Growing Basil in Water

It’s October already! What happened to summer? Here in the south, it’s time to think about what herbs to bring in and which ones will be OK outside. I have dried lots of my culinary herbs, including Basil. I have even frozen enough Basil to make all the Pesto I might want this winter but there is nothing like fresh Basil in a salad and to perk up those lame tomatoes that we buy in winter. I know it will grow in pots in a sunny window but it gets leggy and wants a lot of water.

A few weeks ago I cut back some of my Purple leaf Basil and put it in water on my kitchen windowsill. I was surprised to find that it had rooted about three days later! I tried the same thing with Genovese Basil and, yes, I got roots!  I already need to trim the roots on the plant in this picture.

No more dirt for me. I’m going hydroponic this winter with my Basil plants. I’ll keep the tops pruned and roots too. I’ll add a little liquid fertilizer as I go along. My kitchen faces southeast so the light is good for growing. Mint loves to grow in water too, so if you like mint in your tea, keep a vase of it in a sunny spot too. I am going to try placing Oregano, Rosemary and Thyme in the unheated greenhouse with a frost blanket over them. I’ll see if they stay green enough to cut during the cold months. I’ll report back on that later.