Characteristics:
Basil
grows into a bushy plant 6 inches to several feet high. It has opposite, oval
leaves with pointed tips and spikes of small white or pink flowers. Growing
Information:
For
best results, plant basil outdoors in a sunny site, but it will tolerate light
shade. Give it moist but well-drained, fertile soil. Fertilize with a water-soluble,
organic fertilizer each time you harvest. Pinch off the growing tips to make
the plant bushier; remove all flower spikes to prolong harvest. The plants
will die with the first fall frost unless you bring them indoors. Propagation:
Grow
basil from seed or cuttings. For a head start on the growing season, start
seedlings indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last spring frost. Varieties
and Cultivars:
Many
cultivars of basil are now readily available. Below are several of the most
popular ones. Sweet
basil
Sweet
basil varieties have glossy leaves and full basil flavor. One excellent cultivar
is 'Genovese'. Lettuce-leaf
basil (O.
b. var. crispum)
Lettuce-leaf
basil has extra-broad leaves. Cultivars include 'Mammoth', slow-bolting 'Napoletano',
and much-ruffled 'Green Ruffles'. Bush
basils
Bush
basils, which make good edgings, range from 3 to 12 inches high. They include
'Spicy Globe', 'Bush', 'Tiny Leaf Purple', 'Green Bouquet', and 'Piccolo Fine
Verde'. Lemon
basil 'Citriodorum'
Lemon
basil 'Citriodorum' has light green leaves and a lemony fragrance. Direct-sow
this basil seed so you don't disturb the sensitive roots. The leaves are great
in vinegars, potpourri, fruit salad, fish, poultry, and herb teas. Purple
basil
Purple
basil has purple foliage and pink flowers. It brings a lot of color to the
herb garden and makes a wonderful red herbal vinegar. Some cultivars include
'Purpurascens', much-ruffled 'Purple Ruffles', 'Opal', and dwarf 'Minimum Purpurascens'. Fragrant
basils
Fragrant
basils for special kinds of cooking and potpourri include purple-stemmed anise
basil, cinnamon basil, and Thai basil. Thai
basil (O.
citriodorum
'Thai')
is an annual native to Thailand and Burma. It has a darker leaf than common
basil and a slight anise flavor. It is used extensively in Thai and Indian
cooking. Possible
Problems:
Japanese
beetles can be a pest. Handpick beetles and put them into a container of soapy
water and leave overnight to drown. Harvesting
and Using:
Cut
off the branch tips every few weeks and use the leaves fresh, frozen, or dried
with meat, tomatoes, beans, eggs, eggplant, onions, potatoes, salads, cornbread,
butters, vinegars, pesto, pasta, or potpourri. Dry the flower heads for wreaths.
If you can't use all the basil you harvested right away, place the stems in
water on the kitchen counter for a day or two. It doesn't refrigerate well. Related
Herbs:
Holy
basil (O.
sanctum)
has narrower oval leaves and pink flowers with a perfumed fragrance that's
nice in potpourri. It gets to be about 18 inches high. |