of the Basil
Can you imagine a garden without basil?
Impossible! Its familiar fragrance, easy care, and many uses make it indispensable in
herb, ornamental, and container gardensand, of course, in the kitchen.
A Sense of History
Basil has been known and grown since ancient times. According to Gerard in his Herbal
published in England in the 1600s, the smell of basil was good for the heart and for
the head. The seeds cureth the infirmities of the heart and taketh away the
sorrow which commeth with melancholy and maketh a man merry and glad. Gerard also
advised that the juice of the plant was good against headaches, if it were drunk with
wine, and was useful in clearing up diseases of the eye.
Back in the first century AD, however, the Greek physician Dioscorides believed basil
dulled the sight and produced wind. Others claimed it bred scorpions and that
scorpions would be found beneath a pot where basil grewa belief that arose, perhaps,
from the prevalence of scorpions in some of the tropical regions of Asia and Africa, where
basil originated, and their predilection for warm, dark places. Gerard wrote that those
who were stung by a scorpion would feel no pain if they had eaten basil. Culpepper, a
contemporary of Gerard, suggested in his Herbal that basil would draw out the poison of
venomous beasts, wasps or hornets. Today, herbalists claim it helps to ease flatulence and
abdominal pains if taken as an infusion.
Basil made its way to Europe by the Middle Ages and to England and America in the mid-17th
century, where it was used mainly medicinally. It was not until the 19th century that
basil became the ever-present component of herb gardens that it is today. Basil is also
very important in Asia and Asian cuisines.
The range of basils available is the result of the variability of the species, basilicum.
The species contains a natural diversity of fragrances and colors; plant breeders have
selected for and improved on these different traits.
Whats In A Name?
A member of the mint family (Labiatae), as so many herbs are, basils have the
familiar four-sided stems and whorled flowers of that family; they are not, however, in
the least invasive, as mints can be. The genus name of sweet basil, Ocimum, is
from a Greek verb that means to be fragrant. The species name, basilicum,
comes from the Greek basileus, which means king or prince. Basil is often
referred to as the king of herbs, and no wonderit is one of the most
useful, and most used, of all herbs.
In frost-free climates, sweet basil may act as a perennial, but in most areas of the
country, it is an annual, dying at the first touch of frost. There are more than 30
different species of basil, but the most commonly grown are O. basilicum and its
Holy basil, O. sanctum (also known as O. tenuiflorum) is a sacred herb in India,
where it is used in religious ceremonies and planted around Hindu temples; with its
pinkish purple flowers, it is most often planted as an ornamental.
The four basic types of garden basils are the familiar sweet green basil, dwarf green
basil, purple-leaved basil, and scented leaf basil. Sweet basil (O. basilicum) grows about
2 feet tall. It has rather large leaves, 2-3 inches long, and produces white flower
spikes. It is the most widely grown. Its cousins include lettuce-leaf and
Genovese basilsvarieties with much larger leavesas well as the spicy Thai
basil, Siam Queen (1997 All-America Selections winner), an improved tropical
basil with an intense fragrance and flavor.
Dwarf basil (O. b. Minimum) is also known as bush or fine green
basil. Its compact growth reaches 10-12 inches high. The leaves are small, about 1/2 inch
long, and flowers are white. Spicy Globe and Green Bouquet are
well-known dwarf types; the former is aptly named because the plants grow naturally into
rounded, globe shapes.
Purple-leaved basils (O. b. purpurescens) are very ornamental. Dark
Opal (1962 All-America Selections winner), Purple Ruffles (1987 AAS
winner) and Red Rubin (with solid purple leaves, an improved strain of
Dark Opal) are three of the most popular varieties. These basils tend to have
ruffled, frilled, or deeply cut leaves, which are very pungent; they produce deep pink to
Scented-leaf basils bring additional aromas to the basic clove-anise of sweet basil. Lemon
basil (O. americanum, O. basilicum var. citriodorum) has a very distinct lemon
flavor, especially in the newest Sweet Dani (1998 AAS winner). The leaves are
grayish green, the flowers white. The leaves of cinnamon basil have a spicy cinnamon
flavor; flowers are deep pink with purple bracts. Anise basil has a flavor similar to
licorice; its flowers are slightly purplish.
Growing From Seed
Whether you sow seeds indoors or out, remember that basil does not like cold, or even
cool, weather. Sow the seeds outdoors when day and night temperatures reach about 55 to 60
degrees. When sown or transplanted at the right time, basil is one of the easiest herbs to
Starting Basil Indoors
Plan to sow seeds 4 to 6 weeks before the date of your average last frost in spring.
Basils do not need a long time to grow large enough to transplant to the garden.
- Fill a shallow container, or flat, or individual
2- to 21/4-inch pots with a commercial seed-starting mix. Moisten the mix and let it
- Sow the seeds in rows in a flat or two to three
seeds per pot. Cover the seeds with about 1/4 inch of the mix. Press the mix down lightly
and spritz the surface with water to moisten it and settle the seeds.
- To keep the mix from drying out while the seeds
are germinating, cover the containers with sheets of clear plastic wrap, or place each in
a plastic bag and close it with a twist-tie.
- Set the containers in a warm location; the growing
medium should be at about 70-75 degrees F (21-23 degrees C). Seedlings will emerge in 4 to
7 days. When they do, remove the plastic covering and place the containers in bright light
or direct sun in a south-facing window or a fluorescent light garden. Give the containers
a quarter turn every few days so the plants grow straight instead of leaning towards the
- Keep the mix evenly moist by watering from the
bottom: Set the containers in a sink filled with a couple of inches of water until beads
of moisture appear on the surface. A liquid fertilizer at one half the recommended rate
can be given to seedlings to promote healthy plants.
- When the seedlings are about 2 inches tall and
have at least two pairs of true leaves, transplant those in flats to individual pots. Thin
those started in small pots to one per pot by snipping off all but the strongest looking
one with a scissors. It is not necessary to transplant purple-leaved basils, such as
Dark Opal and Purple Ruffles, if you sow them about 1/2-1 inch
- If young plants become tall and spindly, the
growing tip can be pinched to encourage branching and compact growth. Some of the smaller
basils, such as Spicy Globe, have a naturally branching habit and do not need
to be pinched.
Sowing Directly in the Garden.
Sow seeds in the garden when the soil has warmed up to about 55 to 60 degrees day and
night temperatures. Sow the seeds about 1/2 inch deep in good garden soil; if you cover
the seeds with less soil, they may float to the surface after a heavy rain. Basil
germinates readily, therefore you do not need to sow thickly. You can sow the seeds in
rows or in groups; drop two to three seeds in each hole for the latter. Keep the seedbed
moist until germination occurs. When the seedlings have at least two pairs of true leaves
and are 2 to 3 inches tall, thin them to stand 10 to 30 inches apart, depending on the
species or cultivar. Begin pinching out the growing tips for compact growth when the
seedlings are 3 to 4 inches tall.
To have an uninterrupted supply of fresh basil, most gardeners sow basil seed several
times during the growing season. The National Garden Bureau recommends sowing basil seed
every 3 to 4 weeks to harvest fresh leaves for culinary uses.
Selecting Bedding Plants
Basil is so popular that you can readily purchase plants at garden centers or nurseries in
addition to growing it from seed. The plants may be sold in individual pots, six-packs or
flats. Look for young, compact plants. Avoid tall, leggy plantseven though you can
correct their growth habit somewhat by cutting them back after you have planted them at
The leaves of sweet basil should be a clear deep green; spots on the leaves may indicate
they have been exposed to the cold. Pass up plants that have obvious pests, such as
aphids, on stems or leaves.
If you cant plant the herbs the day you bring them home, set them in a protected
area away from the drying effects of direct sun and wind until you can put them in the
ground or in containers.
Out In The Garden
Select a Site. Basil grows best in a location that receives full sunat least six
hours (or more) of direct sun daily. With less sun, the plants have a tendency to get
leggy. Plants in containers require the same exposure.
Prepare the Soil. Although herbs are not very fussy, they do need a light, fertile soil
with good drainage. Amend what you have by digging in about a 2-inch layer of peat moss
and compost before planting. This is particularly important if your soil is mostly clay.
Transplant. Choose a cloudy, calm day or late afternoon to transplant your basils to give
them a chance to settle in before they have to contend with the drying effects of sun and
wind. It is very important to plant at the right time, which means not too early in the
season. The slightest cold will set them back. Set the plants in the ground at the same
depth they were growing in the pots. If you bought six-packs or flats of basil plants,
water them first; then carefully lift each plant out of its cell or separate them from
each other in the flat, keeping as much soil around the roots as possible to minimize
moisture loss. If they dont come out easily and you need to handle the plants, do so
by their leaves, not their stems (plants replace leaves more readily than stems). If you
started plants in peat pots, set the pots below the soil linethey have a tendency to
dry out quickly when exposed to the air.
Space plants 10-12 inches apart; dwarf basils, 8-10 inches apart; larger basils, such as
Sweet Dani, up to 20 inches apart.
Water the plants immediately after setting them in the ground.
Basil is as ornamental as it is edible. Put it in a traditional herb garden, in the
vegetable plot in the center of a bed of red- and green-leaf lettuces or edging a bed of
Use both the green- and purple-leaved varieties in borders; the latter are especially
beautiful with perennials such as coral bells (Heuchera Palace Purple), Sedum
Vera Jameson, fountain grass (Pennisetum), dusty miller, and blue Salvia
farinacea. Both combine well with annuals, such as dwarf or medium-height snapdragons,
nicotiana, French marigolds, and petunias.
With its natural round shape, the dwarf basil Spicy Globe makes a wonderful
edging for any type of garden: perennial, rose, or herb.
Try the old-fashioned technique of keeping flies away by planting basils around a patio or
in containers on a deck.
Taking Care of Basil
Like most herbs, basils do not require much maintenance. In sandy or infertile soil,
fertilize basil plants for continuous growth. If you amended the soil with organic matter,
you may not need to fertilize basil. Basil plants need about an inch of water a week.
Water, if rain does not provide for the plants needs.
Although the flower spikes are attractive, it is recommended to cut them off as they
deplete the plants energy resulting in fewer leaves.
The leaves have the best flavorthe most essential oilswhen they are harvested
before the plants flower. Cut whole stems rather than individual leaves, especially if you
want to use the leaves as a garnish because they bruise easily. Cutting whole stems is a
tasty way of creating a bushy, compact plant: Cut just above a pair of lower leaves; the
plant will produce new shoots at that point.
Growing in Containers
Basils are excellent herbs to grow in containers because they add such attractive colors
and textures to the plantings. They look good in pots or window boxes in full sun. A
container of basil by the back door or on a deck provides easy access for harvesting!
The container should have drainage holes in the bottom or sides. Fill it with a soilless
mix, which is more lightweight than garden soil and is also free of diseases and weed
seeds. It is easy to provide nutrients all season by incorporating a controlled-release
fertilizer in the mix before planting.
With mixed plantings, place most basils near the center of containers or at the ends of
window boxes. Use dwarf basils to edge a container planting or on their own in smaller,
8-inch pots, and place the pots around a larger planter, marching up steps, or along a
walk. Basils combine well with other herbs and with annuals.
Plant basils at the same level as, or just slightly deeper than, they were growing in
their original pots. Water the container well after planting. Keep the plants evenly moist
through the growing season; the roots of any plants in a container cannot reach down or
out in search of available moisture. Smaller containers will require more frequent
watering than large ones. If you plant in a window box, remember that overhanging eaves
may prevent rain from reaching the plants.
From Garden to Kitchen
Basil complements many kinds of dishes and combines well with other herbs, whether used
fresh or dried. The flavor and appearance of the leaves are best fresh. Many gardeners are
unable to eat their fresh, homegrown tomatoes without fresh basil and a dash of premium
olive oil. Freshly harvested basil leaves added to mesclun or lettuce salads liven up the
flavors. Pesto is another favorite use for basil. Create the classic pesto sauce, a
combination of basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Whip up basil butter. Cream together one stick of unsalted butter and 1-3 tablespoons of
dried, crushed basil or 2-6 tablespoons of fresh, minced basil. Place in a covered
container or roll into a cylinder-shape and refrigerate for at least an hour before using.
Make basil vinegar to use in salad dressings. Heat vinegar (any type) in an enamel pan;
pour it into a bottle and add several sprigs of basil. Let set for 2 weeks before using.
If you have any basil left at the end of the growing season consider drying the leaves. To
dry basil, cut the entire plant and hang on a string in a well ventilated room. When dry,
just pluck the leaves from the stems and store in airtight jars out of direct light.
It is easy to bring container-grown plants inside, but you can also pot up a few plants
from the garden. Cut them back rather severelyto about 3-4 inches tallso they
will put out new growth when they become acclimated to the indoor environment.
Grow them on the sunniest windowsill you have, preferably with a southern exposure, or put
them in a light-garden. Keep the soil evenly moist and fertilize them once a month.
Because basils are so easy to grow from seed, however, the National Garden Bureau
recommends it is just as simple to sow fresh seed indoors at the end of the outdoor
growing season. Pot the seedlings into individual 4- to 6-inch containers and enjoy fresh
basil all winter harvested from your windowsill.
Pests and Diseases
You may find a few aphids or Japanese beetles that like your basil as much as you do. To
circumvent aphids, wash them off the plants with a strong spray of water from the garden
hose. Pick or knock Japanese beetles off into a jar of soapy water and discard.
Fusarium wilt is a soil-borne fungus that causes yellowing of foliage, discoloration of
the stems, reduced height and eventual wilting of the entire plant. If you plant basil in
the same garden place year after year this could be a problem. Seed companies have
addressed this problem by selling Fusarium free seed. Be sure to check the seed packet for
Fusarium tested seed. The best cure is prevention. Because it can overwinter in the soil,
dont plant basil in the same location every year. Avoid excessive watering and
provide proper drainage that will reduce the spread of Fusarium wilt. The only variety
resistant to Fusarium wilt is Nufar. Researchers are working towards breeding
Fusarium resistance into many of the common basil varieties on the market.
Information and Photograph courtesy of National
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