Herbs: Basil Clones

We just found out that basil clippings re grow roots very easily.

1-Cut off the top few inches (6 to 10 cm) of the the stem.
2-Soak the bottom half of your clippings in a glass of water.
3-After a few days you should start seeing roots forming.
4-Wait another few days to let them grow a couple inches (3 or 4 cm).
5-Carefully plant your rooted clippings in the dirt and voila, you have clones!!!

Basil is commonly used fresh in cooked recipes. In general, it is added at the last moment, as cooking quickly destroys the flavor.

The fresh herb can be kept for a short time in plastic bags in the refrigerator, or for a longer period in the freezer, after being blanched quickly in boiling water.

The dried herb also loses most of its flavor, and what little flavor remains tastes very different, with a weak coumarin flavor, like hay.

The parts of the plant that grow above the ground are used to make medicine.

Basil is used for stomach spasms, loss of appetite, intestinal gas, kidney conditions, fluid retention, head colds, warts, and worm infections. It is also used to treat snake and insect bites.

Women sometimes use basil before and after childbirth to promote blood circulation, and also to start the flow of breast milk.

Some people use it as a gargle.

Permaculture:
Basil is known to repel thrips, flies and mosquitoes, protecting companion-planted tomatoes from these pests, as well as from milkweed bugs, hornworms and aphids. Basil also acts as a natural fungicide.