For all cooks who love the strong aroma of this herb, one plant is simply not enough. In no time all shoots are gone. Having the bush basil in many pots on the windowsill is not that difficult and not that expensive either. This is how you propagate bush basil at home.
Two options are available
The bush basil, bot. Ocimum kiliman. x basilicum, can be propagated in two ways in this country:
- by sowing the ripe seeds
- by rooting cuttings
Germinable basil seeds
Sowing is simple, but requires that you have germinable seeds. Not every cultivated plant can give us this. While the seeds of wild varieties are ideal for sowing, hybrid varieties let us down in this regard.
You can also buy seeds commercially (€6.00 on Amazon), then you can be sure that they will germinate. The varieties “African Blue” and “Magic Blue” are particularly popular. These shrub basil varieties are edible, but also extremely decorative with their red-edged leaves.
Tip
If you don't need the flowers of your bush basil for seed production, you can use them for cooking. Because the flowers are edible and also decorative. However, if you don't like the bitter taste, you should cut off the flowers so that more leaves sprout.
Key details for sowing
- sow indoors from February to March
- in growing pots with growing soil
- Press the seeds lightly into the soil, do not cover them with soil
- Keep pots warm at least 20 °C
- a bright, warm windowsill is ideal
- Keep the soil slightly moist at all times
The seedlings appear after just a few days. When they are big enough, they can be placed in their own pots. They can only go outside or into the garden soil when the Ice Saints are over. Because shrub basil is not hardy and has to overwinter indoors.
Rooting cuttings
With good care and regular cutting, the perennial basil grows beautifully bushy. Fresh shoots can be continually harvested for use in the kitchen. Use a few of them to grow new plants.
- cut from late summer to autumn
- choose a he althy, strong shoot about 10 cm long
- it should be unwoody and without flowers
- take off the lower leaves, leave only 6-8 at the top
- Place the cutting in a glass jar with water
- choose a warm and bright location
- plant as soon as the roots are approx. 3 cm long
- Use herbal soil or lean cactus soil
- Planting depth is approx. 3 cm
Tip
Instead of waiting for rooting in a glass of water, you can also stick the cuttings straight into moist soil. A bag placed over it promotes rooting, but must be ventilated occasionally. As soon as new leaves appear, it can be removed completely.
