A lot of people want to know, can you grow basil from store bought brand or from home? And if so, how? Well, the answer to both of these questions is yes. Store bought basil is usually imported or comes directly from a plant nursery, which means that it hasn’t had the chance to go through any serious growing conditions such as soil or climate. If you live in an area with a hot, dry climate, then growing your own basil could prove challenging, but it’s not impossible.
I started growing sweet basil a few years ago after getting fed up with having no choice but to use store bought stuff all the time. I soon learned that I didn’t have to settle for the blandness of pre-packaged products and that I didn’t have to limit myself to a small amount of basil for my meals. I experimented with various growing techniques and varieties, such as using cuttings, taking cuttings from other plants, etc. Eventually I got to the point where I actually wanted to try growing something other than basil. Fortunately, I was able to do just that when I moved into my first apartment.
I started out by growing a variety of herbs such as oregano, parsley, garlic, dill, sage, thyme, chives, and much more. I used those as starting plants to get a feel for what I needed in my first few months as a gardener. I cut up lots of stems and threw most of them away (because they were so bitter) and kept only the seeds and small pieces. I did this in my garage, right in the middle of summer, while my wife and I tried to get through our first frost. I didn’t get to actually harvest any of the herbs until later that fall!
The first time I attempted to grow basil from store bought stuff, I failed miserably. I tried cutting off the tops, scooping out the insides and even sawed the leaves to make them easier to remove. It was almost as difficult as trying to grow carrots! Luckily, I was able to find a basil growing tip that helped me to succeed and I was able to harvest enough leaves to use the next day.
When I tried to grow basil plants from cuttings, I was even more frustrated. First of all, I had no idea what to do with all of those tiny little leaves. Then, I tried to freeze them, but my basil plant grew very slowly and wasn’t even sure they would reproduce at all. And, finally, once I noticed that the small white “spouts” were not producing any flowers, I just tossed those out too. But by the end of the growing season, I had finally gotten everything going!
There are a few things you should know before you even begin to try to grow your own basil. First of all, you need to buy the right kind of basil. Store bought varieties don’t contain as many nutrients and flavor in their oils and therefore they won’t taste very good unless you add some other spices to them. If you grow your own sweet basil, then you can add other herbs like oregano, thyme, or marjoram to it and they will all benefit from the extra nutrients. Potted basil will also require different amounts of water depending on the size of the pot.
Before you even start planting anything, be sure to remove all of the leaves off of your plant and pinch off all of the sprigs as well. This is the most important step when it comes to growing sweet basil. If you leave the stems on your plant for too long they will grow too tall and they will also get clumped up together. If you pinch your plants when they’re in their growing phase, they will still have plenty of leaves to reach up into the trellis above.
Once you have removed all of the leaves and stems, you should use your sharp knife to carefully prune the plants. Use your left hand to guide you pruning, and be sure not to cut any of the foliage away too much. Prune the plants gently in order to keep the green color of the leaves bright. Once you’re done, you can then freeze the basil for shipping or storage in the freezer. When you need them, just pull them out of the freezer and enjoy your fresh herbs.