I used to try to grow plants from seeds, and it’s still fun to do once in awhile. Remember doing that in 2nd grade and being so amazed at the miraculous growth of roots and leaves? I still feel like that!! That said, I had difficulty getting those plants to grow to a large enough size to enable me to cut off enough for me to frequently cook with them. This time, in Singapore, I decided to go to the nursery and get parent plants. They’ve been flourishing so I thought it was time to try growing some little baby plants. I’ll keep them separate so in case there is a bug infestation, the plants will live on!

To grow plants from cuttings, first you cut from the top of of the plants, allowing for 3- 4 inches of stem without any leaves and about 8 leaves on the cutting. Then, stick it in water, making sure the stem is fully submerged without any leaves in the water. Keep it in sunlight, but not too harsh–I keep mine indoors by my window, which get partial sunlight. If it’s very sunny, I pull my sheer curtains slightly closed. You’ll have to add water every day or two because the plant drinks in quite a bit! Also change the water every few days to make sure it stays clean. Here are my basil and mint cuttings.

Now, see how the stem is rootless here?

And then 1.5 weeks later, see how the roots have grown out? How cool is that?????

Next, plant in moist soil, keeping the soil moist continuously. For the first two weeks, keep it indoors to protect it but make sure it’s getting lots of sunlight.  I typically use a smaller container where it can grow for a month or so, and then once the roots are coming out of the holes in the bottoms, you can progress to a larger pot.

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Pictures to come as they grow bigger!