Basil is a wonderful herb. It smells fantastic, tastes so good, and you can use it dry or fresh in your cooking. Italian, in particular, is a dish that tastes amazing with fresh basil. Growing basil has been a simple task for me. It sits in my kitchen pots, ready whenever i want it. And here is how.
I started my sweet basil from seeds. I actually started them in a plastic strawberry container. I filled it with quality soil. I then sowed the seeds, fertilized with liquid fertilizer and water and waited for my seeds to sprout. It took about 7 days. My home made mini greenhouse sat in a window with no direct sun, but full light.
As the sprouts grew in, i let them get a few inches tall. Which took maybe 2 weeks. Then i needed to transplant them into some deeper soil. I collected some 4 inch pots and moved 3 to 4 sprouts per pot. At this point i did not weed out any extras. I had about 10 pots with babies in them. Even at that small stage, the basil smelled wonderful when the leaves were touched.
In the larger pots, the basil grew several more inches tall. Becoming leafy. At this point, i started pinching leaves and allowing them to dry. I also decided it was time to transplant the basil babies into a larger pot. This time i chose 10 inch pots. I chose the healthy and large babies, putting 3 in each pot. I gave many plants away to friends and family because i did not need so much however you may decide to keep more. I ended up with 4 pots of basil, 3 plants per 10 inch pot. I did not transplant the Basil again.
At this stage, the plants are perfect for pinching leaves and eating, cooking, or drying. The plants are about 18 inches tall, in their 10 inch pots. To keep the leaves healthy, strong and full of flavor, i pinch back any flowers that come. Plants will always put all they can into growing a flower in order to create more. In order to keep your leaves as flavorful as possible you must pluck the flowers.
It is possible for your basil to grow too tall for your container. Clipping off the top of the plant will cause it to bush out, grow larger leaves and at times a second stalk upright. Pinching off the larger leaves from the bottom will encourage it to put off more. But be careful not to take all the plant has or you might have to wait a while for its wonderful flavor.
Now growing basil in the greenhouse is just as easy as growing it on the counter. You can start your babies in a much deeper pot and expect the plants to sprout and grow faster with the warmer air. Basil likes to be fertilized on a monthly basis for both indoor and greenhouse plants. Make sure it gets plenty of water and has good drainage in both pots and greenhouse gardening. I water my basil plants on a near daily basis, a small sprinkle of about a quarter cup every 1 to 2 days, more if the kitchen is hot and in the summer heat. I also water my greenhouse basil more often. Sweet basil seems to grow best when the soil is kept moist without drying out. Basil is actually a deter ant for some of the more common flies like fruit flies, but attracts slugs when outside.
Growing basil in my kitchen has been wonderful. While i keep it in a greenhouse as well, nothing beats having it on hand for making spaghetti or lasagna. Its also good for sucking on the leaves and enjoying the fresh flavor that is grown with my own hands.
