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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

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.

Janette (not verified)

6 years 1 month ago

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.

Kris (not verified)

6 years 6 months ago

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 chemicals, so yeah that’s kind of bad.

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.

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?

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.

Joe DeRiggi (not verified)

6 years 8 months ago

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

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!

Kathryn Parrott (not verified)

6 years 8 months ago

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?