Basil is a versatile herb that works well in a number of dishes. Whether added to a fresh tomato salad, layered over a homemade pizza, or made into a pesto sauce, there are plenty of ways to use basil in the kitchen.
Having your own basil at home is also a great way to get more out of the herb when it comes to cooking, meaning you can easily grab a few leaves here and there to add to dishes. You don’t even need a garden to grow your own basil. Most supermarkets sell pots of basil that you can easily keep fresh in the kitchen, and one blogger has shared a way to get more out of supermarket basil at home with three simple steps.
In a video posted on Instagram, interior designer and blogger Leanne Kilroy shared how she gets her basil plants to flourish and grow double the size, meaning you can keep onto them for longer.
It’s also a great way to save money when it comes to cooking, as knowing how to get more from your basil plant will prevent you from continuously buying packets of fresh basil or plants after using up the leaves.
Many people simply chuck out the plant after all of its leaves have been used up, but Leanne’s tips will ensure it continues to grow.
In the video, she shows how her plants have doubled in size following three simple steps. To start, Leanne instructs viewers to “never water the soil, only water the saucer.”
Supermarket basil can be transferred into a bigger pot to help it grow bigger, and keeping a saucer underneath it means the plant will absorb the water through its roots.
You can even split supermarket plants like basil into multiple pots to get more growth from them, instead of repotting it altogether. Leanne also shares that she always keeps the saucer full of water as the plant “will drink what it needs” for continued growth.
Finally, when it comes to actually using the basil leaves, Leanne instructs that you should “never pluck” these from the plant. Instead, trim the stem just above the leaf, as this will keep your basil “healthy and bushy.”
The interior designer also shared that this works best in warmer months with basil plants kept indoors. The plant requires lots of light, so keeping it in a sunny spot will ensure it can reach its full potential.
She also told viewers that her basil plants in the video are three months old, and it’s important to give your plants time to grow before trimming the leaves.