Basil

Varieties We Grow

We like Sweet Basil (Ocimum. basilicum) and Thai Basil (O. basilicum var. thyrsiflorum "Siam Queen"). We make a lot of pesto, and Sweet Basil is ideal for this. For mutiple servings of pesto, purée 4 handsfull of your basil with 3 or 4 cloves of your garlic and 2 tablespoons of pine nuts plus a pinch of fleur du sel in a food processor. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to make your pesto the right consistency to pour, then spoon it into an ice cube trays and pop them in the freezer. Both Sweet Basil & Thai Basil are tasty raw in salads; and of course if we're making Thai food, you know which variety we use.

Getting Started

In our area (Metro Vancouver), we plant our basil in flats in our apartment and in our unheated greenhouse around mid-April. Plant seeds in a mixture of potting soil and organic compost, 2 seeds to a flat compartment or small container. Thin out the weaker seedlings and eat them or turf them into your kitchen compost. We set out our seedlings (after we harden them off) at the beginning of June when the soil has the kind of warmth basil likes.

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Planting and Caring for Seedlings

​We stress that you shouldn't put basil out too soon. It won't  grow well and will be prone to pests and disease if its warm soil and sunny requirements aren't met. Also give the plants space (1 1/2 - 2 feet between plants & between rows). Overcrowding will likewise retard basil's potentially vigorous growth and render the plants disease and pest-prone.

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Dig in lots of compost in the sunny location where you're going to plant your basil. Deep water the plants twice a week and mulch them to conserve moisture. If you water and weed your plants regularly and side dress them with compost at least twice in their growing season, they will be vigorous producers of deliciously sweet & fragrant leaves.

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Pinch off leaves near the tops of the plants to encourage growth (and enliven your fresh salads). Also, snip off the flower heads to direct the plants' energies toward growing more leaves.

Harvesting Your Basil

Snip off the top leaves, just above a side branch below them. This encourages more bushy growth as the plant will grow more leaves adjacent to where it's been trimmed. Use the leaves right away because the more bumping and handling they receive, the more prone they'll be to bruising and blackening.

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Companion Plants for Basil

Basil & tomatoes do well together: they improve each others' taste. Lemon verbena & French or African marigolds planted among your tomatoes deter insect pests.

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