Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Basil
Basil will grow best in a location that gets 6 to 8 hours of full sun daily, though it can perform well in partial sun, too.
Soil should be moderately fertile and moist but well-draining. Basil works great in containers or raised beds, as these allow for better drainage. The pH of the soil should ideally be in the range of 6.0 to 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral).
If you’re planning on cooking with these plants, plant in clean soil, don’t use insecticides, and grow them away from driveways and busy streets so that exhaust won’t settle on the plants.
When to Plant Basil
- To get a jump on the season, start the seeds indoors 6 weeks before the last spring frost. (See local frost dates.)
- To plant outside, wait until the soil has warmed to at least 50°F (10°C)—preferably around 70ºF (21°C) for best growth. Nighttime temperatures shouldn’t drop below 50°F (10°C).
- Don’t rush basil. Without heat, the plant won’t grow well!
How to Plant Basil
- Sow seeds no more than 1/4-inch deep. Once seedlings emerge and have 2-3 pairs of true leaves, thin seedlings to one plant every 10 to 12 inches. Basil should grow to about 12 to 24 inches in height.
- For larger varieties, plant farther apart (about 16 to 24 inches).
- Tomatoes make great neighbors for basil plants in the garden—and on the plate!
How to Grow Basil
- Make sure that the soil is moist. Basil plants like moisture.
- If you live in a hot area, use mulch around the plants (the mulch will help hold in moisture and suppress weeds).
- During the dry periods in summer, water the plants freely.
- After the seedlings have produced their first six leaves, prune to above the second set. This encourages the plants to start branching, resulting in more leaves for harvest.
- Every time a branch has six to eight leaves, repeat pruning the branches back to their first set of leaves.
- Fertilize sparingly throughout the season with a 5-10-5 fertilizer.
- After about 6 weeks, pinch off the center shoot to prevent early flowering. If flowers do grow, just cut them off.
- If the weather is going to be cold or if a sudden frost is imminent, be sure to harvest your basil beforehand, as the cold temperatures will destroy your plants.
Make herbal vinegar using basil; it retains the flavor and makes a great gift!
ADVERTISEMENT
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?
My Basil plants suffer a lot from leaf miner infestation. What can I do please?
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
What Nutrients Does basil Have?
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.
Comments