Senga's Blog
Eco-chic Outdoor Living & Exterior Design
May 17/10 Year in Sustainable Garden: The Planning Stage: Basil
Basil Planting Day
Basil is an annual herb closely identified with Italian cooking, although it is originally from India. Today there are dozens of different basil varieties, some with the familiar lemony tang and others with spicy and exotic scents and flavours. They all grow easily in warm, sunny weather as tender annuals. The leaves are commonly used in cooking, but the flower buds are also edible. Basil is a member of the mint family. The flowers are insignificant, but very popular with bees.
Basil is traditionally planted along side tomato plants. It’s said they help each other grow, but it may just be for convenience in harvesting. Basil does not need to remain in the vegetable or herb garden. Some of the shorter, purple varieties, like ‘Spicy Globe’, actually make nice edging plants in the ornamental garden, if you don’t have problems with animals.
Basil Information You Need to Know
Botanical name: Ocimum basilicum
Common Name: Basil
Country of Origin: India
Description: Varies with variety. ‘Sweet Basil’ can reach 6', but grows to about 3' for most gardeners. There are also short 6" dwarf varieties, which work especially well in pots.
Time to Plant: March 1 (4 weeks before last spring frost) indoors.
Where to Sow and Grow: Transplant seedlings to full sun. Don’t bother planting it until the daytime temperatures remain in the 70s F. and night temperatures are above 50 degrees F. Seeds can be started indoors 3-4 weeks before last spring frost date. Unlike many Mediterranean herbs, basil likes a somewhat rich soil and doesn’t like to be kept dry.
Space: 25cm (10”) apart
Maturity: Varies but I got leaves after 45 Days
Tip: Keep moist, Basil hates to be dry. Begin pinching the tops off once the plants reach about 6" in height. If you don’t pinch or harvest, the plants will grow tall and gangly, with few leaves and will bolt to seed. You can continue harvesting as long as there are leaves left on the plant to keep it going.
Taste: The extremely aromatic leaves also have a delightful variety of flavours from the slightly lemony mint of ‘Sweet Basil’ to cinnamon, and licorice. Leaf color spans from rich green to deep purple, with smooth or crinkled leaves.
Uses: Basil can be used in cooking, generally added at the end to keep its fresh taste and color. Basil can also be used fresh in salads, on sandwiches or even as a wrap, for instance around cheese cubes. Basil can be dried or frozen, for use after harvest.
Suggested Varieties:
Ocimum basilicum ‘Genovese’ - Larger leaves than ‘Sweet Basil’, with all the flavour.
O. b. ‘Cinnamon’ or ‘Mexican Spice’ - Green foliage, purple flowers, with a spicy, cinnamon scent.
O. b. ‘Finissimo Verde a Palla’ & ‘Spicy Clove’ - Quick growing compact plants that are great for containers and edges.
O. b. ‘Lemon’ - Gives a fresh lemony tang to pesto. Small leaves can be harder to harvest.
O. b. 'Red Rubin' - Keeps purple color throughout the season with great flavour. Wonderful in vinegars.
Place in Square Foot Garden: On my edible green roof sprinkled throughout my veggie garden to protect a myriad of vegetables – especially my tomatoes. Also protects: peppers, oregano, asparagus, petunias.
Companion Plants: Tomatoes love this plant and it helps them to grow and taste better.
