{"id":828,"date":"2019-08-27T22:51:16","date_gmt":"2019-08-27T22:51:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/?p=828"},"modified":"2019-09-17T05:23:27","modified_gmt":"2019-09-17T05:23:27","slug":"basil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/2019\/08\/27\/basil\/","title":{"rendered":"Basil"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ocimum basilicum<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/strong>: Basil is a native of southern Asia and many kinds are grown\nthere. The name comes from the Greek word \u201cbasileus\u201d meaning \u201cking\u201d as it is\noften considered the king of herbs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basil is without doubt the most important culinary herb in my\nkitchen, In fact I think of it more as a vegetable than as a flavoring herb and\ngrow it like spinach. I can use as much as I can grow, because I make any\nsurplus into pesto and freeze it for winter use. Pesto is always quite\nexpensive to buy, so this can be a very valuable crop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nutritional content<\/strong>: Basil contains some powerful antioxidants that give it anti-cancer activity. It may also help to lower cholesterol. It contains about 130 calories per pound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Crop value<\/strong>: Basil is easily grown, very flavorful and I love it. Consequently I rate it as one of the most essential crops and grow it in vegetable sized (as opposed to herb sized) quantities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\nEase of growing<\/strong>: Basil isn\u2019t a very demanding crop so long as it gets warm\nweather. In the right circumstances it will often grow like a weed. If it\ndoesn\u2019t get warm weather it is not so easy; it really doesn\u2019t like the cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climate: <\/strong>Basil is a\nshort lived perennial in tropical climates, but anywhere the temperature drops\nbelow 60\u02daF it has to be grown as an annual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soil<\/strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

pH 5.0 (6.0-7.5) 8.0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basil prefers a rich, light, well-drained soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soil\npreparation<\/strong>: Basil\ncan produce a lot of foliage in the course of a summer, but needs plenty of\nnutrients to do so. Incorporate 2\u02dd of compost or aged manure into the top 6\u02dd of\nsoil before planting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
About Basil<\/strong>  
Seed facts<\/strong>
Growing temp: 60 (75 – 85) 90\u02daF
Germ time: 5 – 10 days
Seed viability: 8 years
Weeks to grow transplant: 4 – 8  

Planning facts<\/strong>
Hardiness: tender
Germ temp: 60 (70 – 85) 90\u02daF
Plants per person: 4
Plants sq ft: 3 – 4
Plant height: 6 – 18:
Plant diameter: 6 – 12\u02dd  

Planting<\/strong>
Start in: 4 – 6 wks before last frost
Plant out: 2 wks after last frost
Direct sow: 2 – 4 wks after last frost  

Harvest facts<\/strong>
Days to harvest: 60 days
Harvest period: 1 – 3 months
Yield per plant: 4 oz  <\/strong> <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n

Planning<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where<\/strong>: Basil is unhappy if it isn\u2019t warm, so in\ncooler areas it should be put in the warmest and sunniest spot in the garden\n(and sheltered from cold wind). If even this isn\u2019t warm enough, then grow under\ncloches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you are only growing basil for its leaves, it can be grown in\npart shade. However it won\u2019t be as productive as when in full sun.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: Basil is slow to get established if the weather is not warm, so\nthe first plants of spring are usually started indoors, about 6 weeks before\nthe last frost date. Don\u2019t plant it out until at least 2 weeks after the last\nfrost, when the soil has warmed up (to at least 60\u02daF and preferably 70\u02daF). If you are in a hurry you could hasten\nthis process with cloches or plastic mulch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Succession sowing<\/strong>: Basil can be harvested for quite a while if you use the right\ntechnique, Nevertheless it is common to make several sowings over the course of\nthe summer, perhaps every 4 – 6 weeks or so (these later plantings are usually\ndirect sown). This will give you a continuous and abundant supply of new plants\nand will ensure you never run out of pesto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indoors<\/strong>: The first basil is usually started indoors, in flats, cell\npacks, soil blocks or plug trays. Sow the seed in \u00bc\u02dd deep furrows or scatter it\non the surface and then covering with a \u00bc\u02dd of sowing mix. When the plants have\nat least 2 (and up to 4) pairs of true leaves you can transplant them into the\ngarden (they transplant quite easily). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the plants are indoors you should go easy on the watering\nand keep them well ventilated to avoid damping off fungi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outdoors<\/strong>: If the\nweather is warm enough it\u2019s better not to mess with starting indoors, just sow\ndirectly into the garden. Plant the seed \u00bc\u02dd deep and keep moist and well weeded\nuntil the plants are growing well. The seedlings are easy to recognize by the\npair of distinctive D shaped cotyledons (seed leaves).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Direct\nsowing is a lot less work than raising transplants, but you won\u2019t get a crop\nuntil a little later. I use both methods, growing my earliest plants from transplants\nand later ones by direct sowing. Try sowing some seed when you transplant your\nfirst basil seedlings into the garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spacing<\/strong>: The\nspacing for basil varies from 6\u02dd – 8\u02dd – 12\u02dd apart, depending on the variety and\nhow big you want the plants to get. If you want the plants to grow into 24\u02dd\ntall bushes you may even plant them 18\u02dd apart. I find the closer spacing works\nwell because I harvest prune by pinching the shoots off frequently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Care<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warmth<\/strong>: The biggest problem with basil is its dislike of cold weather.\nIt just won\u2019t thrive if the summer isn\u2019t warm. Fortunately this isn\u2019t a problem\nin most of North America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weed<\/strong>: Keep the plants weeded at all times, but especially while they\nare young.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water<\/strong>: Basil must have evenly moist soil for\nmaximum productivity and best flavor, so water whenever it gets dry. Plants\nsometimes respond to drought by bolting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fertilization<\/strong>: If\nyou are repeatedly harvesting from the same plants, you should give them a\nliquid feed (compost tea or liquid kelp) every couple of weeks. It\u2019s probably\nbest to use this as a soil drench, rather than as a foliar feed, as you want to\nkeep the leaves as clean as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mulch<\/strong>: This is\nbeneficial in hot weather as it conserves moisture and suppresses weeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pruning<\/strong>: The growing tips should be pinched out when the plants are 6 –\n8\u02dd tall (this is actually the first harvest). This causes them to send up two\ngrowing tips, making the plants bushier and larger. It may also delay\nflowering. If you carefully harvest prune the plants, you can harvest from them\nfor weeks, or even months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Problems<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frost<\/strong>: If frost threatens you can try protecting the plants, but they\nare very sensitive to cold. If it is late in the year and it\u2019s getting cold\nanyway, you should just harvest everything you can and freeze it. You might\nalso try potting up some plants and putting them in the greenhouse, but it must\nbe warm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pests<\/strong>: Basil growing in the garden isn\u2019t much bothered by pests, though\nsnails and slugs may eat it when young. Aphids and leafhoppers might show up\noccasionally too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disease: <\/strong>Fusarium\nwilt can be a problem when it is grown on a larger scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harvesting<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: The\nleaves are at their best before the flowers appear, though they are still worth\ngathering even if the plants are actually blooming. It pays to remove any\nflower stems as they appear, as this encourages more leafy growth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If done carefully you can get 3, 4 or even 5 harvests from one\nplanting (and make them last for a good part of the summer).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How<\/strong>: Harvest by pinching off the growing tops\njust above a pair of leaves. You can start doing this when the plants are only\n6\u02dd tall. Always leave plenty of foliage on the bottom of the plant (at least 4\nsets of leaves), so it can regenerate and give you another harvest later on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also harvest whole plants, but that only makes sense if\nyou are selling the plants and want to make nice bunches. You will get a lot\nmore leaves by repeated harvest pruning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Storage<\/strong>: Basil has thin leaves and wilts quickly once cut. It will keep\nfor a few days in a plastic bag in the fridge. You can extend the life of whole\nplants by keeping them in water like cut flowers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The easiest way to store basil is to dry it in a warm shady place.\nThis alters its flavor considerably, but it is still very good. It must be\ndried quickly though, if it takes too long, it will deteriorate and turn black.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is possible to store the fresh leaves by packing them in a jar\nand covering with olive oil. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can freeze the leaves whole in a plastic bag, but a better\nidea is to put the chopped leaves in ice cube trays and cover them with water.\nOnce they are frozen you can transfer them to a plastic bag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I usually make pesto (see below) and freeze it in meal-sized\nportions (so I don\u2019t have to saw up large frozen chunks). You can also put it\nin a plastic bag (flatten it so that it will break easily when frozen).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unusual growing <\/strong>ideas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cuttings<\/strong>: You can root soft cuttings of basil in\nwater and get new plants faster than growing them from seed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Companion planting<\/strong>: Basil works well with tomatoes. Just plant it all around the\ntomato bed, to fill in any empty space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Multi\u2011plant blocks<\/strong>: Multi\u2011planting works well with basil. Sow 4 – 5 seeds in a block\nor cell pack and thin to the best 3 seedlings. These are planted out in a clump\nand grow together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harvest the largest plant when it gets to be\na suitable size, leaving the others with more room to grow. When the biggest of\nthe remaining plants gets to a suitable size, harvest it too (you may have to\ndo some judicious pruning to keep both plants growing well). Then harvest the\nlast plant when it reaches a suitable size. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alternatively you could allow all three plants to grow and just\nkeep harvesting the growing tips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Container growing<\/strong>: Basil grows well in containers and this is the best way to grow it\nif you live in a cool climate (this is much easier than trying to coax it along\noutside).  Put 3 plants in a 12 inch pot\nand give it a warm, sunny window sill. Be sure to keep it well supplied with\nwater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also try digging up plants at the end of the growing\nseason and bringing them inside (they won\u2019t last indefinitely though).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Micro-greens<\/strong>: Growing basil in this way allows you to have the nice fresh basil\nflavor in winter. See Micro-greens<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seed saving<\/strong>: Bees love basil flowers and will cross-pollinate any plants\nwithin 150 feet of each other. For this reason you should only have one variety\nflowering at one time. Basil sets seed very readily; all you have to do is\nleave it alone. Don\u2019t collect seeds from the first plants to flower (remove\nthem), as you don\u2019t want to select an early bolting strain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Varieties<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you thought basil was just basil, you are somewhat mistaken,\nthere are actually around 150 types of basil, each with its own unique\nproperties and distinct flavors. The most common include <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sweet<\/strong>: This is the standard basil\nyou were thinking about. I have tried quite a few types of basil, but still\ncome back to these deliciously aromatic, large leaved types: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Genovese<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lettuce Leaved Basil<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Superbo<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bush<\/strong>:\nSometimes said to be a separate species (O. minimum<\/em>), It has smaller\nleaves and is more compact, but tastes like the above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cinnamon \/ Mexican<\/strong>: This has\na mixed cinnamon \/ basil flavor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lemon<\/strong>: This has a distinct lemon\n\/ basil flavor and is often used for tea. It is popular in Indonesia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Licorice<\/strong>: This has a hint of anise\nto go along with the basil flavor<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opal<\/strong>:\nHas small purple or purple \/ green variegated leaves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Purple<\/strong>:\nSmall purple leaves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sacred<\/strong>: This is a different species (O.\nsanctum<\/em>). It is popular in India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thai<\/strong>:\nHas a lemon \/ basil flavor. It is popular in Thailand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kitchen use<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basil is traditionally used to flavor tomatoes and eggs and is an\nessential ingredient of Italian cooking. It is probably best known for its use\nin making pesto (or the French equivalent pistou).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The seeds of basil are\nnot commonly used as food in the west, but they have their own unique\nproperties. They are coated with a substance that swells up into jelly when\nthey get wet (no doubt to provide moisture for germination). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In parts of Asia they\nare commonly used to thicken and flavor a variety of drinks (nam manglak,\nfalooda). Whether you like these drinks is very much a matter of taste, some\nfind the unusual texture and delicate flavor delightful, and some find the\ntexture to be slimy and revolting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The seeds work well with cold fruit\njuices, herb teas and milk to make cooling summer drinks. Go light on the seed\n(at most 2 tsp per pint), otherwise you may end up eating your drink with a\nspoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pesto<\/strong>  
1 clove garlic
1 cup basil
3 tbsp pine nuts (or almonds or sunflower seeds)
\u00bd tsp salt
Pepper
\u00bd cup olive oil
2 oz Romano or Parmesan cheese  

Blend the oil and basil together in a food processor, then add the garlic, pine nuts and salt and pepper. It can then be frozen for storage. I think it tastes better if it is cooked for a few minutes, but it isn\u2019t essential. It is traditional to add 2 oz grated Parmesan, or Romano, cheese just before serving (though it isn\u2019t essential).   <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ocimum basilicum Introduction: Basil is a native of southern Asia and many kinds are grown there. The name comes from the Greek word \u201cbasileus\u201d meaning \u201cking\u201d as it is often … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1661,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-828","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-herbs","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Basil.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/828","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=828"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/828\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1685,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/828\/revisions\/1685"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1661"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=828"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=828"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=828"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}