Adding fresh herbs to any meal can instantly elevate its flavour and make it taste truly exceptional. Yet keeping them fresh can prove trickier, particularly if you routinely purchase packets or pots of fresh herbs from the supermarket.
Even when stored in the fridge, keeping herbs in plastic packaging can leave them soggy and spoiled within just a few days. While there are numerous clever methods to extend their lifespan, such as freezing them in olive oil, one woman has now revealed her top tips for helping basil plants survive and flourish.
Property influencer Leanne Kilroy, who frequently shares home hacks on Instagram, disclosed how she has transformed a supermarket basil plant into an enormous, bushy, long-lasting specimen. She teased: "How do I get my supermarket basil to look like this?", before showing off a plant that appeared bigger than her!
Leanne then shared three simple rules for basil plants that endure for months and supply plenty of fresh herbs for your cooking. These are:
1. Don't Water the Soil
For her first tip, Leanne urged people not to simply water their basil plants through the soil. Instead, she recommends watering the saucer beneath the pot, enabling the plant to absorb the water it requires. This will help encourage deep root growth, prevent fungal diseases, and avoid overwatering, as it allows the basil to simply drink what it needs.
2. Always Keep the Saucer Full
Much like the watering tip, the saucer should be maintained with roughly one to two centimetres of water at all times. It is advisable to ensure the saucer remains consistently topped up to this level.
3. Never Pluck It
When harvesting basil, most people simply pull off whichever leaves they need. However, Leanne revealed there is a more effective technique if you want your plant to thrive for longer. "To use your basil, snip the stem, never pluck," she said as the clip showed her using a pair of scissors to snip the basil stems. She then removes the leaves from the cut stem to avoid causing damage to the remainder of the plant. Aim to snip as close to other leaves as possible, as this encourages them to grow back more quickly and densely.
Other Tips to Make Basil Plants Grow Bigger
While those are the three most important tips for encouraging your basil plant to flourish, Leanne went on to outline eight further suggestions she has found useful when cultivating her own basil plants. These included using an XL-sized saucer or bowl filled with water for the plant, as it will simply drink what it requires — and it may well need considerably more than you would expect.
She also advises repotting the plant into a larger container, as this allows it to grow far beyond the size it was when purchased from the shop. Leanne herself is particularly fond of terracotta pots and water-impermeable saucers. "You can split supermarket plants into multiple pots if you want," she explained in the caption of her post. She added: "This works best in the warmer months and INDOORS!"
You should also position it in a bright spot in your home and ensure you do not cut any basil leaves from the plant until it has begun to grow. Leanne added: "Give it time - these plants are three to four months old. Once it is big, trimming will keep your basil healthy and bushy."
