My basil plants always survives the winter, but then it looks too woody.

I have just tried two tricks that I've got from the web:
- Put a stem with only a couple of leaves in water.
- Give them fresh soil (remove half of the soil, which means also cutting half of the roots.
- Separate the bunch in one pot to several pots.

Did any of these work for you? I don't want to be too disappointed if they don't.
Do you have any others?
Thank you!

I would think it would go to seed very quickly and what leaves you get would be of a low quality.

My advice would be that its not worth it to nurse it back to health, but to start with new plants. Especially since basil grows so fast. But it sounds like you've done this before ("always survives the winter"). How has it turned out in previous years?

I grow African Blue basil. Doesn't make seeds as it is a hybrid sterile cross. In order to have it the next Spring, I take 5" cuttings and grow it indoors thru the winter. Basil is happy to grow, but yes, end of season the stems split and become woody, however, it is going to depend on the type of basil you propagate. Water roots aren't as sturdy as soil roots, and by the way, I use a 1 gallon deep pot to grow those 5" cuttings or basil isn't happy and tries to die on you by Winters end. Good luck!

A fresh green stem of basil will root like crazy if it's kept warm and moist... here in NY seedling basil comes in a 4 pack for $2
Why work old stems?
You're probably like me, if it's alive you can't kill it, but basil is not supposed to live more than one summer season. It's not perennial anywhere in the world. It's not supposed to live through winter. Let it go. It's okay, your old basil will thank you for stopping the suffering you should have done in December and plant new basil.

Thank you for your tips. I am seeing them only now (the notifications were going to an old email), but it is useful stuff, so better late than never :)
Henderman: I don't use much basil in the winter, so it was always the same: by the next spring, the plant was woody and produced very little foliage.
Kittriana: So you get the cuttings before it is too woody?
Turbosaurus: Exactly right--I don't want to kill plants. But you're right that I should start doing it, so yesterday I removed the last leaves of one of the pots, all at once...

My African Blue basil is allowed to grow outdoors all year, it turns into a 5'x5' bush. I take cuttings from tender ends, may have to pinch flowers

kittriana: Interesting! Is the taste similar to Italian basil? I mainly use it for bruschetta.

No, so very many different basils out there. This one is a cross tween a camphor basil, and Opal basil. I love the aroma and because one of the parents was a 'basilicum' it is an edible basil. I do love the Genovese basils- because they go so perfect with tomatoes, but I cannot grow them here. Too much humidity and powdery mildews here. You really should explore the different basil flavors, chuckl, the possibilities are endless.