Basil blog post

Basil: How to Grow and When to Plant in Your Backyard or Patio Garden!

Basil is one of our favorite herbs to cook with in the kitchen. It flourishes in warm weather and is one of the best things to plant alongside your tomatoes. Many people mix various types of basil in their gardens. It is also great for container gardening. Some of our favorite varieties are sweet, thai, lemon, cinnamon, and lettuce leaf.
Basil is one of our favorite herbs to cook with in the kitchen. It flourishes in warm weather and is one of the best things to plant alongside your tomatoes. Many people mix various types of basil in their gardens. It is also great for container gardening. Some of our favorite varieties are sweet, thai, lemon, cinnamon, and lettuce leaf.

How to Grow:

You can plant basil indoors 4-6 weeks before your last spring frost and be transplanted outdoors after your last spring frost. Basil can be continued to plant throughout the summer until around 14 weeks before your first fall frost. You can see specific dates for your location using our FREE iOS, Android, and Universal Web App.

Basil seeds are planted 1/4 inch deep, up to 4 per square, in the full sun. Take care to notice what plants are around the area as well, see the companion plant section below. Basil seeds will take approximately 5-10 days to sprout. Keep the watering light and consistent.

Companion Plants:

Companion planting is a vital part of organic gardening. Companion plants assist in the growth of others by attracting beneficial insects, repelling pests, or providing nutrients, shade, or support. There are also plants that do not like being next to each other. Some plants get too tall and can provide too much shade for your plant. Sometimes certain plants attract the same pests, so it is important to try and separate these. Herbs (like basil!) are especially great companion plants because they help to repel pests from your other plants!

         GoodBad
AsparagusLettuceBroccoli
Banana PeppersMarigoldsCabbage
Bell PeppersMarjoramCauliflower
CarrotsNew Zealand Spinach (Tetragonia)Cucumbers
CatnipOregano 
Cilantro/CorianderPotatoes 
EggplantRadish 
GarlicTarragon 
Hot PeppersTomatillos 
LemongrassTomatoes (Bush & Vine) 

See companion plants for 100+ foods in our FREE iOS, Android, and Universal Web app!

Pests:

Pests can be one of the most difficult challenges you face in the garden. We strive to grow food without the use of pesticide and luckily there are natural solutions for most of these nasty pests! The pests listed below are common pests for basil:

Learn more about how to manage pests and attract beneficial insects in our FREE iOS, Android, and Universal Web App!

Harvesting:

Begin harvesting anytime after 12 weeks. Continually harvest and trim back regularly to encourage bushy growth and more production. Trim off any flowers that develop as well.

Cooking & Eating!

Use fresh basil leaves in pastas and stir fries. You can also make pesto or freeze basil in oil cubes! Dried basil doesn’t quite retain the flavor of fresh leaves.

Learn more about growing over 100 different foods, including how to manage various pests in our FREE iOS, Android, or new Universal Web App!

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