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How to grow basil from cuttings?
I've taken cuttings of some basil I bought in a supermarket and rooted them in water on my kitchen table. I need to plant them, but is it ok to use standard compost for this? I also want the plants to go outside - is that ok if they've only been inside until now? I have a very sunny patio but not sure if I can just stick them in pots and put them straight outside.
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If you have some perlite that will help with drainage - add very roughly about 15%. If you don't have any just be a little more careful with watering.
Basil hails from the tropics, so they like it warm and humid.
I grow mine in front of tomato plants in my greenhouse and they grow very well.
I'd keep them indoors for a while yet if you can and put them on your sunny patio mid-late June.
If that's not feasible, then they'll have to take their chances.
Use a general fertilizer every 10 days-ish - Miracle Grow is good - even better is seaweed extract.
Pinch the tops out when they're about 6" to get a bushy plant
After a while you'll see the top growth change - that's when it will start to try and produce flowers - you'll see a flower spike developing - pinch that out when you see it.
Once it has flowered it will die, so keep pinching the tops to extend its life.
I sow seed in March, May and June to get lots of plants and a long harvest.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.