Types of Basil

When you begin researching what type of basil you should grow, you might be overwhelmed by all the options available. Some of the most common types that are popular in home gardens include:

• Holy: Also called Tulsi basil, this kind is often used for medicinal purposes rather than cooking. ^[6] What is Holy Basil, and Can It Provide Health Benefits?; Ohio State Health & Discovery
• Genovese: This variety boasts large, sweet-tasting leaves. It’s a popular type to use when making pesto.
• Lemon and lime: These varieties are ideal for poultry, fish, and vegetable dishes as well as in sauces and desserts.
• Purple: Purple varieties add a pop of color to any garden, dish, or bouquet.
• Thai: It has a spicier flavor than other varieties and is a staple in Asian cooking. ^[1] Basil; IFAS Extension Gardening Solutions

Genovese is a popular choice for basil beginners since it’s so versatile and has a strong yet pleasant flavor. You can also start with whichever variety is popular in the kind of food you like to cook.

When to Plant Basil

Basil is a sun-loving plant requiring warm temperatures. To sow seeds directly outdoors, you should wait for the soil temperatures to be consistently above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. This ensures the ground won’t be too cold. Air or soil temperatures as low as 50 degrees Fahrenheit can cause plants to turn black and die, so it’s important to wait until the ground is warm. ^[2] Basil; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign;

If you want to get a head start on the growing season and begin seeds indoors, you can do so six to eight weeks before the last frost date. Soil temperatures should be about 64 degrees Fahrenheit for the best results. You can transplant them outside once all danger of frost has passed.

If you want basil all season long, start some indoors in batches and transplant them outside about a month apart from each other. You’ll get to enjoy fresh, fragrant basil until the air gets too cool to continue growing it. ^[4] How to Grow Basil; Royal Horticultural Society , ^[5] Growing Basil in Home Gardens; University of Minnesota Extension

Choosing the Right Spot

Choosing the right place to grow basil is a crucial part of getting a bountiful harvest. The first aspect to consider is sunlight exposure. Basil grows best when it receives up to eight hours of direct sunlight. When the plants receive enough sunlight, they’re more flavorful and will taste much better than those that are grown in the shade. ^[3] How to Grow Basil in Your Garden; Utah State University Yard and Garden Extension

Though basil enjoys sunlight, you should provide it with some afternoon sun when the sun is at its peak to prevent sunscald. Avoid shading it too much, however, or you’ll reduce how flavorful your plants are. ^[1] Basil; IFAS Extension Gardening Solutions

When to Grow Basil in a Container

Basil will thrive almost anywhere you put it, whether it be in the ground, a container, or a raised bed. Which should you choose?

Containers are the obvious choice if you don’t have land to grow a garden. But, they’re also good to use if you need to move them around to keep them in the sunlight or want to grow them in a greenhouse. Basil plants grown in containers typically are more productive, but they do require more water.

Containers allow you to avoid slug and snail issues and bring the plants indoors in inclement weather. You’ll also be able to grow basil indoors in fall, winter, and spring when the temperatures are typically too cold to grow outside. ^[2] Basil; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; , ^[3] How to Grow Basil in Your Garden; Utah State University Yard and Garden Extension , ^[4] How to Grow Basil; Royal Horticultural Society

Soil and Container Preparation

Successfully caring for basil plants starts with great soil. Choose a loamy soil that will retain plenty of moisture without waterlogging your plants. The ideal pH range is 6.0-7.5. A soil test may be necessary if you can’t find a mix that has this information for you. ^[1] Basil; IFAS Extension Gardening Solutions , ^[3] How to Grow Basil in Your Garden; Utah State University Yard and Garden Extension , ^[5] Growing Basil in Home Gardens; University of Minnesota Extension

Basil needs plenty of nutrients to grow, so starting it off with fertile soil will give it a strong start. Ensure your soil has plenty of organic matter, like compost. Doing so will give your plants plenty of nutrients to pull from the soil as they grow. ^[3] How to Grow Basil in Your Garden; Utah State University Yard and Garden Extension

Preparing Your Containers

If you’re growing basil in containers, be sure to use an appropriate size. You can plant one in a small pot and upsize each time the roots grow out of the bottom. Or, you can plant several plants together in one large container, provided you leave enough space between them. There will be more on spacing in the next section. ^[4] How to Grow Basil; Royal Horticultural Society

No matter what size pot you use, always choose one with drainage holes. The soil should never be wet or have puddles; excess water needs to drain out, otherwise, the basil may become too saturated and die. Find pots with appropriate drainage holes or find a safe way to create them yourself if the container you want to use doesn’t have them.

How to Plant Basil

Once you have the site prepared, it’s time to begin planting! When you know how to grow basil at home, you’ll feel rewarded and get to experiment with different flavors in your cooking.

Planting Basil by Seed

You can plant basil seeds in small trays and size them up, or transplant them later, or plant them directly where you want them to grow. Place a few seeds in each place you want a plant and only bury them 1/8 inch deep, ensuring they’re not covered with too much soil.

Keep the soil moist; allowing the top layer of soil to dry out can discourage germination and leave you with fewer plants. Once the seedlings have sprouted out of the soil, thin them out so there is only one plant per small container, or about four inches between plants in a large container. It could take up to two weeks for the seeds to germinate.

Continue watering your plants daily to keep the soil moist. As the plants continue growing, thin them out so there is about 12 inches between plants.

When you thin out basil plants, always leave the strongest ones behind. Remove any that look weak, short, or sickly. ^[3] How to Grow Basil in Your Garden; Utah State University Yard and Garden Extension

Planting Basil by Cuttings

If you or someone else already has a basil plant, you can create a new one from a cutting. To do so, cut a stem that doesn’t have flowers right below the newest leaf. Remove the bottom leaves and pinch off the top. Place the bottom part of the cutting in a jar of water, and replace the water frequently.

New roots should appear after a few weeks. Once you see them, transfer the cutting into fertile soil and treat it like you would a young seedling so it will adjust to its new location. ^[4] How to Grow Basil; Royal Horticultural Society

Caring for Your Basil Plant

Once your young basil plants are settled in their places, caring for them is a breeze. Soil temperatures should never dip below 60 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent the plants from becoming too cold and being injured. [2]

Basil shouldn’t be kept in wet soil, but they do need plenty of moisture to thrive. They require roughly 1.5 inches of water each week. You may need to water them every seven to 10 days, but this is highly dependent on how fast they drain and how much sunlight they get, among other factors. ^[3] How to Grow Basil in Your Garden; Utah State University Yard and Garden Extension , ^[4] How to Grow Basil; Royal Horticultural Society , ^[5] Growing Basil in Home Gardens; University of Minnesota Extension

Fertilizing Basil

Basil growth will flourish when it has enough nutrients. You may need to fertilize it periodically to improve your harvest. You can choose organic or synthetic fertilizers; each of them has its benefits, so you can choose which you prefer.

Organic fertilizer releases nutrients more slowly but contains a wide variety of nutrients that basil will benefit from. Synthetic fertilizer releases nutrients quickly but doesn’t have as much variety. ^[9] Here’s the Scoop on Chemical and Organic Fertilizers; Kym Pokorny; Oregon State University

If you choose to use a liquid fertilizer, use it at half strength every 3-4 weeks for outdoor plants, and every 4-6 weeks for those you’re growing inside. ^[5] Growing Basil in Home Gardens; University of Minnesota Extension Avoid fertilizers that are rich in potassium since those encourage flowering. ^[4] How to Grow Basil; Royal Horticultural Society

Pruning and Encouraging Growth

There are a few things you can do to encourage basil to stay productive and produce countless leaves.

How to Prune Basil

As your plants grow, you can prune them so they develop rounder, bushier growth habits. As you see long branches appear, pinch off the ends just above a pair of leaves. New limbs will begin growing at that point and will soon look bushier. ^[1] Basil; IFAS Extension Gardening Solutions , ^[2] Basil; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign;

How to Encourage Growth

The best way to encourage growth is to remove flowers as soon as they appear. Once flowers appear, the plant will focus its energy on them to develop buds and eventually seeds. Removing the flowers allows the plants to stay focused on leaf production. Flowers also create woody stems and bitter-tasting leaves, so flowering plants aren’t good to cook with. ^[5] Growing Basil in Home Gardens; University of Minnesota Extension

When you see flowers, pinch them off as you would to prune basil. As it nears the end of the growing season, consider letting a few plants go to flower to provide food for pollinators and save seeds. ^[4] How to Grow Basil; Royal Horticultural Society

How and When to Harvest Basil

You’ll know basil is ready to harvest when a stem has six to eight leaves. Use clean, sharp scissors, garden shears, or a knife to cut the stem just above the point where two leaves meet. Leave at least two leaves behind when you harvest to encourage the plant to grow more leaves and become bushy. ^[3] How to Grow Basil in Your Garden; Utah State University Yard and Garden Extension , ^[5] Growing Basil in Home Gardens; University of Minnesota Extension

The younger the leaves, the stronger the flavor, so try to harvest new growth when you can. However, don’t cut so much off young plants that you leave the plant weak. ^[1] Basil; IFAS Extension Gardening Solutions

How to Store and Use Basil

You’re bound to end up with more basil than you can eat at once, but there are many ways you can store it so you don’t waste your precious crops.

Fresh Storage

When you plan to use basil within the week, you can store it indoors in a glass of water. Add a little water into a cup and place the basil inside. Change the water each day so it’s fresh and clean.

If you want to wait until next week to use harvested basil, use the glass of water method and put a plastic bag over it, then put it in the fridge. You may find that the leaf quality deteriorates when stored this way, but it works if you end up needing to harvest a bit early. ^[3] How to Grow Basil in Your Garden; Utah State University Yard and Garden Extension , ^[4] How to Grow Basil; Royal Horticultural Society

Drying Basil

Drying basil will allow you to store large portions to use outside of the growing season. To store basil this way, you will need to:

• Create bunches: Harvest several sprigs of basil and tie them together with twine or string.
• Hang them up: Choose a location that is dry and shady. It could take up to 10 days for them to dry.
• Speed it up with the oven: If you don’t want to wait 10 days, you can bake them for up to 5 minutes with your oven set between 150 and 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Store dry basil: Choose an airtight container, and it will last up to a year.

Freezing Basil

Freezing basil isn’t the best option because the leaves will be mushy upon thawing and lose most of their flavor. However, you can create infused oil by pouring oil and chopped basil into ice trays and letting them freeze. You can also make pesto and freeze it in ice trays to use as needed. ^[3] How to Grow Basil in Your Garden; Utah State University Yard and Garden Extension , ^[5] Growing Basil in Home Gardens; University of Minnesota Extension

Common Problems and Pests

Basil has a few common problems you may see as you grow it, including:

• Aphids: These sap-sucking pests can take over a plant, so cut off infested parts of the plant. Avoid using pesticides so you don’t contaminate your food. ^[7] Growing Herbs Indoors; Penn State Extension
• Powdery mildew: This disease thrives in moist conditions. Keep your basil plants in full sunlight and provide great drainage. Avoid putting plants too close together. ^[4] How to Grow Basil; Royal Horticultural Society
• Slugs: Growing basil in containers is an easy way to avoid this problem. You can also use slug traps. ^[3] How to Grow Basil in Your Garden; Utah State University Yard and Garden Extension

Conclusion

Growing basil is a rewarding journey that will make your home-cooked meals taste delicious. They’re easy to grow and plenty of fun to care for. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just getting your trowel dirty, give basil a try and harvest all summer long.