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Here at ASUW Student Food Cooperative, we aim to support our local communities through resources and tips to help encourage healthy food habits, all the while taking your wallet into consideration. Regrowing herbs from cuttings is a simple way that you can achieve both of those goals — as well as promoting an ecological sustainable system through its prevention of excess waste.

Fan of herbs?

Herbs can turn a dish from bland to WOW. Not to mention they are good for you too! Fresh cilantro topped on street tacos, rosemary added to a harvest soup, lemongrass added to a thai dish, the options are limitless! We hope that by propagating your own fresh herbs, you will feel inspired to cook healthy and heart-warming dishes.

Ways to incorporate herbs in healthy dishes

Soak in a vegetable broth and strain for a hearty vegetable soup

Chop up and add to a stir fry

Add to yoghurt dips

Add to vegetable roasts

Soak in marinades

Below are some common herbs that take minimal effort to re-grow and offer plentiful nutrients.

Basil

Cut the base of the stem at an angle, with 4 inches remaining. Place in a clear glass or mason jar

Avoid placing it in direct sunlight, but keep it inside.

Once you observe a couple inches of roots forming, transplant to a small soil pot.

Health + : antioxidants, vitamin A, vitamin K

Thyme

Strip off sprigs to create about 2 bare inches of stem.

Cut the tip at a 45 degree angle

Propagate from root division during the spring months

Health + : antimicrobial, vitamin C, vitamin A, magnesium

Sage

Cut a sprig with at least three leaves present.

Strip off any leaves near the bottom to create a minimum of 6 cm bare stem.

Plant the cutting in compost soil and ensure that the soil is always moist.

Health + : antioxidants, antimicrobial, vitamin K

Cilantro

Cut the stems and place in a glass of water

Face it towards a window for natural light.

After a couple of inches of the roots form, transplant to a soil pot.

Health + : antioxidants, vitamins C, vitamin K, vitamin A, potassium, manganese

Rosemary

Take shoots from the mother stem, ensuring there is some green in the stem and flexible

Cut with 5-6 inches of the stem

Strip the lower 2 inches of the sprigs with fingers

Place cuttings in water

Health + : manganese, vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, calcium, iron, copper

As you can tell, there are a multitude of herbs out there that can be easily propagated through simple cuts, and with a decent supply of sun and water. We hope that you find some inspiration to follow some of these simple instructions and sustainably source your very own supply of herbs. Good luck, and enjoy seeing them grow!

Sources

https://www.urbancultivator.net/regrow-vegetable-cuttings/