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Sunday 26 August 2012

TAKE ONE BASIL PLANT


Good Morning,

Like so many people nowadays,  my   household budget is being stretched, it is getting harder and harder to make the money go further.  By baking, cooking, gardening and sewing I am able to rise to this challenge and save myself a lot of money.

Being careful with your money doesn't have to be a drudge, I see it as a challenge. With a bit of thought I can make my household budget stretch further and that always gives me a sense of achievement. 

Being thrifty is what Phyllis would call it. There is a saying in England which is "look after the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves!"

So with that thought in mind, there are various hints and tips I have for saving money and this is one of them.



Here in England you can visit the supermarket and buy growing herbs for about 50p for a plant.  They are called "cut and come again".  The reason is that the plants will continue to grow when placed on the window sill so that when you need herbs you can cut them and have fresh herbs.  What I discovered was, they don't last very long, as the plant is potted into a small pot without room to expand.  So, this is what I do,




Take one small basil plant





Cut two of the longest growing shoots,

then

Find a small glass container. 





Place the two cut stems into the glass.

Make sure they have at least one node for the roots
to grow from.

I always err on the side of caution and cut below
two nodes.



After two weeks you will have a healthy root system. Now these basil cuttings in the photograph are very healthy because the one on the left I grew for three weeks.... yes perhaps a little too long really, but sometimes we are just too busy and things have to wait.....doesn't do the plant any harm!





Pot into a good compost and place outside.

This photograph is of basil cuttings which were potted-on about 5 weeks ago.

Can you see the two tallest stems, well I cut them and placed them into water to create even more basil plants.



At 7 weeks



......and at 8 weeks.

Pretty impressive don't you think.

My next job is to turn these glorious plants into pesto,  so that we can enjoy the basil during the winter months as once the winter frosts appear, the plants will not survive.

I will share my recipe for pesto with you at a later date.

Until then, take care.

Best Wishes




Daphne xxx




12 comments:

  1. Propagating the basil was such a good idea, Daphne. Your plants look beautiful and healthy.

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  2. Good Morning Karen, it is such an easy money saving idea and the smell of the basil when making pesto is wonderful. Best wishes Daphne

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  3. Hello Daphne!

    I just became a follower of your blog :) I love the theme of three generations cooking is brilliant!

    I love basil and always grow it from seed every summer. It's easy to do and grows fast. A small seed packet gives me many pots of basil. Always snip it from the top as you use it and it will keep growing and not bolt and go to seed.

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    Replies
    1. Good Afternoon Pat, Thank you so much for becoming a follower.....it's very kind of you.....and thank you for the tip about the basil, I shall try growing it from seed next year as that will be even cheaper than taking cuttings. I will let you know how I get on. Best Wishes Daphne

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  4. love your idea of propagating! As we say in USA, you definitely have a "green thumb!"

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    Replies
    1. Good afternoon to you, yes I love gardening and love taking cuttings and growing seeds. I am waiting for my runner beans to grow, almost there, then we will be able to enjoy them for supper. Best Wishes Daphne

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  5. Well done Daphne! Your basil looks far better than mine...the plant doesn't really like our hot & humid summers. I am a first time visitor and am happy to begin following your blog.

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  6. Good afternoon Karin, yes your right, basil doesn't like humid summers, but I'm sure there are lots of things you can grow in your warm climate that we can't grow here in England. Are you in the part of the country which can grow Crape Myrtles? I discovered these beautiful trees on another blog and had never heard of them before, but I have to say I fell in love with them. Thank you for visiting. Best Wishes Daphne

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  7. Hi Daphne, I've always meant to try rooting basil, but I've never done it. Looking at your results, I will definitely give it a try! Your plants looks so healthy! Ironically, I just harvested a bunch from the garden to make pesto--great minds think alike, right?! Just found your blog, and I'm looking forward to visiting often! Cheers!

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    Replies
    1. Hello Julie, Thank you for visiting. I love the smell of basil.... doesn't the kitchen smells great when making pesto. Honestly rooting basil is so very easy, the shoots root before you know it. I hope you give it a try. Best Wishes Daphne

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  8. Hi Daphne,

    Your basil plant looks spectacular! What a wonderful way to create more plants. Thank you for sharing it all with us. Pretty photos.

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    Replies
    1. Hello Donna, by rooting your basil you will have so many plants to use in cooking. Best Wishes Daphne

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Dear Friends,

It is so wonderful to know you enjoy reading Ivy, Phyllis and Me! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me a comment. I really do appreciate it.

Best wishes to you.

Daphne

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