Basil cuttings

[Doris_Pinks]

Did anyone else see the article in the Telegraph today that said, why keep buying pots of basil from the supermarket?
When it is getting leggy, just put bits into water and it will root, then you can pot it on......worth a try I thought!

[Doris_Pinks]

[Jesse]

That's interesting DP. I have tried growing basil in my garden but the slugs destroyed it overnight. I do now buy basil from the supermarket so I will try growing it like you say. As I'm buying it anyway I won't be loosing anything apart from a little time and effort even if the slugs eat it all up. I did grow on supermarket bought mint this way and it is thriving outside in a pot. All the mint I have tried growing (from nursery bought plants) never survived.

[tim]

Why not just sow some? In a month from sowing, we're picking all we want. = Tim

Sorry - didn't answer your question. Anything that roots should pot up OK. Might be quicker, but sowing's cheaper in the long run.
I can't grow the stuff outside.

[Doris_Pinks]

I always seem to have trouble getting them to grow out of season! Though am growing some monstrous basil at the moment, and it is growing...well montrously!! ;D

[SueM]

Never tried the cuttings thing, but always divide supermarket plants into three or four sections after the first cut, and pot them up and keep them on the windowsill. As long as you don't cut too savagely at first they soon bush out into decent plants, so you get a season's basil for the price of one plant, which costs about as much as a packet of seed.

At least, you would if they didn't invariably get whitefly after a few weeks indoors. Putting them outside for a bit seems to deal with that, but you might need another supermarket plant about half way through the summer. I've never succeeded in keeping them through the winter. I think they're probably sensitive to day length for growth.

Sue

[john_miller]

  Given enough heat basil can be made to grow at any time of year. It is also important to keep it fairly dry during the winter as it is very susceptible to Erwinia fungus, normally seen as black patches on the leaves as autumn progresses, but it could be fatal as cold weakens the plant further later in the season.
 About ten years ago I was forced to stop growing basil as I ran out of clean soil (I grew a lot for a local pesto producer) following the continued inability of seed companies to rid seed of a, at that time, newly identified Verticillium wilt. Hot water treatment of seed is now mostly effective but I wonder about the wisdom of propagating from store bought plants as they may be carrying the fungus, especially if outdoor planting is contemplated. It is believed to need at least a ten year rotation to rid infected soil of the pathogen should you get it.

[Debs]

Interesting  8).

Shall try this, as a plant I grew from seed has become leggy and the ones I have succession sowed aren't big enough to pick from.

Debs

[Mrs Ava]

My Basil bush (boom boom) is now into its second year and growing well and still as tasty as ever.  It lives in my conservatory in a large glazed pot and is treated in exactly the same way as all my tropical lovelies, and it thrives.  The aroma given off if the kids brush past it or bash it with their toys (conservatory is also their play room) is so strong, I can smell it anywhere in the house!  ;D  However, just in case, I now have 58 plants in my greenhouse  :o.  Pesto anyone?  ;D

[tim]

Just in case anyone is interested - the talk of rooting cuttings from market Basil prompted me to check it out.
Took some off my own stuff & it's 14 days in water to give a plantable root. = Tim

PS To answer FoC below - I too sow mine - very fool-proof. (If I can do it!).
And rather than a clump of market stuff, I find that one plant fills a 5" pot. (Said this before?)

[Debs]

Noe that we have had the 'basil cutting' phenomena scientifically proven by Tim, I shall try it too  ;D ;D

Debs ;)

[feet of clay]

I gave mine a fortnight in water and chucked it out yesterday - totally root free and a tad brown around the cut ends.  Meanwhile, I sowed 7 different varieties of basil in a flappy plastic greenhouse  (on 27th June) and it's doing really well.