Growing Basil – Quick Tips on How to Grow Basil

Probably the most popular herb to start growing is basil. Basil is a favorite for all sorts of cooking needs, and is a great companion plant for one of the all time favorites, tomatoes. Here’s a few tips on how to grow basil.

There are several varities of basil. Sweet basil may be the most popular for use in the kitchen, but you can also plant some of the purple leaved varieties that can be used for both cooking and as an ornamental planting. Some of the miniature varieties such as Spicy Globe can be grown indoors in containers as well.

Basil in not very frost tolerant, so don’t put it out too early, but wait untll at least 2 weeks before the last frost if you are wanting to plant seeds directly in the ground. If you are transplanting plants then wait until after the danger of frost. While basil will germinate at soil temperatures of 50F or so, the seed germinates best at soil temperatures of 75F or better, so there’s not much point in jumping the gun to get a very early start.

Lighting – Basil does well with a lot sunlight, so try to get at least 6-8 hours of sun a day.

Soil – Basil is a light feeder, so a single application of slow release or an organic fertilzer at the beginning of the season is all that is needed. Work in compost or other organic matter to help retain soil moisture. About 1 inch of water per week should be adequate.

Plant spacing – Sweet basil can grow to be more than 2 feet tall and can spread up to 30 inches, so space the plants at least 12 inches apart, with the seed planted at a depth of about 1/4 inch. Basil should be pruned, and if you do so carefully you can have the plant carry through the summer months until the first killing frost. Pinch off blossoms as they appear, and pruned every couple of weeks.
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Since harvesting basil only involves picking some leaves, the harvest can extend the whole season if you care for the basil plant properly. If you end up with more than you can use fresh, it can be stored by freezing or drying the leaves.

The seeds should germinate in about a week, and will be ready to start harvesting the basil in about 8 weeks, or as soon as 30 days if you choose to transplant plants instead of direct seeding the basil.

Fall planting – If you choose to do a fall planting, plant at least 80-90 days before the first frost.