1. Cinnamon Basil leaves, about two inches long or more are ready for harvesting. A good way to harvest is to pinch back the growing tips farther than usual, and use the leaves from these stems in the kitchen. Harvest your stems in the early morning, when the oils are most concentrated in the leaves.

2. Do not take off more than one-third of the plant or one-third of the plant’s leaves. Harvesting too much weakens the plant.

3. Keep the Cinnamon Basil well fed while it grows. Use a water-soluble fertilizer with at least an NPK ratio of 10-10-10. The first number represents nitrogen, which makes for nice, leafy green plants.

4. To store basil cuttings for a few days, put the stems in a glass of water out of sunlight. They will last only a week or less held this way. You can also store them in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Wrap the stems in a moist paper towel. Puncture some air holes in the bag, and keep the leave from touching the inside of the bag.

5. Basil leaves lose their fragrant oils readily when dried, so drying basil is not recommended. A better way to keep them long-term is to freeze them. Pull the leaves from the stems and put the leaves in ice cube trays. You can chop the leaves or keep them whole. After the cubes are frozen, pop them out and into a plastic bag. Then store them in the freezer.

6. Before our nation entered the Machinery Age and now the Space Age, we were a nation of farmers. Many of us live in cities and towns with little space for gardens. Still, growing our own food is very pleasing. We may have changed the way we live, but our roots are still firmly planted, if not in a field, then in a garden…or even in a pot of herbs. Digging and growing keeps us grounded.