Celebrate “culture” in agriculture & share skills like growing, cooking, canning

In the Garden Spotlight: Basil

Basil is by far the easiest plant I have grown...EVER! Basil needs sun, water and room to grow. If your plant gets too tall or bushy, chop of a piece and add it to your salad, make pesto or even Basil Lemonade!

Purple Opal Basil

My favorite varieties are Dark Purple Opal, Fine Verde and Genovese Basil. All three of them are great in pesto and the purple adds a bit of color to salads or even pizza!

Fine Verde Basil

Companion Plants for Basil are: tomatoes, peppers, oregano, asparagus and petunias.

From the Growing from Seed page:

Sow seeds outdoors when soil is warm and temperature does not drop below 65°F. Basil can also be started indoors 4-6 weeks before planting out. Seeds usually germinate within 7 days of planting.

Seedlings need 6-8 hours of sunlight . Basil can be grown indoors on a nice sunny ledge or windowsill or outdoors in a sunny spot.

Make successive sowings for continuous summer supplies. Pinch back flower stalks as they appear to keep plants from bolting. Basil prefers rich well-drained soil.

I have found Easy to grow Herbs very helpful.

Doesn't that sound easy? I found a basil plant at my local supermarket for $4. For $4 at Mary's Heirloom Seeds you can get a full pack of organic, non-gmo Basil seeds. That's a possible 35 basil plants!!!

Want to grow your own? Enter to win the Seeds in a Stocking Giveaway! ENDS December 4th at Midnight! Win it for yourself or give as a gift.

This is a series! Did you miss the previous spotlights?

Japanese White Egg (eggplant)