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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

Bill Patterson (not verified)

10 years 1 month ago

I have a sweet basil plant and it's doing well. Each time I see it begin to flower I cut the blossoms off. If I dry the blossoms and plant them is a moist soil, will they reproduce a new plant?

Hi Bill,
You need to leave the flowers on the plant until they turn brown. If you look at the underside of the fading flower, you'll be able to see the developing basil seeds as small black dots.

Mani Raj Shrestha (not verified)

10 years 3 months ago

I am from Nepal, a himalayan country. I want to grow more basil plant. so which type of plant is suitable and if more grows is it possible to export foreign country like Europe and Amerika?

Hi Mani, please contact me on koochooloo@email.cz.I have different seeds from last year, simple sweet basil but also others like tulsi, which you probably know.I will send them to you in exchange for the pictures of the plants.
Other emails to this address will be ignored!!!

Hello, I dream of going to Nepal..:) Anywho, i am not sure of basil growing in nepal. but if you or a friend find yourself in europe or america, you can just buy there and bring it home to lovely nepal :) I did that once with a poppy flower because it not grow in my country. or most plantshops sell potted plants although sometimes cash plenty... expensive :( good luck!!!! :DDDDDDDD

andersonfmly (not verified)

10 years 3 months ago

Hello -

We live in SoCal and received a basil plant for Christmas. Are we able to plant it outdoors right now, or should we keep it indoors until spring and provide it plenty of light?

Thanks.

Basil is a tender annual and is best planted outdoors in spring. Keep the plant in a sunny location indoors until you are ready to transplant it outdoors.

jmabeyta (not verified)

10 years 5 months ago

I planted Thai Basil for the first time this past summer in a raised container. They went crazy and attracted more honey bees than I thought existed! Next summer we would like to try beekeeping and I am wondering if anyone has had success specifically using Thai Basil as their source off pollin. I would like to protect the basil as much as possible through the winter (colorado) and am looking for recommendations.

Since basil is a tender annual, it will not survive wintery climates. However, you could bring your basil inside for the winter if you can provide plenty of bright light. You may need to put them under an artificial light 10 to 12 hours per day. As annuals, basil plants will flower and die eventually, even indoors. You'll want to start or buy new plants each spring.

Mickguiver (not verified)

10 years 6 months ago

Is it possible to save the basil root ball for next growing season? If so, what is the process? I'm reading conflicting things about it being an annual or not. Thanks for any help anyone can offer me.