I love love love basil! I could put basil in anything! I was on pinterest a couple weeks ago and saw how to propagate it so I had to try! Its really simple and take barely any work (my kind of style)! If I can do it anyone can! I have a brown thumb!
I picked up a bunch of basil at my local farmers market for $2.50. (not bad but I rather grow my own for free right??)
Step 1: Find a stem that has 6 or more leaves on it. The longer the stem the better (learned from experience)
Step 2: Cut the stem with scissors from the rest of the bunch.
Step 3: Cut the top leaves or the flowers off and the bottom leaves off right at the point of origin or where it meets the stem.
Step 4: Place in a jar of water
Step 5: Wait and be amazed that your little stem will start growing roots in about a week
Step 6: Transplant it into a pot with soil and enjoy basil all year round!
P.S I have also done this with green onions. You can just snip off the green part at where the white and green meet and stick it in water and it will grow new shoots! Also, I’ve heard it works with celery but haven’t tried that yet!
So cool and fun right! Has anyone tried this with other types of herbs?
Ashlee Christopher says
This is awesome to know I love love basil! Hi I am Ashlee I am new here and I am super happy to meet you!! Great blog!
http://abpetite.blogspot.com/
Amy @ A Blossoming Life says
Hey Ashley thanks for coming by! I will definitely checkout your blog!
Junette Kelly says
I’m a little confused. It said to pick a stem with several leaves but then cut them off? In the picture it shows leaves. Do I only cut a few leaves off and leave, like, four?
Anonymous says
Why is there no reply to this question it seems the only one that was skipped over?
Linda says
Thanks for the tip! I love basil and have some growing in my garden, but am going to try to start some in a pot for this winter.
Amy @ A Blossoming Life says
That would be perfect if you already have some growing! Yay for fresh basil all winter!
Nancy says
I have read about doing this, but never have tried in the winter! Hoping to try and keep some basil going for awhile…thanks for the post!
livininthegreen.blogspot.com
Amy @ A Blossoming Life says
Exactly I would love fresh herbs all year long! It would be amazing and all the food I cook would taste a lot fresher! Good luck!
Katie Drane says
I’m so glad that I’m following you! This is great to know. Thanks for sharing on the COM link party!
Katie
http://www.funhomethings.com
Amy @ A Blossoming Life says
Thank you for following much appreciated!
Elisabeth says
I was wanting to bring in my basil for the winter but I read it doesn’t transplant well, so I’m going to try this.
I did do the onions one year and they actually grew. That was exciting! I love the idea of bringing it in the home, especially for the winter.
Thanks for the tips and inspiration.
Amy @ A Blossoming Life says
Regular onions or green onions? I’ve don’t green onions before. I bet it will make the kitchen smell great too! Thanks for sharing!
Marlo RepurposeMyLife says
I love basil too, thanks for the tip!
Kelly says
I didn’t know you could do this with basil. I’ve tried growing several herbs from seed this year and basil has seemed to be the best one as far as growing quickly and putting off a bunch. Good luck!
Amy @ A Blossoming Life says
Yep glad you learned something new! Good luck to you too!
Renee says
Celery works! I just did it. Cut the base off about 2 inches from the root, plant in soil and water! I had baby celery stalks in about a week.
Amy says
I’ve heard you can do celery! I haven’t tried it yet because well I don’t like it haha! Thanks for sharing!
tessa liford says
I have been growing the little green onions from the grocery store this way for years. I have one I planted in my back yard that is now about three foot high and three feet around! Just from one tiny green onion. I keep them in water in the fridge and just cut off the tops as I need them. After a few months of this, I stick them in the ground. : )
Amy says
I’ve done this too! Works super great! Thanks for sharing the how to!
Cherie Cayemberg says
Silly question (and maybe I’m being really dim), but I saw to cut the top leaves and flowers off and the bottom…are we leaving on leaves in the middle for photosynthesis or sticking a stem in the water? I’ve never done this before so I needed to ask. Thanks!!!
Amy says
I think it is to help encourage new little leaves to sprout. Also, You always want to cut off the flowers so that it continues to grow up and out!
Beth says
Thank you for the tutorial, I plan to implement it soon.
I’m learning (re-learning) about growing all kinds of herbs & vegies. My whole family has made menu changes (I refuse to use the word “diet”) & we are putting in a vegie garden & kitchen garden for the first time this year.
Amy says
How exciting Beth! Way to go! Good luck with your new way of eating!
joan louise says
Celery is fast to grow. I cut off the bottom of a stalk and placed in a bowl of water. Refreshing it daily. And within a few weeks noticed in the middle, little shoots were popping up!
Rachael says
Hi! I didn’t know that this worked with herbs. It does work with celery. Just cut the base of the clump (not individual stocks) about 2-3 inches from the bottom, put in a small amount of water (not to much or it will rot) and within a week it will start to grow roots and leaves. Be sure to check it often for water. You can then put into soil and grow new stocks. I heard about this so decided to try and was shocked that it really does work!
Amy says
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing!
Pat says
When you plant the celery base in the soil, do you cover it completely with the soil or do you just stick the bottom part of it in the soil with the top exposed? I’d love to try this.
E! says
I did it with garlic and now have them in an egg carton with no soil just feeding with water, hydroponicly. Snip the top greens and the keep growing.
Amy says
I never knew you could do this with garlic! I will definitely have to try it! Thanks!
bridget walling says
I have done this with a sweet potato. I was supposed to break off one of the shoots for planting after a few weeks but I never did. The season wasnt right for planting the shoot so I just let it be my sweet potato plant. It’s a nice plant. It’s been growing for about a year.
bridget walling says
P.S. Thank you for posting this article! I will definitely give it a try! 🙂 I love to grow herbs but havent tried rooting them this way. Great information!
Amy says
Great idea about the sweet potato! I’ve heard they make beautiful plants!
Diane B says
Thanks, always great info! I have celery and bok choy in saucers with water — they are both growing beautiful leaves. The leek is also growing, but I don’t expect anything edible from it since the growth is dark green. I keep cilantro, parsley and basil growing year round (indoors in winter).
Joan says
The green part of a leek is just as edible as the white bits, they are just not so soft, so they need to cook longer and remain a bit more chewy. I love the green parts! To get the white part you’ll have to shield the stem from sunlight.
kathie says
I just put the leeks and celery that were rooting on my countertop, into the ground and last week I planted some mint that rooted nicely.
I tend to be a lazy composter and just bury my veggie scraps…I usually get some squash, carrots and tomatoes but some of the more unusual treats that I have had are ginger, purple potatoes and little chestnut trees that sprouted up!
Amy says
How fun! Thanks for sharing!
Earlene A says
I tried doing the lettuce cores last week at work. And they have sprouted new leaves. Nothing like really fresh lettuces !!
Amy says
I didn’t know you could do this with lettuce too! Basil is the only thing I can keep alive so I haven’t tried a ton else! Maybe I will give this a shot!
Sandy says
Works well with rosemary also!
Nancy Ba says
I love basil this is a great idea will definitely try it. The celery works very well. I have several planted. They are making very bushy tops don’t know if the root will develop yet. Still watching it grow.
Karina says
I was successful with propagating my spearmint (I am new to this and loving it!) but I transfered it into soil (compost made of dirt, dried leaves, dried pine needles) yesterday and it is already looking sad 🙁 It is in an egg carton on my windowsill receiving indirect light, and (of course) I watered it. What went wrong?
You are all so awesome! This is so great! I am so excited to try these ideas!!!
vera says
I have trnsplanted few different kind of mint plants few times. It is my experience they will look droopy for a while, some leaves might even die. As long as it has light and water, plant will recover and start new growth. Some plants do not like transplanting, some go to shock but recover after few days. Just make sure you water your transplants well, to eliminate air pockets around roots, and keep it sheltered from direct sun for a day or two. Spearmint stem will produce roots, just like basil from this blog, so if your plant looks like it might die, pluck it out, wash off the dirt or cut off roots and stick it in the water to start rooting again. Mints are almost unkillable……LOL…and very invasive in your garden. Happy gardening!
Anonymous says
If you don’t want mint to take over your garden you should plant it in a pot or container of some sort.
Maryann says
I did lettuce and it did work. I will do the basil. Love it. Celery works also.
Diane says
Works with celery! I was making soup, cut the bottom off of a bunch of celery, placed it directly on a pot of dirt (watered well). It is now growing from the center and is about 5″ tall.
Lisa says
Love it! And I too can put Basil on everything. I just can’t get enough. I pick it fresh from the garden and wrap it around a Cherry Tomato and pop it in my mouth and eat it as a garden snack. :0)
Thanks for posting!
Lindsay says
If you put green onions i water it will continue to grow. i just cut mine hen i need some, and it still grows! it’s awesome.
Cherry says
Any chance this method woul work on cilantro?
Amanda says
I’m going to try this :D!
Linda says
Hi Amy,
I had a pot of basil that was almost dead before it got cold in the fall. I brought it inside and put it near my areogarden (for light) – adding a few extra seeds to the pot and have had basil all winter and just now started my own seeds to plant outside again. Never thought of doing it your way – genius! 😉
Thanks for sharing your tip!
Linda
Meghan says
So this will work with any herb? I have a sage bush I planted from seeds years ago at my parents house, and have tried time and again to grow a clipping of it at my little apartment to no avail. I’m going to attempt to apply your method to my precious sage! LOL
Amy C says
This is pretty much a no brainer, I’ve done this every year for many years. Basil doesn’t often winter over well, so good luck. This will NOT work with all herbs, especially woody stems.
katrina says
i love all the things you post. about the re growing onions and herbs, how often do you change the water?
Jackie Wood says
I grow green onions and celery, have to try basil now!
Vicky says
This works with most commonly used herbs, and even some flowers. I always grow fresh mint this way, the problem with my mint these days is stopping it growing!
Dana Adams says
Very neat! I didnt realize you could do that with basil! Thanks!
Inga Keegan says
I love this site, what a great idea. I have been a keen gardener for years and thought that the only way to grow basil was from seed! Well be giving this a go tomorrow! Thankyou.
Nikki says
Little bit confused about the leaf cutting part… in the pictures it looks like the leaves were left on?? Also, can you do this with big plants, like fruit trees?
pnina says
i did it with mint. the same process.its very easy to do.
cheryl says
I have started basil growing too, and green onions in a glass jar of water, you can use about 3 times then they get too weak, celery works but grows a lot slower
What I don’t have good luck with is Rosemary in the house, I wish I could get it to grow inside, I lose it outside almost every winter.
Amy K says
Thanks for the info that is really helpful! I have done this with basil, mint, and green onions! So its good to know about other herbs and vegetables!
shamsi says
Do I need to change the water? Thanks
Fab says
Hey Ashlee!
Thanks for sharing.
This is a list of 16 veggies you can regrow at home and how to do it. Enjoy.
Peace.
Aunt Jane says
I’d never thought about it but no doubt it would work. Basil is like mint and mint will easily root in water and then can be planted. It’d be the same thing! Thanks!!!
maria rodriguez says
Hi I just had to say that you could do this with cabbage also
and I been doing this with garlic too
and I like to thank every one for their tips
Jan says
I have been growing celery this summer for the first time. I cut the bottom 2-3 inches off of the stalk after I purchase it, I prefer the organic. Just put in a jar of water with the bottom touching the water and in about a week you will see new shoots coming out of the center of the stalk. I will take longer for roots to form so it can be planted into a pot or outside. This has been successful each time I do this, and have not had to buy celery all summer or fall.
Maya says
I’ve tried this and yes and it’s cool! we have a different basil leaves in Malaysia. narrow and smaller.. thanx for sharing . Go Green!!
Janice says
I have a small basil pant that hasn’t been growing. I had it outside at first and it was growing beautifully but then it got worms. So I ripped all the wormed leaves off. Since I’ve brought it inside she has been bare. She isn’t dieing but her leaves aren’t getting big. 🙁 Makes me sad… And there is a little mold growing in the soil…Not sure if that is bad.
Donald A. Vrudney says
This idea works even better if you cover the jar with aluminum foil, then poke a hole in the center, or if desired, multiple holes for multiple starts. Rip the foil to remove.
Nikki says
Thanks so much for this – I had no idea! I am currently starting a windowsill garden which already has green onions and chives, and this is going to be perfect. You rock Amy!
Taleda says
Can this be done with all herbs? Thank You!
Dale says
This should work fine, though with basil, a pack of seeds grows easily and gets you a lot of basil for a couple of dollars.