A gardening expert has reassured shoppers that they’re not always responsible for killing their supermarket-bought basil plants – and revealed the easy way to salvage them.
Patrick Vernuccio, 38, who lives in Berlin, went viral earlier this week when he posted a video on his TikTok account informing viewers how to avoid ‘basil trauma’.
Filming from his balcony garden, the social media star – who boasts 125,000 followers – said: ‘I bet you’ve already bought [some] supermarket basil.
‘It looks so healthy and fresh but after a few days, it will die.’
Dubbing this cycle the ‘basil trauma’, Patrick – who wrote the Frenchie Gardener book – added: ‘It will make you think you don’t have a green thumb.’
Patrick Vernuccio, 38, who lives in Berlin, told his followers how they can avoid ‘basil trauma’ with his two easy steps
The expert reassured followers that they are not to blame for their supermarket basil dying prematurely
Trying to reassure viewers, the expert insists that the reason supermarket basil has such a short life-span is actually ‘nothing to do with [them]’.
He explained: ‘There are simply too many plants in this small pot.’
As such, the basil plant does not have enough space to grow – which causes it wilt prematurely.
Patrick then went on to offer his viewers two easy solutions to this problem.
Firstly, he recommended taking the basil out of the plastic pot and then dividing it into five smaller plants.
He then lined the bottom of a 1.5l pot with some clay beads and topped with fresh soil.
After making a small hole in the middle of the soil, Patrick then placed one of the smaller plants in the pot and gave it a good water.
He added: ‘They now have more space to grow and more nutrients.’
The expert said that supermarket basil can look ‘healthy and fresh’ in stores – but the chains pack too many plants in one pot
Left: The expert recommended cutting the plant into five smaller plants. Right: Patrick recommended lining a pot with clay balls and topping with fresh soil before replanting the basil
Left: Alternatively, Patrick showed how you can make a new plant by cutting the stem off this basil. Right: the stem had grown new roots after a few days in water
Alternatively, viewers without space for five pots can also make a new basil plant by cutting one of the stems.
He explained: ‘You can also cut the stem right under a node, remove the lower leaves, take a small cup and add some water, place in your basil stem and in a few days, it will develop new roots.’
Instructing what to do next, Patrick added: ‘Take a pot with fresh soil and replant your basil stem.
‘You’ve just created a new, free plant!’
Patrick’s video has amassed over three millions views and fans were grateful for the guidance
Patrick’s video has amassed over three million views since it was uploaded earlier this week – and fans were grateful for the guidance.
One replied: ‘Great tip! So I did the latter [tip] and from three stems that I propagated, I ended up with a huge bunch of basil – lots of pesto!’
Another added: ‘Oh my god, thank you so much – I didn’t understand what was happening!’
‘Ohh I’m trying this today,’ a third said.
‘Thank you so much,’ a fourth wrote. ‘After years of being a basil killer, I will try this now. Divided the basil today into six parts and now I have a plantation.’
Meanwhile, a fifth fan joked: ‘I will listen to whatever this man has to say.’
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