How to Propagate Herbs: Free Pudina (Mint), Tulsi and Lemongrass

How to propagate herbs at home comes down to one cut: snip a healthy stem just below a leaf node, strip the lower leaves, and give it water or damp soil in bright shade. Pudina roots in about a week, tulsi in two to three, and a shop lemongrass stalk with its base intact in roughly two to four. It isn’t “infinite herbs”, but one plant honestly becomes five or six by autumn. Below: each herb step by step, the timings, and why some water-rooted cuttings flop when they meet soil.

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Why does one cut below a node make roots?

A node is the little knuckle on a stem where leaves join. It holds dormant cells that can turn into either shoots or roots, depending on what the stem needs. Cut a few millimetres below that knuckle and the stem has to survive, so it pushes roots from exactly there.

Leaves left under water rot within days and turn the water cloudy and smelly. That’s why you strip them.

How to grow mint from cuttings in water and soil

Pudina is the herb that makes beginners feel clever. Even the tired bunch from the sabzi wala usually has a few stems with life in them.

1. Pick stems 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 inches) long with firm, green tops. Skip any that are black or slimy at the base.
2. Cut below a node and strip the lower leaves, leaving the top 4 to 6.
3. Water route: stand them in a glass with 3 to 5 cm of water, on a bright windowsill out of direct afternoon sun. Change the water every 2 to 3 days.
4. Soil route: push 2 nodes into a 10 cm pot of damp potting mix, firm it, and keep it moist, not wet.
5. Wait: white roots usually show in water within 5 to 10 days. In soil, new top leaves are your sign.
6. Pot up when roots are 3 to 5 cm long, into a wide, shallow pot at least 30 cm (12 inches) across.

Care after that lives in our pudina growing guide.

How to divide a mint plant that’s taken over

An old mint pot often looks fine on top and is a solid mat of roots below. Water slows down, leaves shrink, the middle goes bare. Division fixes this in ten minutes.

1. Water the pot an hour before, then tip the whole root ball out.
2. Cut it into 3 or 4 chunks with a bread knife or old khurpi, each with roots and some stems.
3. Replant one chunk in fresh mix in the old pot. The others go into new pots or to a neighbour.
4. Cut the tops back by half so the roots don’t have to feed too many leaves, then keep it in light shade for 3 to 4 days.

Do this in spring or early autumn. In the plains, dividing in June stresses the plant badly.

How to propagate tulsi from cuttings and seeds

Cuttings

Choose a soft green stem with no flower spikes, about 10 cm long. Cut below a node, strip the lower leaves, and root it in water or a small pot of moist mix. Expect roots in about two to three weeks, a little slower than mint. A woody, brown stem roots poorly, so go for this season’s growth.

Saving seeds

Let a few manjari (flower spikes) dry on the plant until they turn brown and papery, usually in autumn. Rub them over a white plate and tiny black seeds fall out. Store them dry in a paper envelope. Sow them on the surface of damp mix in March or April, pressed in but barely covered, because they need light to sprout. They swell into a jelly coat when wet, which is normal. Growing and tea details are in the tulsi guide.

Can you grow lemongrass from store bought stalks?

Yes, if the stalk still has its hard, bulb-like base. The roots grow from a ring at the very bottom, so stalks trimmed flat across the base won’t root.

1. Pick firm, green stalks with the base intact. Peel off one dry outer layer.
2. Cut the top down so the stalk is about 15 to 20 cm long.
3. Stand them in 3 to 5 cm of water in bright light. Change the water every 2 days.
4. Roots usually appear in 1 to 3 weeks. Plant when they reach 3 to 5 cm, into a deep pot at least 30 cm wide.

The lemongrass guide covers the citronella lookalike you shouldn’t brew.

How to propagate curry leaves (the honest version)

Curry leaf cuttings are slow and fail often, even for people with greener thumbs than most. Two better routes exist. Fresh seeds from ripe black berries sprout well if sown within days, after you remove the pulp. Older plants also throw up suckers, small shoots from the roots; dig one out with a ball of roots and pot it in spring. See the curry leaves guide for care.

How long do cuttings take to root?

These are typical ranges, not promises. Cool weather slows everything. In Karachi’s milder winter you can keep propagating through December; in Murree or Shimla, wait for late spring. In Lahore and Delhi heat above about 40°C, cuttings tend to cook before they root.

Why do water-rooted cuttings wilt in soil?

Water roots are thin and fragile, built for a life of easy drinking. Soil makes them work harder, so the cutting droops for a few days. That’s normal. Help it along:

• Pot up when roots are short, 3 to 5 cm, not a long tangle.
• Keep the new pot in bright shade for 4 to 5 days and the soil evenly moist.
• Trim the top leaves by half if it collapses badly.

Once it stands up again, start pinching tips so it branches. Our sibling guide on pinching herbs for a bushy plant shows where to snip.

Myth: you can grow herbs forever from one supermarket bunch

You can grow many plants from one bunch, which feels close. But stems that were cut days ago, chilled and sprayed may already be dying, and a good few won’t root at all. Start with more stems than you need, expect some losses, and keep the strongest. That’s the honest version of “infinite”.

Herb propagation questions people ask

More grow-it-yourself ideas sit in Zero-Waste Kitchen, and the full starter set is in our balcony herb garden guide.