Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Basil
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!
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.
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.
- 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.
Cooking Notes
Make herbal vinegar using basil; it retains the flavor and makes a great gift! See how to make herbal vinegar.
Catherine Boeckmann
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It's snails. They absolutely love sweet basil and a handful of them can completely devour a whole plant in one night where we live (London, UK). That is why we will never ever plant basil outdoors, in a bed or frame, or in an outdoor pot. Pots on outdoor windowsills or on the shelves in the greenhouse are also not safe, and no amount of slug pellets will stop them - who wants to scatter poison around an edible plant anyway? The kitchen windowsill (inside) is the only safe place. PS. the digging is birds, foxes etc. going for the snails.
Be very very quiet. When we're hunting rabbit.
I have to disagree with the article's recommendation "Basil needs to be in a location that gets 6 to 8 hours of full Sun daily." We've grown basil for many, many years and have learned that basil does best for us in filtered light or when it's partially shaded from a neighboring plant. Basil consistently scalds in direct sunlight but thrives in filtered light in my northern climate. I can't imagine how it would do in full sun in a warmer climate.
I have grown basil in pots on my deck for many years. It does not like 8 or 10 hours of full sun. Dappled sunlight all day or 4 to 5 hours of full, direct sun is plenty to keep them going strong.
Basil grows naturally in tropical areas. It likes moisture, light, and warmth, but that being said, sun scald can sometimes occur, especially in high temperatures, or if a plant growing in lower light is suddenly placed in bright light. If this is the case, or you are finding that in your climate it doesn’t do well in direct sun, then definitely place it in part shade.
I concur, good observation
This is my second time ever growing basil, so I apologize if I sound rather foolish, but is there a method of picking the leaves from the plant? Should I use my hands or a shear? I don't want to take too much and end up killing the plant, or harvest in the wrong spot and end up with less than expected.
To harvest basil, when the plant is at least 6 inches high and has more than 2 pairs of leaves along a stem, you can use your fingers to pinch the stem just above where a pair of leaves emerge (so you are harvesting leaves attached to a stem with a bit of stem below the bottom leaves), leaving at least 2 pairs of leaves on the remaining stem. Or you can use pruning shears or scissors to make the cut along the stem. Do not remove more than a third of the stem, or a third of the plant total. You can also harvest just a leaf or tw,o as needed. If you keep pruning the stems, it will encourage bushy growth. Trim off any flower buds that develop.
Can I try sowing sweet besil in rainy season
As we do not know the conditions in your location, we cannot say for sure whether basil would do well during your rainy season. However, basil doesn’t like being kept in wet soil—it prefers to be grown in moist, but well-drained soil.
