How to Grow Basil

Basil is an easy, quick-growing herb and will reward you with delicious flavor all season long. It’s easy to snip off a few leaves as needed to flavor culinary dishes. Basil is a popular plant to tuck into flower borders or other spots in your landscape.

Basil needs full sun, at least six hours per day.

With any gardening endeavor, it helps to have your soil tested to determine the soil pH and whether you need to add any amendments. The soil pH needs to be between 6 and 6.5, the typical range for most vegetables.

There are four types of basil with numerous cultivars in each category.

• Sweet basil: The large-leaved variety, ‘Genovese’, is one of the most common sweet basils in seed catalogs and local stores. It’s a staple in Italian cooking, and a great choice if you’re interested in making pesto periodically through the season. It grows to a large size, 2-feet tall and more.
• Small-leaved or dwarf basil: These types grow in compact forms, reaching only 6- to 12-inches tall. ‘Spicy Globe’ is a popular variety and its name gives a clue to its flavor, which is a bit spicier than other basils. ‘Marseilles’ is a French variety, which is favored for it delicious flavor. Any of these basils grow well in containers.
• Purple basil: While purple may not be the color you think of when it comes to basil, purple varieties can add interest to the garden and can be grown both for the flavorful leaves and as an accent plant. ‘Purple Ruffles’ has ruffled, fringed foliage that provides a striking contrast and appealing scent in container gardens. Its leaves can be used in salads, herb vinegars, and other culinary creations.
• Specially scented basil: Numerous varieties are available that have both fragrance and flavor beyond the typical basil plants. Among them are cinnamon, lemon, lime, and sweet Thai basil, which is a great variety to grow if you enjoy preparing Asian cuisine. 

Basil can be grown from seeds or from transplants. If you start your plants from seeds, sow the seed indoors in a seed-starter mix 4- to 6-weeks before planting outdoors after frost. If seeding outdoors, wait until danger of frost has passed. Plant the seeds about ¼-inch deep and keep the soil moist. They should germinate in 5 to 10 days. If you do not wish to start plants from seeds, local garden centers are great places to find transplants in the spring. Wait until after the last frost date in your area and when temperatures are in the 70s before planting outside.

Basil needs rich, well-drained soil. Mix plenty of organic matter such as compost or aged manure into your garden beds before planting. Space plants about 12 inches apart to give plants plenty of air circulation. Keep plants evenly watered in well-drained soil without allowing to dry out. Basil does not like soggy conditions.

If growing basil in a container, use a potting mix that is blended for growing herbs and vegetables. Avoid using garden soil, which can become too heavy and not drain well in containers.

When plants are about 6-inches tall, pinch the growing point back an inch or so to encourage branching and thicker growth. As the plant grows it will begin to produce white, pink, or purple blooms on terminal spikes. Pinch off these blooms to keep the plant producing the leaves.

A healthy plant will produce leaves through the season. If you wish to pick enough leaves to make pesto through the summer, plant at least three plants.

Basil will not last past the first frost so plan on harvesting before that date. If you are growing basil in containers, consider moving them inside to a sunny window. Harvest as needed though frequent harvesting of leaves keeps the plant producing. Harvest in the morning after the dew has dried. The best way to harvest basil is to pinch or cut the whole stem just above two to three sets of leaves. 

Each time you harvest, leave enough foliage so the plant will continue to grow.  Remove no more than about 1/3 to ½ of the plant at any one harvest.

Storing

Basil is best used soon after harvest. The cut stems can be placed in water like a flower bouquet to enjoy on your kitchen counter and to pick from as you cook. Use within 3 to 5 days. Or wrap basil in dry paper towels, place in a plastic bag or container that has air vents or holes, and store in the refrigerator. Use within a couple of days.

A popular way to enjoy its flavor through the year is to make a pesto and then freeze by filling ice cube trays with the pesto mixture. When frozen, the individual cubes can be placed together in freezer bags to make it easy to retrieve one or two cubes to toss into soups or sauces.

An alternative to the pesto is to puree the leaves in a blender with a small amount of water or vegetable or olive oil. Freeze the mixture in the ice cube trays and then move the individual cubes to freezer bags.

Basil can also be air-dried, oven-dried, or dried in a food dehydrator. When dry, crumble the leaves and store in an air-tight container.

• Water at the base of the plants to reduce chances of disease.
• Plants in containers dry out more quickly than those in garden beds. Water them more frequently.
• Unless you are growing basil for ornamental purposes, do not allow it to flower as this results in plants becoming woody and can affect the flavor. Pinch off the flower blooms and stems.