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How to Grow Basil Plants: The Complete Herb Guide

sweet basil leaves as nice natural food background
Photo Credit
Jirik V/Shutterstock
Botanical Name
Ocimum basilicum
Plant Type
Herb
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Soil pH
Slightly Acidic to Neutral
Bloom Time
Summer
Flower Color
Pink
Purple
White

Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Basil

Catherine Boeckmann
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Basil is a wonderful herb with aromatic leaves. This compact plant is incredibly versatile, growing outside in the ground, in containers, or on a bright kitchen windowsill. You may start seeds indoors or grow from small pots. Learn the secrets to planting, growing, and harvesting basil.

About Basil

Basil is a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae) and one of the most popular culinary herbs. It’s a warm-weather annual that can be planted outdoors once temperatures are consistently above 50°F. 

Basil is not usually seeded directly into the soil; typically, gardeners transplant small starter plants purchased at a nursery. Or, they may start the seeds themselves indoors under grow lights.

Common or sweet basil, Ocimum basilicum, is the most common basil; other types include purple basil (less sweet than common basil), lemon basil (lemon flavor), and Thai basil (licorice flavor)

If you’re planning on making pesto, grow several plants. For other uses, one or two basil plants yield plenty.

Read Next

Planting

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 plan on cooking with these plants, plant in clean soil, don’t use insecticides, and grow them away from driveways and busy streets so exhaust won’t settle on the plants.

When to Plant Basil

  • To get a jump on the season, start the seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before transplanting outside. (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!

Spacing for Basil

How to Plant Basil

  • If you are sowing seeds directly into the ground, sow no more than 1/4-inch deep. Seeds should germinate within 5 to 7 days. Once they have developed 2 to 3 pairs of true leaves, transplant them.
  • If you are planting the germinated seedlings or starter plants in the ground, spaced 10 to 12 inches apart; basil should grow to about 12 to 24 inches in height.
  • A 2- to 3-inch mulch of compost or ground-up leaves retains soil moisture and minimizes weeds around the plants.
  • Tomatoes make great neighbors for basil plants in the garden—and on the plate—so many gardeners will plant the two warm-weather friends around the same time.
Basil and tomato plants growing in the garden
A tomato plant (center) growing alongside basil.

Growing

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 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.

Basil leaves in pot

Varieties
  • Cinnamon basil, to add a hint of cinnamon to a dish
  • Purple basil adds some nice color to your garden (when steeped in white vinegar, it creates a beautiful color)
  • Thai basil adds a sweet licorice flavor to a dish.

See our post about basil varieties in the garden.

Harvesting

How to Harvest Basil

  • Start picking the leaves of basil as soon as the plants are 6 to 8 inches tall.
  • Once temperatures hit 80°F (27°C), basil will really start leafing out.
  • Harvest in the early morning, when leaves are at their juiciest.
  • Make sure to pick the leaves regularly to encourage growth throughout the summer.
  • Even if you don’t need the leaves, pick them to keep the plant going. Store them for later use!
  • If you pick regularly, twelve basil plants can produce 4 to 6 cups of leaves per week.

How to Store Basil

  • The best method for storing basil is freezing. Freezing will prevent the plant from losing a good portion of its flavor. To quick-freeze basil, package whole or chopped leaves in airtight, resealable plastic bags, then place them in the freezer.
  • Another storage method is drying the basil (although some flavor will be lost). Pinch off the leaves at the stem and place them in a well-ventilated and shady area. After 3 to 4 days, if the plants are not completely dry, place them in the oven on the lowest heat setting with the door slightly open. Remember to turn the leaves (for equal drying) and check them frequently. See more about drying basil, tomatoes, and paprika.
Gardening Products

Pests/Diseases

Wit and Wisdom

  • Basil has a lovely fragrance. Pick from the stems and put in water for a few days as you would with cut flowers!
  • For other greens to use in your cuisine, see our Leafy Greens: Health Benefits page.

Where salt is good, so is basil.
–Italian saying

Recipes

Fresh Tomato and Basil Quiche
Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella Sandwiches
Farro Salad With Basil and Feta
Fresh Basil and Tomato Frittata
Green Bean and Basil Soup
Caprese Bruschetta
Basil Pesto
Roasted Red Pepper, Mozzarella, and Basil–Stuffed Chicken

Cooking Notes

Make herbal vinegar using basil; it retains the flavor and makes a great gift! See how to make herbal vinegar.

Herbs
About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana. Read More from Catherine Boeckmann
 

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Comments

beachPatty (not verified)

9 years 10 months ago

I usually grow basil in a large pot on my deck. However, I will be going out of town in early June for about 9-10 days. Should I wait until I get back to purchase a plant, or would it survive during that time? I live in zone 6.

If you can't get a friend or neighbor to water your basil while you are away, you might want to wait until you return to buy one. There are also methods that help to keep pots watered, such as self-watering planters, but depending on the equipment you use, it is possible that your plant would run out of water before you could return, especially if the plant was in the sun.

John Lobenstein (not verified)

9 years 11 months ago

"Plant the seeds/seedlings about 10 to 12 inches apart. They should grow to about 12 to 24 inches in height. For smaller plants, plant farther apart (about 16 to 24 inches)."

Why would increased spacing result in "smaller" plants?

I wondered the same thing and then thought about how trees in a crowd are usually tall and skinny, versus how single trees are shorter and bushier. I think by "smaller," they meant shorter. More space means less competition for light, so a shorter (but maybe bushier) plant. That's what makes sense to me anyway :)

They aren't sayin that planting them further apart results in smaller plants. They are saying that if the plants are smaller when you plant them, then you should plant them further apart to allow room for growth

You can grow basil from seed (into seedlings) or transplants (which you often buy in a garden center).

Montse (not verified)

9 years 11 months ago

I placed my basil leaf in direct sunlight for about four hours, when I got back it looked very sad and was beginning to wilt!! What do I do?

Give the basil a good dose of water near the base of the plant so that it soaks into the soil--don't wet the foliage.

Josephina (not verified)

10 years ago

I recently acquired a basil plant here in California and planted it as quickly as i could not knowing that I had to wait until summer(right now it is Spring). At first the plant was growing well but after a while i noticed that some of the leaves started getting transparent spots on them and i think it has a disease but i don't know which one> What should i do to make the plant grow healthier and how do i get rid of this disease?

Basil likes at least 6 hours of sunlight, and temperatures of about 70F in the day and at least 50F at night. If your area has been experiencing colder temperatures, it could be that your basil has cold or frost damage. It may also be sunscald, which can occur when sunlight is too intense on tender vegetation, especially wet leaves. This may happen if the basil was not hardened off before transplanting outside in the cooler temperatures. To harden off, you'd put the plant out in a sheltered area for an hour or two one day, increase the amount of time a bit the next day, and so on, as well as later moving it to positions closer to the full-sunlight conditions of its permanent home to-be; do this for about 10 days. Without hardening off, your plant is more susceptible to sunscald and other cultural problems. If you think it might be sunscald, cover the plant in a row cover material or shade cloth for a few days to see if the reduced sunlight might be helping it to recover. If you think it is a disease, you might want to remove the affected leaves (unless it would strip off too many), and monitor the plant.
 
Sunscald can appear as paper thin silver to pale brown spots on leaves (or fruit). Here is a photo of sunscald on a greenhouse basil plant (I don't think the pink color in this photo is usual):
 
http://negreenhouseupdate.info/photos/sunscald-basil-foliage
 
If you think that it is a disease, you might check out this page:
 
http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/factsheets/basildiseases.pdf
 
Some insects can also cause papery thin spots or tiny holes when they feed, such as sawflies, flea beetles, or leafhoppers.