Basil is a warm-weather, fragrant herb that tastes great in many dishes—including the beloved homemade pesto! Plant seeds or transplants after all danger of frost has passed and soil is warm, and it will yield an abundant harvest within weeks. Keep harvesting the leaves to keep the plant going strong.
The most common type of basil is sweet basil; other types include purple basil (less sweet than common basil), lemon basil (lemon flavor), and Thai basil (licorice flavor).
Basil is easy to grow, but it only grows outdoors in the summer—and only once the soil has warmed up nicely—so plan accordingly.
If you’re planning on making pesto, grow several plants. For other uses, one or two basil plants yields plenty.
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Defrosting frozen basil?
After I have frozen my basil leaves, what is the best way to defrost them when I want to use them? Just leave them out til they thaw? Should I take the frozen leaves out of the baggie to thaw, or leave them in?
Flavor variations
Which variables affect the flavor and scent of a basil plant?
Currently I have two basil plants that smell and taste quite different. I would not be as surprised if the second plant did not come from a cutting of the first. Plant A has a sweet, very spicy smell. Plant B smells much more green and grass-like, almost like fresh pesto.
Plant A is in the shade quite a bit and has a sandy soil that has not been given mulch or compost. It is in a medium sized pot.
Plant B is in a raised bed with my peppers and tomatoes. It is in a clay soil thoroughly mixed with sand and compost, with mulch on the top. It receives much more sunlight than Plant A.
Any insight into the flavor variations is appreciated!
basil flavor
As we understand it, the volatile essential oils in the basil leaf are largely what provides flavor, and there are many different compounds in those oils. Some compounds are produced more under certain conditions, or with certain genetics, affecting the composition of the oil. The flavor of basil can definitely vary with variety, but other factors are also in play even if two plants are the same type. Growing conditions, such as soil nutrients, temperature (keep consistently warm, and not too cool or hot), water (a mild drought stress may enhance flavor but can lower yield), etc. can affect flavor. Some compounds that produce flavor are created by the plant as UV protection, so sunlight duration, intensity, and quality can affect flavor; shade can sometimes reduce favorable compounds for flavor. One study suggests that yellow or green mulch can encourage the development of certain compounds that may favorably affect aroma and flavor. The health of a plant is another factor–if one is under more stress, or starting to flower, the flavor can change, sometimes becoming bitter. The age of the leaves also plays a part: Newer leaves usually have more flavor. How soon you taste the leaves after harvesting, and how you store them, can also make a difference. What plants are growing nearby can also affect certain plants (not always). Basil grown indoors is said to be less flavorful. Some Cooperative Extension sites advise not to over-fertilize, as lush growth can lessen the flavor. Hope this helps!
Keeping Basil I bought at the market
I bought a basil plant at the market, it is about 10 inches high looks and smells so good. I live in Bakersfield CA, we have 100 + temperatures the new few months. How do I keep it from dying?? I have a patio but no trees. Please help... THX
basil in high temperatures
Basil likes summer temperatures, up to a max of about 90 degrees F. If higher temperatures are forecast for your area, you can help the plant to keep cool by keeping up with the watering (but making sure soil is well-drained), providing mulch (which keeps soil cool and moist), and providing shade cloth or row covers–or for single plants, an umbrella or laundry basket with large holes for ventilation will do. High heat may encourage basil to flower, so pinch any flower buds that appear to help prolong harvesting of the leaves.
Aji dulce
I don’t know the English name for this plant , but ya very hard to find here
Pruning/harvesting
Great Article!
It is not clear to me where on the plant we should "start picking." Is sounds like maybe the recommendation is to pick the top off the plant. Is that what you mean?
Several of my basil plants, the stems have turned brown
Hey Guys, 2nd year gardener and my basil plants, the main stems have turned brown like the color of wood, the leaves are small and under-sized and underperforming on those plants, but I care for all 12 of my basil plants in half gallon pottery clay pots. I move them out of full sun by 2 pm as I live in SoCal zone 9 and it gets super hot here, I water using a gauge, not just daily, watering when it's dead-center on the gauge. When I transplanted from the plastic garden center containers I used quality soil and a bit of food (small pellet type) What am I doing wrong? Is brown stems a bad thing, maybe I'm being impatient...Thanks my new friends
Basil Plant Stems Turning Brown
Hi Thomas
It’s hard to tell without seeing a picture of the plants, but here are two possibilities. The first is that your basil plants might be getting too much sun, despite your precautions. Give your plants only 3 to 4 hours of sun for a week or two and see if there is a change. The second possibility is less likely, but your basil plants could be infected with Fusarium Fungus, an incurable disease that will eventually kill the plants. This may not be the case, however, and your plants may just need more time to adjust. Further signs that it is Fusarium Fungus would be that the growth will be stunted, and leaves will turn yellow and then brown before falling off. If your plants show these signs, it’s time to get rid of the them and the soil. The soil will be infected as well, so it’s best to dispose of it.
basil infestation? disease?
I got an aerogarden as a present. When my Thai basil grew it developed what we were sure were scale (it fit pretty much perfectly) and then it seemed to move to the common basil, dill and thyme were unaffected. In a hail mary effort we cut off healthy branches and removed the infected bases. the branches grew well and clean until i moved two back to the aerogarden. the branch of thai is still clean but has yellowed leaves, however the common basil has regained and increased the white pods some of which managed to grow to the size of rice, they really feel and look like a yellowish tan rice. The rice like stuff could maybe be roots except for how they pop off and the pods go too high to be roots. I'm very confused at this point. the thyme and dill are in the same space and fine, the other branches in glass jars with water are fine, though with a few blackened leaves, and while the thai in the aerogarden is yellow it's otherwise fine so why is just this one plant being effected? and what is doing it?
Basil
My Basil plants suffer a lot from leaf miner infestation. What can I do please?
Leafminers
Prevention is key when it comes to leafminers, so removing infected leaves and looking for eggs will be most effective. Here’s some great advice from Pennsylvania State University: https://extension.psu.edu/leaf-miners
Basil Nutients
What Nutrients Does basil Have?
Basil nutrition
Basil is an excellent source of vitamin K and manganese, vitamin C, calcium, iron, folate and omega-3 fatty acids. It’s also a potent antioxidant, full of polyphenolic flavonoids. The herb may have anti-inflammatory and anti-aging qualities.
Storing basil
When mine starts coming in, I chop the leaves and fill ice cube tray section with about a tablespoon+ of herb - barely cover with water and freeze. Then seal in an airtight bag or container. Then when I make spaghetti, etc. in the winter, I just plop in an ice cube.
Growing Basil in a pot
Hi this past summer I grew my basil in a pot to avoid the deer and other animals from getting it. I used miracle grow potting soil and it did amazing, never saw such a beautiful plant, but....I was wondering if using a soil with all that fertilizer was ok??? health wise???
MiracleGro is full of toxic
MiracleGro is full of toxic chemicals, so yeah that’s kind of bad.
You are NOT correct
I think you need to check the label. Read more ... and you will fear less.
There are NO "toxic chemicals" in Miracle grow. It's a bag with varying amounts of peat, sphagnum, perlite, and compost ... +/- some mineral addition depending on the product you choose. Nothing "toxic" is there. If you don't like some of the compost constituents (animal material such as chicken or other poop, kelp meal, etc.) you can choose MG's "organic line" made with only vegetable material in the compost.
Or you can just mix up your own "miracle grow" using a 1:1:1 ratio (for most plants) ... however for MG in a bag is too easy to use, always mixed to the right ratio, and gives me fantastic results for herbs, big & juicy tomatoes, and fan fantastic roses (I use the rose food but planted them in standard MG). Not trying to stump for MG ... but let's not make unsubstantiated claims of toxicity trying to scare people away.
No, there are no toxic chemicals in MG.
There are no toxic chemicals in Miracle Grow. If you're going to make outlandish claims like that, at least post the evidence for your charge.
miracle grow
i can tell you that my organic vegetable plant growers advise against using miracle grow? i think mg is fine for plants you dont plan to eat?
Sweet Basil growing directions
Hi, I'm trying to grow sweet basil in a pot we purchased at a local farmers market, I'm having issues with keeping the plant on our deck in full sun because the plant just wilted and has brown edges on most of the basil leaves, I recently as of today went back to the market and purchased a huge sweet basil plant which was just uprooted today, the merchant said to plant it in soil as soon as we got home, so after planting the new plant I left it in the sun since about 11:00 am and went to get a few leaves off for my Jersey tomato, cucumber and fresh mozzarella salad , the plant was "drooped over" like a weeping willow tree. so PLEASE tell me what am I doing wrong ? m I have so many different opinions about the care and watering schedule and sun exposure. Please help .
Thank You! We live at the Jersey shore in a waterfront community
basil woes
If the plant was just transplanted the same day, it likely needs a little TLC for a few days so that the roots can get established in its new home. Otherwise, wilting is a common sign of stress. In this case, put the plant in part shade for a while. Gradually expose it to more and more sunlight as the days pass. (If it is not able to be moved, provide some shade over it, such as with shade cloth found in garden centers.) Keep up with the watering, but don’t overdo–basil doesn’t like soggy soil. After this treatment, it should recover fine.
That being said, keep an eye on it once it is in full sun. If it starts to turn brown at the edges, it may be due to sunscald, which can happen during a heat wave. During times of extreme heat, provide some shade and be sure to keep up with watering. Brown edges and curling may also mean pests or diseases are attacking the plant–check for insects along the stem and under leaves. Too much water, too little sunlight, too much fertilizer can also bring on the same symptoms. Keep soil evenly moist, and allow plenty of sunshine once established, but provide shade during high heat. Hope this helps!
Something is strangling my young basil
Hello, all my other herbs are growing big and healthy. This is my second attempt at basil, this time from seeds. I was surprised how well they were doing a day or two ago, but today i noticed something strange. Instead of pest bites in the leaves, it appears the delicate stems have been strangled, squeezed or perhaps chewed? Does anyone know what could be doing this? Some of my other pots appeared to be dug in during the night, i suspect a wild rabbit. What should I do?
Walked into it
Be very very quiet. When we're hunting rabbit.
Snails love Basil
It's snails. They absolutely love sweet basil and a handful of them can completely devour a whole plant in one night where we live (London, UK). That is why we will never ever plant basil outdoors, in a bed or frame, or in an outdoor pot. Pots on outdoor windowsills or on the shelves in the greenhouse are also not safe, and no amount of slug pellets will stop them - who wants to scatter poison around an edible plant anyway? The kitchen windowsill (inside) is the only safe place. PS. the digging is birds, foxes etc. going for the snails.
Disagree About Light Recommendations
I have to disagree with the article's recommendation "Basil needs to be in a location that gets 6 to 8 hours of full Sun daily." We've grown basil for many, many years and have learned that basil does best for us in filtered light or when it's partially shaded from a neighboring plant. Basil consistently scalds in direct sunlight but thrives in filtered light in my northern climate. I can't imagine how it would do in full sun in a warmer climate.
basil
I concur, good observation
Basil light requirements
Basil grows naturally in tropical areas. It likes moisture, light, and warmth, but that being said, sun scald can sometimes occur, especially in high temperatures, or if a plant growing in lower light is suddenly placed in bright light. If this is the case, or you are finding that in your climate it doesn’t do well in direct sun, then definitely place it in part shade.
I AGREE!
I have grown basil in pots on my deck for many years. It does not like 8 or 10 hours of full sun. Dappled sunlight all day or 4 to 5 hours of full, direct sun is plenty to keep them going strong.
Harvesting The Plant
This is my second time ever growing basil, so I apologize if I sound rather foolish, but is there a method of picking the leaves from the plant? Should I use my hands or a shear? I don't want to take too much and end up killing the plant, or harvest in the wrong spot and end up with less than expected.
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