Fresh basil is such a wonderful addition to the summer garden, check out our Basil Growing Guide below, to set up for an excellent harvest. Basil loves to be harvested regularly, makes a great companion for neighbouring tomatoes and shines in Italian and Asian cooking. If you’ve got basil to use, consider our pesto recipe!
Choose your basil varieties
- Sweet basil – Common and fragrant, great for all uses.
- Genovese basil – The traditional pesto basil, populate in Italian cuisine.
- Purple basil – A striking colour in the garden!
- Lemon basil – Popular in south Asian cuisine for salads, dressings and fish
- Thai basil – Gives an anise flavour to many Asian dishes
- Holy basil – Aromatic and traditionally used in herbal teas
You can find established plants in garden stores and even supermarkets from Spring onwards.
Growing Basil from Seed
If you’re starting from seed consider using our self-watering seedling pottles to regulate moisture and give your seedlings the best chance. We have basil seed available in our store.
Sow basil seeds shallow and cover over lightly with soil. Water in well.
Seeds generally geminate in 5 to 10 days once temperatures are above 21C. If you’ve got a short growing season you may want to start these plants indoors in early Spring as they really need heat to get underway. Temperatures below 10C will likely be damaging and stunt growth.
How to plant Basil Seedlings
- Find a sunny spot in your garden or in a container (basil dislikes the cold and damp).
- Prepare your soil with organic matter such as compost.
- Plant seedlings out early in the morning or late in the day, and water well at the base.
Growing Tips
Pinch out tips once the plant is established to encourage bushing and harvest leaves regularly to encourage more growth.
For best flavour, harvest in the morning after the dew has dried but before the sun gets too hot.
In the heat of summer Basil often goes to seed. To avoid this, water and harvest regularly. Pinch off any flowers, or if it’s too far gone let the bees get into it!
