Back in early smallholding days, when I grew herbs to sell at the Suffolk Smallholders show, I often grew different sorts including Purple Ruffles and Large Leaf Lettuce basil. Basil is supposed to be a good companion plant for tomatoes so always planted out into the polytunnel beds - it did well there.
This year my basil seeds failed to germinate - twice - so (when I eventually remembered ) I bought a pot of basil from Morrisons for £1 and took lots of cuttings, put them in water and hoped for roots.
The leaves I took off the cuttings before putting them in water were dried in the microwave on a bit of kitchen roll, then crunched up and stored in a jar.
For ages they didn't seem to be doing anything but eventually the cuttings produced some good roots
Only one cutting failed to root and the others have now been potted up into compost to grow on and hopefully give me plenty more to use fresh and dry for winter.
Thanks to everyone for comments on Saturday.
Back Tomorrow
Sue
That's clever!
ReplyDeleteBasil, sadly, is one of the herbs I can't tolerate. The other is, annoyingly, leaf coriander which just tastes like soap. It's frustrating because these herbs appear so much nowadays.
xx
I'm not keen on coriander either
DeleteI love doing this. Whenever something snaps off in the garden or I take cuttings I always try water first.
ReplyDeleteI used to do it with sage as well when growing herbs to sell
DeleteI am glad it worked for you. I buy the pot of growing herbs and split the stems up potting them up as they are into a large, 10 inch pot. I start picking out the tops to use immediately which encourages growth and a healthy, bush pot of basil for weeks on end.
ReplyDeleteI've only ever bought a pot of basil once before and that had greenfly on it withing a week!
DeleteI am so pleased you mentioned about the Basil seeds not germinating - we are on our second go now and these are not doing well either - not sure why - we have tried different growing medium and pots but nothing seems to make a difference. I will try your method next.
ReplyDeleteI like Basil but like Joy cannot eat corriander it has a bitter taste to me but a lot of reataurant meals come smothered in the stuff as it is fashionable at the moment.
I've never had such a bad failure before with basil, then I kept forgetting to buy a pot which has made it rather late
DeletePerhaps I should try this as a science project with Rosie
ReplyDeleteShe might like to see the roots appearing but it takes a while
DeleteWe didn't know you could do that. We'll try now. There are loads of difference kinds of basil here in Greece, they grow it as some sort of charm to keep evil away from the door (we were told - we might be gullible). It also apparently keeps mozzies at bay - that might also be in the too gullible category. One of our neighbours showed us a particularly large leafed variety and told us that in Xania (Crete) they use it to wrap dolmades. Now that does sound tasty and true or not we might try it if we can find one of those plants for our own balcony.
ReplyDeleteI found the large leaf sort didn't have much flavour, but that wouldn't matter if it had a filling
DeleteBasil is the one herb I really should grow, I love it. I'm not very good at growing things from seed, so I am heartened to read that sometimes basil seeds don't germinate - maybe the failure wasn't mine when I last attempted it. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHope this way works for you
DeleteBoom Boom Miss Sue! (oh, sorry, wrong Basil). We find the supermarket plants ever so difficult to keep alive for more than a few weeks. Might try cuttings.
ReplyDeleteI think the supermarket ones are sold before they have much root
DeleteThat's a great tip. Thank you. We have always bought the supermarket pots but had given up as they very quickly became infested with tiny white fly. I think I shall try taking leaf cuttings and discard the original pot in case of contamination.-
ReplyDeleteGive it a try and see what happens
DeleteYou always have useful tips for growing plants. Did you learn them in your smallholding days of experimenting or did you read it somewhere?
ReplyDeleteI've been growing herbs to sell since the early 80's - so have tried all sorts of ways to do things
DeleteThe only herb I have eever managed to get to grow roots in water is mint.
ReplyDeleteOf course - I forgot about mint - that nearly always works in water
DeleteWhat a great idea for getting basil plants. I used to plant mine among the tomatoes too - I don't know if it helped either of them, but they certainly marry well when eaten together.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if it helped either but there was always plenty of basil in the poly tunnel
DeleteHow very clever. I must try that!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it's not a new idea for you!
DeleteIt usually works well
ReplyDeleteSue you ask about Ocean - the Norfolk and Suffolk Gypsy. I read about her in Ronald Blythe's Borderland (Vol three of his Wormingford Trilogy) - I have all his books - he is 98 now and still lives in Wormingford on the Essex border - he wrote for many years for The Church Times. I have no religious faith whatsoever but his knowledge of Nature and the quality of his writing make his books well worth reading.
ReplyDeleteThanks Pat, I have read Borderland - but a while ago
Deletebasil is sooooooooooooo good!!!
ReplyDeleteI agree
DeleteThat’s such a clever idea, I’ve not seen that before. Do you use ordinary potting compost once the roots are visible, and do you have to put them somewhere warm to grow?
ReplyDeleteThey are in potting compost on the greenhouse bench because the weather isn't too hot . If it had been really hot and sunny I would put them in the shade on the greenhouse floor.
DeleteThank you, am going to give this a go.
ReplyDeleteLove the smell of Basil and nothing quite like the taste with tomato.
ReplyDeleteI find things root much better if the root section is in the dark, in water in a little jug or pottery vase etc.
Good luck everyone.
I just love basil. Wonderful scent.
ReplyDeleteI have never managed to grow Basil; from seeds and always resort to the cuttings from a supermarket plant. First I split the plant into four and pot each one up individually, then I take a few cuttings and like you put them into water.
ReplyDeleteI also take lots of Rosemary cuttings every year put these into water too, I love the smell of them on the kitchen windowsill.
Now you've reminded me that I left my current pot of basil on the kitchen window sill at home when I set off for the Van on Saturday. I doubt it will survive Alans inability to see a dying plant right in front of him!
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