Basil

I started planting basil as I love the spicy chewy leaves in simple pho soup and aglio olio pasta. 

I started with 1 hardworking pot and realised they deplete quickly, age quickly but are super easy to propagate. In the hope of not having to keep buying, I am working hard on learning to propagate these lovelies. 

I started out by saving the stalks that I use. Each time I harvest about 3-4 inch stalks (average one stalk per person) and after I cut out out the leaves, I pop the stalks in water to root at the window sill. 

Once the roots take shape and I have enough stalks, I pot them in soil.

Our original pot of basil flourished along the corridor, with some indirect sunlight. 

Eventually, I was told by fellow gardeners/farmers that flowering is a sign of the plant reaching maturity. Most gardeners maintain that the leaves lose their flavor once the plant bolts. Hence to save the flavour, we should literally nip the flowers in the bud. 

So when the original plant started to die back, I was glad I have been saving and rooting the stalks. 

To root the stalks, I remove the leaves (to cook) and simply place the stalks in drinking glasses or glass bottles to root. I top up water occasionally and change the water entirely weekly. 

This lot has been left at the sill for about a month. Healthy roots can be vaguely seen at the base. I keep the glasses/bottles by the window sill which is bright but without direct sunlight.

Update 31 July 2015:

We have recently moved and the herbs now have their designated rack in a bright but shaded spot. Basil propagation continues. 

I find the younger shoots less leathery and tastier. So now I maintain a few small plants instead of a big mothership. 

I also realised that proper pruning helps to keep the plant bushy and hence more productive of edible leaves. As a rule of thumb, basil generally forks at the node that you make a cutting. Hence, cutting each stalk as close to the base, will yield a bushier plant. 

I am starting the same process with Thai basil for more a authentic feel to our pho soup. Looking forward to potting this lot!

Fruit blend

Quick power fix for the morning! Yummy, filling and so easy to fix. Such a cheerful colour too. Xo

Mystery sweet potato

I love sweet potato leaves stir fried with homemade sambal chilli. So I got a bunch of heart-shaped sweet potato leaves from the market.

I picked out a few stalks and placed them in a glass of water to root. Within a week, healthy root systems developed on a few of the stalks. So I potted them and placed them in a sunny spot. It all happened so quickly I did not take photos of the process.

2 weeks after potting, the plants are surviving in soil and have sprouted new leaves.

I will be transplanting these along with the Vietnamese variety to the raised beds. So we are growing a variety from tuber/slips and another from leaves. Hope we can eventually yield some sweet potatoes and indentify the mystery sweet potatoes. Fingers crossed!