in seven to 10 days.
- 4
  Change the water every day while the cutting is rooting.
- 5
  Fill a 4-inch pot with sterile potting soil when your basil cutting's roots are about an inch long. Plant the cutting in the pot and set the pot in a shallow container of warm water until the surface of the soil feels barely moist. Remove it from the water and allow it to drain freely.
- 6
  Keep your basil plant in a warm, brightly lit spot. A sunny windowsill is perfect. Water just enough to evenly moisten the soil when the surface begins to dry out. Don't let the plant get wet feet.

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