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A Beginner’s Guide To Growing Basil

May 24, 2018 by Mindi Cherry

Beginner's Guide To Growing Basil

Ahhh basil. Everyone loves to eat it, but not everyone can grow it. Basil can be a finicky little plant when it is just starting out. It has made more than one gardener scream in frustration. I don't want that for you!

If you are planning your Spring garden, here is a Beginner's Guide to Growing Basil to help you out.

Seeds or Transplants?

Beginners, don't even think about growing basil from seed. If you do, just wait for the frustration to come out after two weeks. You will be SO excited to see the little guys sprout up and then you will wait, and wait, and wait some more them to grow bigger. You will keep waiting. It won't happen. Basil seeds tend to grow a fungus on the soil that stunts their growth. It is due to poor air circulation and not keeping the soil's water level maintained.

Go ahead and head on over to the nursery and pick out 1-2 basil plants in different varieties. Unless you plan on freezing and drying basil, a 6-pack of basil will produce too much.

Tips and Tricks

Basil are heavy nutrient users. So this means two things – grow them in at least a one gallon container (learn more about growing an herb container garden) and feed them every month.

Since basil plants produce edible leaves, they need more nitrogen, making blood meal the perfect soil amendment. Basil also needs a lot of water. It can handle the soil drying out in between waterings, but it really likes to be moist if possible. Basil is also a sun worshipper – give your plant at least 6-8 hours of bright sunlight a day.


Dried Blood Meal $14.50

Harvesting

You can start to harvest basil as early as 3-4 weeks or once the plant is taller than six inches. Gently pinch all the way down the stem to the union of the next leaf set. You want to remove that stem so that new leaves will grow from that point. Pinch off as much as you need at the time or harvest full stems for freezing and drying. Always remove the flowers the minute that they emerge. If you don't, they will make the leaves turn a bitter taste and make the plant go to seed.


How to Dry Herbs: A Complete Guide on Drying Herbs – $0

Follow this beginner's guide to growing basil and enjoy basil all summer long!

Do you have any tips to add?

Filed Under: Gardening Tips

This post may contain affiliate links which might make me money. I promise to only use the money to buy wine, male strippers and glitter-pooping unicorns (and maybe to donate to starving orphan puppies in Africa) or whatever the heck I want. If you think I shouldn't make money for the 60+ hours that I spend on this site each week, please go away and never come back. Read my disclosure policy.

« Breakfast Pizza with Sausage and Spinach
10 Most Popular Vegetables to Grow in Containers »

Comments

  1. Judy says

    April 12, 2015 at 8:46 pm

    I’ve never had any trouble growing from seed! But I can never seem to get chives to sprout LOL–and I’m told that’s one of the easiest. Any tips?

  2. Isadora Guidoni says

    July 3, 2018 at 2:37 pm

    What a great guide! Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge with us.

Welcome!

Thanks for stopping by! As a busy mom. I just want to put healthy and flavorful meals on the table quickly without having to rely on processed foods, while still trying to maintain a household. Read More…

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