Cheap basil

I grow most of my veggie, herbs, and flowers from seed. This year I was out of basil. By the time I got it I was pretty much done starting seeds. I keep thinking I'm going to do one more round, and still haven't managed it.
I was at the store the other day, and they had a 2" pot loaded with basil for .99. I bought it, brought it home, separated them, and planted baby basil all over the place. I did snip off the top leaving the bottom group of leaves. That way if I damaged the roots the plant has less to support.   The ones I didn't use I put in a cup of water.
So far they are all doing well.  I'm not sure even planting seeds would have been cheaper.

I did the same thing pretty much. In early Feb, there were pots of basil and sages that were marked down to half price at our grocery store. They came in at $2.50 a pot. I took one of each and then separated them out and repotted. The basil was much more fragile and I only got 6 survivors but the sage gave me 20 plants, all of which are growing really well.
I can't put them out yet, but I'll have enough sages that most of my new trees will get one for their guilds and at a tiny fraction of the garden centre prices as well as being much larger than if I had done my own seed starting.
We also got to eat a good chunk of the weaker basils and they ended up costing less than buying the same amount of cut herbs. ( which I never buy due to how insanely expensive they are, but my mother loved having some fresh leaves in the winter)

Such a great deal! I would get one too if I see it. Here in the store they are offering basil in 4" pot for $6. Your raised bed soil looks fluffy. Do you think you can get seeds from these plants for direct sowing next year? It will cost 0 cent then.

The basil will definitely go to seed sooner or later. It might be fun to try to harvest basil seeds at the end of the season.  
I'm trying to get better at collecting seeds from what I grow.  I harvested some seeds last year. I haven't used them yet, but I'm looking forward to using them and we will see what I get.
Two of my raised beds had sunk 10" to 12" each.  One of them had so much Bermuda grass I didn't want to top it off.  The soil in that bed was amazing. This probably proves I'm insane, but I sifted all the soil in that bed.  It took hours.  I refilled that bed hugel style starting with chunks of wood from our walnut tree, and soil from my chicken yard. With the wood, soil (more like compost because it's composed wood chips chicken manure, and what ever else the chickens didn't eat. It looks like dark beautiful soil) the soil I sifted from the bed I only had to add 1 bag of organic compost, and 1 bag of G&B Back to Eden soil.  Time will tell, but it looks and feels like a good combination. Not bad for totally redoing one bed and a major topping off on the other.
Thanks

I'm getting ready to plant winter veggies, late, but it's been so hot, I had to wait. I was removing all the plants and decided to post a picture of this basil. I didn't plant it on the outside of the garden bed, it must have fallen and taken root.  I didn't water, or give it any care. Yet it grew healthy all summer. It's about 3' tall.  I'm going to try to save seeds from it.

Sometime late in August I took four cuttings from my Basil plant.  All four rooted in water very easily.  I've given three plants away and I have the fourth in a clay pot in a South facing window in the kitchen, I don't cook that much using it, I do like to run my hands over the plant from time to time as it smells so good.   I hope to be able to keep this plant going all winter long and transplant it outside next spring.

Peace

That's a great idea.  I should try that (I still have a couple of plants) and put them in the greenhouse.  It will be fun to try.