Grow Basil from Cuttings: An Easy Science Project for Kids

Growing basil from cuttings is a simple, hands-on project that is a fun way to add a science lesson to your classroom. Students will have the opportunity to observe, measure, and maybe even taste their basil plants. This project is inexpensive, easy, and, best of all, your students can take home potted basil plants in less than a month or you will have a supply of herbs to add to a school garden.

Why Growing Plants from Cuttings is a Great Project for Young Children

Gardening is a wonderful activity where children can learn to how to grow and take care of plants from seed to harvest. But, children rarely get to see what is happening beneath the soil. Growing cuttings in water is a perfect project for young learners because they can see roots and leaves grow, making it easy to understand how plants develop.

Getting Started: Finding Basil Plants

To propagate basil from cuttings, purchase a large container of live basil at the grocery store in the produce section. I have 15 students in my class, so I look for a pot that has at least 20-25 plants. The children will be handling their basil plants often, and they might forget to put the cuttings back in the water or break the stem as they make observations. It’s best to have as many “back-up basil” cuttings in an extra jar to replace basil cuttings that don’t survive.

Materials Needed for Basil Cuttings

• Scissors
• Rubbing Alcohol and cotton ball
• Basil plants
• Small jars
• Water
• Magnifying Glasses
• Observation Pages (Use your own or Click here to Purchase)

Lesson Preparation

1. Disinfect the scissors by wiping the blades with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol.

2. Label individual jars with each child’s name.

Lesson Introduction

1. Introduce the activity by showing a basil plant. Point out the basic parts of the plant: stem, leaves, and roots. Ask the class how plants grow. If you have a packet of basil seeds or a picture of basil seeds, you can show these to the class.
2. Explain that while most plants start as seeds, some plants can grow from cuttings. This process is called propagating, and the piece we snip is called a cutting.
3. Remove a few leaves from the basil and pass them around for the students to feel and smell. Ask if they are familiar with basil.

Demonstration: Taking a Basil Cutting

1. Show how to take a cutting by carefully snipping a 4-6 inch piece of basil stem just below a leaf node.
2. Demonstrate how to pinch off the lower leaves. This leaf node is where the roots will grow.
3. Keep 2-4 leaves at the top of the stem.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Fill the jars with water.
2. Have each child cut a piece of basil as demonstrated. Carefully pinch off all basil leaves except the top set. If the stems are long, the children can trim them, but leave at least one leaf node for the roots to grow.
3. Give children magnifying glasses and have them note any observations.
4. Place each stem in a jar of water labeled with the child’s name. Keep the top leaves out of the water.
5. Place the cutting and jar in a window that receives indirect light.
6. If desired, allow students to taste the leaves they removed from the stems.
7. Change the water every 2-3 days.

Note: After all the plants in the original pot are trimmed down, water the remaining plants and place the container in the window. These plants should grow again.

Observing the Basil Plants

• After 3-5 days, you should notice hairlike roots growing on the stem. Get out the magnifying glasses and let the children examine the stem for roots. If desired, have the students record what they see on an observation page. You can make your own or purchase my resource HERE.
• Give students time to compare other students’ basil cuttings. See if there are variations in how many roots or leaves are growing.
• If you still have the leftover potted basil, gently pull one of the plants out of the soil and compare its roots to the cuttings in the water.

The roots and leaves will continue to grow in the coming weeks. Once the cuttings have grown roots, plant the basil in small flowerpots and send them home.

How Does Growing Cutting Fit in with the Scientific Method?

Growing basil from cuttings in water is a great hands-on way to introduce preschoolers to a simplified version of the scientific method. For example:

1. Ask a Question: Can we grow a new basil plant from a cutting?
2. Make a Hypothesis: If we put a basil cutting in water, then it will grow roots.
3. Conduct an Experiment: Place cuttings in water.
4. Record Data: Use magnifying glasses to observe changes and record finding on observation sheets.
5. Share Findings: Compare cutting with other students. Plant the cutting and take it home.

Extending the Learning: Experiment with Other Herbs

Try this experiment with mint, thyme, or oregano. Mint and thyme root within a week or two, but oregano may take up to a month to see roots.

I hope you enjoy learning about plants and how they grow with this easy basil experiment. If you try this with basil or one of the other herbs suggested above, I would love to hear from you.

Read more about regrowing mint in water here.

Make planning easy by picking up this bundle of plant science experiments from my TPT store.

My Favorite Resources

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Magnifying Glasses: Toddler or 3’s

Magnifying Glasses: PreK or K