This variety looks nothing like traditional basil. Lemon basil and lime basilīoth have a bright citrus flavor and can be used in a variety of marinades, sauces, desserts and teas. While this variety doesn't have a strong flavor, but it gives a gorgeous burgundy color to both your garden and dishes. The purple flowers are beautiful and edible. Thai sweet basilįeaturing smaller, pointed leaves, Thai basil grows the same as any other variety, but you end up with a bit spicier leaf that keeps its flavor well for use in stir fry. This variety features medium-green leaves with a slightly rounded shape. Here are a few of my favorites: Sweet basilĪ favorite variety that is the basil sold in most grocery stores. There are so many varieties of basil available, it would be easy to fill your entire herb garden with just basil. I add basil to many dishes during the summer, but I also find it freezes well in olive oil for use during the winter. Aim for removing 1/3 of the leaves each month to encourage new growth. Even if you don't need it, keep harvesting consistently throughout the growing season. It will also help keep your plant from going to seed. However, harvesting regularly will keep your basil rounded and less leggy.
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How to Harvest Basilīasil isn't harvested at a specific time – you generally just grab a few leaves as you need them. You can also pinch off flowering stems 1 inch below the flower to keep the plant from producing seeds and becoming bitter. You can prevent this by keeping the soil moist and providing light shade in the hottest hours of the day. Basil tends to bolt once summer days are consistently hot.
Some of my favorite companion plants for basil include oregano, lettuce, tomatoes and peppers.Īlso known as "going to seed," you can avoid bolting by keeping a close eye on your plant. It may be an old gardener's tale, but many say, and I wholeheartedly believe, that planting basil with your tomatoes makes both taste better. Using this technique gives basil an excellent advantage.
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This encourages your basil to grow full and bushy. Pinch leaves from the tips of your basil as soon as the plant has two sets of true leaves. If you're planning to grow basil in a pot and want to add fertilizer, your plants will require only a very weak liquid solution every 3 to 4 weeks to compensate for nutrients washed away by frequent watering. If you choose to add fertilizer, a light application of a liquid fertilizer twice a season is all you really need for basil growing outdoors. In fact, too much fertilization will kill the basil's flavor. The best time of day to water basil is early in the morning.īasil is a vigorous grower requiring very little to no fertilization. Your goal when growing basil in a container is to keep the soil from drying out. Basil growing in containers will need more frequent watering. Water deeply at least once a week to keep roots growing deep and the soil moist. Some of my favorite basil care tips for a bountiful harvest include:īasil likes to stay moist and requires approximately 1 inch of water every week. With just a bit of care, you may even find you have extra basil to dry, freeze or gift to friends. Adding a few extras to each pot will increase your odds of success. I usually do this by hand, as the pots are quite small.īy placing a few seeds in the center of your pot, you can select the strongest plants after germination. Prepare your starter pots by adding slightly moistened seed starter mix to about ½ to 1 inch below the top of your container. It's a simple process that lets me get my hands in the dirt when I'm itching for spring but it's not quite yet warm enough to dig outdoors. Step-by-step planting basil from a seedĪlthough the easiest way to start basil from seed is to direct sow it in your garden once the spring frost threat is over, I still like to start my basil indoors. You can count on a decorative pot growing inside to do just as well as when you're growing basil outdoors, as long as your growing conditions are the same. Basil is versatile and grows well in a wide variety of conditions. You can grow basil from seeds sown indoors four to eight weeks before the last frost date. Most gardeners get a jump on the growing season and start growing basil in pots indoors from seed. This quick and easy-growing herb is an excellent choice for beginner gardeners. In fact, it can go from seed to harvest in as little as 3 to 4 weeks. Basil seeds are also a popular Thai ingredient.īecause basil is an annual, it grows extremely quickly. Considered a tender annual, the basil herb plant produces aromatic leaves that are commonly used in Italian and Mediterranean dishes. This member of the mint family can be grown with little fuss. Basil plants are a popular herb native to southern Asia and the islands of the South Pacific.
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