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Basil

Ocimum basilicum

HerbContainer-friendlySummerBeginner Easy

Fast, fragrant, and happiest in warmth, basil rewards frequent harvesting with bushier growth. The more you pinch, the more you get.

Growing conditions

Light
Full sun
Water
Medium
Soil
Moist, rich, well-draining (pH 6.0–7.0)
When to sow
Sow after all danger of frost; loves heat
Spacing
20–30 cm apart
Days to maturity
60 days
Hardiness
Tender annual; grow in zones 2–11 in warm season

How to grow it

  1. 1

    Sow in warmth

    Basil hates cold. Sow seeds 0.5 cm deep once soil is reliably above 15°C, or start indoors and off before planting out.

  2. 2

    Sun and steady moisture

    Give it 6+ hours of full sun and keep soil evenly moist — basil wilts fast when dry but recovers quickly once watered.

  3. 3

    Pinch early and often

    Once the plant has 3–4 sets of leaves, out the top growing tip just above a leaf pair. This breaks apical dominance so it branches into a bushy plant instead of a single stalk.

  4. 4

    Deadhead flower buds

    When flower spikes appear, them off. Letting basil flower (bolt) turns the leaves bitter and slows leaf production as the plant shifts energy to seed.

Gardener's notes

  • Basil makes a great plant near tomatoes.
  • Bring a pot indoors before first frost to extend the season.