basil can start from cuttings in water so, if you are in a hurry, or low in seed, you can try that. sometimes you can extend the life of basil and other herbs by cutting off all of the flower heads. generally, they dont last longer than 1 year but, i have ad some go 2 and a half so far. most herbs will grow in pots or in the ground as long as you have good water retention. think about putting some mulch around the base. i do that for potted plants as well. i would not try to look at the roots, it could disturb them from growing. do you fertilize them ? i use urine (my own pee) 1 part urine, to 5 or 10 or 20 parts water i usually go with 1/8 to 1/10 urine is high in nitrogen, and has P + K, and other micronutes as well

Mystearica, I've only been at this for a few years and you will probably get tons of more experienced advice tomorrow, especially from someone in your zone, but I wouldn't do anything at this point. I just planted five new cuttings two weeks ago from Hawaii and where they cut the leaves and inflos for shipping I just left everything alone. They all just dried up and have fallen off already. Where they cut just the tips of newer leaves I have the same white "dots" that I assume is just sap that was pushing up the plant and once it hit the sun it dried to a crust. I have similar "dots" on the first inflo I got this year on an older plant that I assume is the same thing. From all of the reading and solid advice I have received on this forum, you don't want to fertilize with anything right now. The cuttings can't use any fertilizer or any more water until they develop roots and leaves. I use the same mix you did, except I add a little "Dr. Earth" organic material. Again, previous advice from this forum to keep the soil composition healthy over time. I've successfully rooted five cuttings and would expect success for the five I just started two weeks ago. In fact, I have fangs on two of them already, but I'm sure that is just residual moisture in the plant and the fact they are in the sun for eight hours a day. I think you want the rocks more for warmth due to solar heat storage although they do help stabilize the plant. I move the cuttings into the garage whenever there is a chance of rain so I am careful with the plant, but I don't think you need to keep it absolutely still. You may not see roots this year in one gallon containers which are pretty big for new cuttings, but I think you will be fine if you keep the new cuttings dry and put them in a sunny window when the temperatures in your zone are too cold for them to stay outside. How did you do? I think you did great. The fact that you planted twelve cuttings shows you have caught the bug worse than I have so we expect some great photos when they begin to flower.

Once leaf loss is underway, it's not unusual for the symptom to get worse, even while the cause of the symptom becomes less limiting as you're get watering under control. The reason is, once the shedding process reaches a critical point, it can't be reversed, so any leaves that already have/had abscission layers forming where the leaf is attached to the stem are destined to be shed. That sort of makes your job out to be getting the plant through the winter and into a state of vitality that will allow the plant to be repotted and subsequently pruned back. Once you do that and get the plant into a soil you can water correctly, you'll have a much different scenario. I various ways, I often point out that when using a water-retentive soil, you end up battling the medium for control of the plant's vitality. That's frustrating and no where near as rewarding as growing CAN be. Keep in mind that the 6-7 months you should wait to do the work is little more than a blink of an eye to a tree. This might sound corny or new agey, but if you settle yourself into the same rhythm the plants go through in their annual growth cycle so you can take advantage of their strengths and allow for their weaker times, you'll feel a much greater sense of unity with your plants. More knowledge, a better understanding of how plants work, and the confidence that comes from knowing you are acting with the best interest of the plant in mind (which can only increase your own gratification), all act to elevate the plane on which you interact with your plants. If you pare the reason you're here down to its bare bones, isn't it because you want more from the growing experience? Al

If the stem is soft and rotting, then the plant will die if you do nothing. If the soil is staying wet at the bottom of the pot, the plant will rot and die. If the soil is not getting wet and water is flowing around it, the roots will not get the water and the plant will die. So these are the things that we suspect from the picture. But all is not lost. I have made all of the above mistakes, and I still have my plant from May 2010. Cuttings root easily and the plant lives on. I have not had success with rooting leaves, but nearly everyone else has! LOL A healthy stem will backbud and branch, but that is the question on your plant. Unpot the plant and look at the roots. Then you can decide if you need to discard the original plant stem. If it looks good, repot in well draining mix. 50/50 mix of c&s soil and perlite works well. If you need or decide to take clippings, let the stems callous and place in the same 50/50 mix for a repot. Don't water until you see new growth. Then treat as usual. A few cuttings - LOL My plant today - (mine tend to droop for some reason) Good luck!