Growing Herbs: Basil
Isn’t basil one of the best herb plants? A meal can’t possibly be deemed Italian if there isn’t any basil in it. This awesome smelling plant is one of my favorite ones to begin with because it is so not a problem to cultivate and harvest.
Even though this small herb is native to the tropical Pacific islands, you cannot read at a French, Greek or Italian menu without seeing basil several times over. I do not know what twist of chance brought it to Europe, but what a nice twist it was. In my opinion, the best basil meal is a yummy pesto, which is a green sauce made from a whole lot of chopped basil mixed with olive oil. Yummy!
Just some of the many types of basil that you can choose from are:
- Sweet Basil: This is the most typical variety used in recipes. Sweet basil has glossy leaves and provides the full basil flavor.
- Lettuce-Leaf Basil: For a milder taste, you might want to select this type which has broad leaves. There are several varieties of this leaf type, such as Mammoth, Napoletano and Green Ruffles.
- Bush Basil: This shorter kind of basil makes for good edging and also comes in a few different kinds, including Spicy Globe, Bush, Tiny Leaf Purple, Green Bouquet and Piccolo Fine Verde.
- Lemon Basil: This lemon scented type has short, little leaves. Herbal tea, fruit salad, vinegar and poultry and fish dishes are just some of the things lemon basil leaves can be used for.
- Purple Basil: Like its name might suggest, this kind has wide, purple leaves and pink flowers. This kind is best in vinegars and Greek dinners.
- Thai Basil: This type of basil has long, narrow leaves and is (of course) native to Thailand. The slight licorice flavor is a lovely addition to Thai and Indian dinners.
Even though some folks may prefer to purchase their basil plants at the nursery, getting seeds is also a nice way to get started. Regardless of how you start, your plants should grow to about 20 inches tall as long as they have plenty of sun and well-drained dirt.
Sometime in the summer, your basil will start to grow white blossoms, which I snip off. I do this because I am not in it for the blooms; I want those lovely 1-2 inch leaves. Pinching your herb back makes the plant grow fuller (more leaves).
Harvesting your basil is as easy as one, two, three: simply cut the stem just before the flowers, pick off the leaves and dry them. The leaves can be stored in a freezer bag after you dry them. You can skip the drying part and stick them immediately into the freezer. If you really want to bring out their flavor, put the leaves in a container and cover them with olive oil. They’ll last like that for several months.
Cultivating basil inside is not something that I suggest, even though it can be done. I attempted to winter my basil a few years ago with no success. It really requires about 5 hours of direct sun a day with moist sod to grow and succeed. I just did not have the right amount of sunlight in my kitchen.
Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.
Here is more information on Italian Herb Garden. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Herb Gardens.
Tags: basil, gardening, growing herbs basil, herbs, Italian Herb Garden
• Organic Vegetable Gardening: A Calming And Worthwhile Pastime
• The Benefits Of Organic Gardening Products
• Butterfly Gardening
• Types of roses-shrub roses
• Maximize Your Plant’s Growth With Hydroponic Fertilizers
