Perhaps the most popular and widely used culinary herb. It is a tender annual, aromatic plant with a spicy odor and flavor. It grows 12-18 inches tall and foliage color can range from green to purple. Foliage size can vary from large lettuce-like leaves to very small leaves, half an inch in size.
Basil picked for use in the kitchen is best held in a glass of water at room temperature. Putting basil in the refrigerator results in discolored and unattractive leaves. Basil is easily dried for storing and future use. It is used to flavor soups, stews, tomato dishes, meat, fish, egg dishes, herb butter & herb vinegar.
Basil
Prep Time
5 minutes
Total Time
5 minutes
Difficulty
Easy
Estimated Cost
2$
Materials
- Basil Seeds
- Seed Starting Mix / Soil
- Water
Tools
- Trowel to prepare soil
- 4-6" Planting Pot / Raised bed
Instructions
- Lightly moisten fresh potting mix and pack firmly into 4-6" pots. Pour some seeds into your palm and sprinkle the soil surface with a few seeds. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil and press gently to firm the soil.
- Water gently or use a mister.
- If using a pot.Place in a warm window with a southern exposure. Avoid places where temperatures drop considerably at night.
- As the plants grow, rotate the pots to keep them from leaning in one direction, toward the light.
- Keep the soil moist, but not soaking wet. If the plants start to look crowded as they grow, use scissors to thin them out. Snip the extra seedlings at the soil line and enjoy them in a salad.
- Two months after planting, you may have enough basil leaves to make fresh pesto or top on pizza ! yumm yumm:P
Notes
- Basil needs daytime temperatures over 70° F and nighttime temps over 50° F. Plant outdoors in spring, after all danger of frost has passed.
- It needs full sun (6-8 hours per day).
- In good, rich soil, basil doesn’t need to be fertilized, although it will benefit from applications of compost and compost tea.
- Once your plants are about 6 inches tall, start pinching off the tops to encourage branching.
- Basil can also be planted with transplants that can be rooted in water.