Basil Growing Guide

Supercharge your basil efforts with this age-old gardening hack which is adding fertilizer. Here are the five best fertilizers for basil. 1. Nitrogen-rich fertilizers Basil is a heavy feeder and requires a steady supply of nitrogen to support its rapid growth. The solution is to use fertilizers that are high in nitrogen, such as ammonium …

It’s a beautiful thing to see it spring to life in a glass or bed of water and then enjoy it later on pizza, in soup, or almost any dish. As it grows, its scent will be intoxicating, and you will want to do it again and again. Learn more about how to grow basil …

When I first started growing basil, I had a hard time being consistent about cutting it. I figured it didn’t matter where on the stem I made my cuts, or even how often I trimmed it. I just kind of picked off what I needed, or cut it all the way down to the soil. …

Are you sick and tired of never having enough fresh basil? Do you find yourself running out to the store to get more basil while your plants at home grow slowly? Boy do I feel your pain! I’ve been there.  There’s nothing more frustrating than planting seeds and only getting a “meh” harvest, right? When …

It doesn’t matter where you live. Having basil plants means that you need to have a cool temperature plan for them, and that will mean covering them. A basil plant will only last a few months and will ultimately drop its seeds. In many gardens, those seeds will one day become new plants, but it …

I usually know some bug was hungry when I see holes in my plants. That’s the case with most greens in the garden, including Basil. That’s not the only sign of critters, and you may want to know what to look for when inspecting plants. Related To: How to Bring a Dead Basil Plant What …

Basil is a common ingredient in many Mediterranean and Italian dishes. It has a sweet, peppery flavor and is used to add flavor to soups, stews, sauces, salads, and more. Basil is also used to make pesto, a popular sauce made from basil, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and pine nuts. How do you cut basil …

If you have your own herb garden (indoor or outdoor) or a community garden, preserving the fruits of your labor can be the most important step in the gardening process. After all, if you don’t correctly preserve your fresh herbs, they may go to waste or become unmanageable.  No one wants to eat fresh basil …

“There are about TEN different ways to freeze Basil….Properly grandson”, giggled grandpa with a wicked glint in his eye. When I was a boy, instead of going off to camp or summer school, I usually visited my grandparents at their veggie farm for the summer. It was during one such visit that one night I …

Chiffonading (term used when cutting back into ribbon strips) is a simple process. It entails picking the perfect leaves, washing, drying, and patting them dry, organizing them based on size, then cutting. I find that it is an enjoyable process that helps develop my motor skills (yes, adults need that too). Trendy and tasty, basil …

Basil plants are a fairly common staple in the garden of most warm climate gardeners.  While many people think of basil as an Italian plant, the truth is that there are varieties of basil all over the world.   The plant has different flavors depending on where each type of basil originates, but nearly all …

Growing basil in small spaces may not seem like a cool idea, but it’s definitely possible and not as difficult as you might think. I personally love the idea of growing my own herbs and there’s nothing quite like getting your favorite herbs fresh from your own plants. Successfully growing basil at home does require …

Downy mildew on basil is a fuzzy grey substance that begins on the underside of your basil leaves and grows up to infect the entire plant. It is a pathogen that can impact not just your basil leaves and plants but surrounding plants as well. You will start to notice yellow spots on the leaves …

When the first producer of modern pesto, Giovanni Battista Ratto, penned the first recipe for pesto in his writings in 1863, a culinary addition was memorialized and is still used today. However, a pesto-type spread goes back to ancient Rome. It would help if you considered then how would they have chopped basil for a …

Before crushing the basil leaves, you must dry them. This process can take as long as four weeks to air-dry your basil or two minutes if you use a microwave oven. You can leave dry basil whole and crush it upon use, or crush it, jar it, and save it for all your favorite holiday …

Downy mildew is mildew that is spread by the wind and can reach the leaves of your basil plant. It infects basil plants in America every single summer and many other surrounding plants as well. For some farmers, the wrong amount of downy mildew could result in an entire lost crop and a significant financial …

Spicy, pungent, and delicious, basil is a favorite herb of many people. Not only can you add the delicious Italian flavor of basil to pasta, chicken, and all kinds of other dishes, but this herb is also a lovely herb to grow both indoors and outside. Even better, basil is one of those herbs that …

I’m an avid basil lover, and I find myself making all sorts of things with the fragrant green leaves—fresh pesto, grilled chicken, and even chocolate mousse. It’s a lovely herb that’s easy to preserve, and it makes me sad when I see it wilting away in my vegetable bin. Should fresh basil be washed?  You …

Basil Seed Germination I think every gardener goes through the phase of planting seedlings and eventually takes a whack at starting a plant directly from seed. After all, it is a natural evolution to learn how to garden right from the start! Sometimes this process can be tricky! There are some plant seeds that take …

Planting basil is like setting up our gardens for success, from the smell to the help it gives other plants and, of course, the flavor it lends to a myriad of dishes. I truly enjoy planting it and so will you. As you read through this list of reasons for planting basil, you’ll see why …

Encouraging a Bushy Basil Plant If you’re growing basil, chances are that it’s going to be for culinary purposes. Basil is one of the most popular and widely used culinary herbs on the plant, and being able to have a fresh one in your house at all times will add a fresh kick to any …

You love the peppery, spicy taste of fresh basil if you are like me. It is much less expensive to grow your basil easily. Although fresh basil is relatively easy to grow, the best success is when the basil plant is pruned correctly. Let’s explore what the basil plant is, why it is such a …

Rooting Basil I don’t need to tell you that you love basil. That is probably why you’re here! But not everybody has the time or patience to grow basil right from seed. Luckily, there is a super timely and cost effective to grow basil and that is through growing from cuttings! Basil is going to …

Flowering Basil A flowering basil plant is a beautiful thing, but it is also quite a meaningful plant-happening depending on why you are growing basil in your garden in the first place. We’ve written this article in an effort to inform gardeners about why their basil plant is flowering, and what you should do going …

Hi there, my fellow basil fan. If you’re reading this article, you’re either planting your own basil for the first time, or you weren’t happy with the last harvest you had from your basil plant. Perhaps you slacked on watering and pruning, or you forgot about fertilizer. Either way, I’m here to help! We’ll be …

Basil can be a fun plant to grow, and when you do it right, the results can be extraordinary. The key to remembering everything you need to know about basil is that it is a plant that likes warmth and likes extremely moist soil. When you grow it, you will soon become addicted to its …

Harvesting Basil Seeds If you’ve read all of our other articles about caring for basil – whether it be identifying dying basil, dealing with bolting basil, browning basil, growing basil indoors, keeping away basil pests, or dealing with overwatered basil, and when to harvest basil leaves – you’re probably an expert by now. So you’ve …

Basil is an herb that is commonly used in a lot of Italian and Mediterranean cooking, but the herb can also be used for a lot of different medicinal and practical purposes around the house.  Basil comes in several different varieties, with each type imparting it’s own unique flavor such as cinnamon basil or spicy …

Protecting Basil from Cold Basil is a wonderful, tender annual plant that will completely uplift your cooking life if you can grow it in or around your home. However, the more that you learn about basil plants, the more you understand that they are quite the high-maintenance herb! What are they most sensitive to? Dips …

Dealing with Over Watered Basil Just because it is a popular herb, doesn’t meaning that growing basil is a simple task. The more you learn about basil plants, the more you will find just how particular and high maintenance they really are. Basil is over sensitive to a lot of different conditions, and the most …

Browning Basil The more you learn about basil, the more you start to understand that it is actually a pretty high maintenance plant. But that doesn’t mean that it’s fragile! As long as you can maintain the ideal growing conditions of a basil plant, it will reward you with gorgeous tasting and smelling foliage. Whether …

Basil Pests The more you learn about basil care, the more that you start to understand just how high maintenance of an herb basil is. That being said, the flavor and aroma of basil plants makes all of the effort completely worth it. There is something that loves the taste of basil foliage more than …

Bolting Basil Have you ever gone to trim your basil plant to garnish a pasta dish or a cocktail, and found the flavor of the leaves to have changed? Well, there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for this event, and it’s even something that is preventable! Your basil plant has bolted, but not to worry. …

Harvesting Basil Basil is truly divine for so many reasons. It smells lovely, looks lovely, and tastes lovely. It is wonderfully easy to grow (as long as you know the tips and tricks) and it can grow prosperously in your outdoor herb garden or indoor windowsill garden! Though it may seem obvious to some, there …

Do you Have a Sad Basil Plant? Gardeners are often surprised by how finicky basil plants can be. Though it is a very common herb to grow in your indoor herb garden or outdoors in your herb patch, there are so many issues that they are rather sensitive to. Luckily, at the same time they’re …

Basil is a lovely annual herb that can be used in a variety of ways. It’s also simple to cultivate and may be extremely prolific given the right growing circumstances. Basil plants, on the other hand, are susceptible to a variety of problems, one of which is the development of woody stems. The good news …

You can use eggshells in several different ways to grow basil. It is great for amending soil and adding nutrients. Or, you can use eggshells as tiny pots to start your seedlings. Either way, you are recycling kitchen waste to grow something new.   Whether you put your eggshells in your compost pile, crush them …

Fresh herbs are expensive, and many are very easy to grow. Basil is one of the easiest herbs there is to grow from seed. Unfortunately, when you buy plants from the local garden store, you are stuck with the variety they supply. However, you can quickly grow basil from seed. You will be able to …

When you have worked hard to bring basil seedlings to a beautiful plant that you want to enjoy on pizza and pasta, you don’t want it to wither away when you are on vacation. The amount of time that you are away will make all of the difference. Additionally, you just need to remember that …

The breed of plant that we have all grown to love in many a favored savory dish is basil. Many of us love it so much that the thought of purchasing it seems so bland. Why not have it in your home or garden where you can enjoy it whenever you want? Basil is an …

Basil is a popular herb and the plants are not particularly sensitive. However, any plant can be affected by things in the environment, or the way it is treated, and wither and die. If you notice your basil plant dying, take note of what may be wrong and how to bring it back to life. …

Growing basil in a raised bed is easier than you think. Basil is a hardy herb that adds both lush greenery and a sweet fragrance to your outdoor garden. It is an herb you almost don’t want to harvest because its scent is as stunning as its leaves. You change your mind after you have …

Growing herbs is usually done in small to medium pots on kitchen windowsills. Sometimes a kitchen will have an herb wall in which small pots of herbs grow on a frame into which the pots fit. Other homeowners plant their herbs in raised beds like their flowers. Either way, you can plant basil from seeds …

So you’re growing your own basil and want to know if you can use spent coffee grounds as fertilizer. Short answer: Yep, using coffee grounds to aid basil growth is a great idea!!  Read to learn why. I used spent coffee grounds and tea bags for some extra zip when I grew African violets. You’ll …

Introducing Basil You’ve heard of basil. You’ve eaten basil, you love basil. We all love basil! This wonderfully fragrant herb is used literally all over the world as a staple herb item in any cooks culinary repertoire. Basil is probably one of the better known edible plant types and essential for your indoor gardening life! …