Growing Basil

Ocimum basilicum : Lamiaceae / the mint family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
                  S    
T                   T T

(Best months for growing Basil in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 64°F and 95°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 8 - 10 inches apart
  • Harvest in 10-12 weeks. Pick before flowering.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Tomato

Your comments and tips

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13 Feb 12, Rose (Australia - temperate climate)
Try a different position to grow and add a lot of nitrogenous fertilizer and manure,... Or better still try a different variety
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25 Jan 12, Kam (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Try planting them I a pot with some tomatoes. Also I have been watering mine with worm tea and it has gone nuts you should look into a small worm farm. They are awesome for everything :) hope this helped
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24 Nov 11, Amy Mitchell (Australia - temperate climate)
My basil has started getting brown dots. I don't think this is good. What can I do?
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11 Apr 11, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
As basil plants grow older, they loose their taste and become very bitter and odd tasting, so i find that if you pinch the flowers off when they are dead and sow them into the soil for the next crop, which means you have fresh basil. The flowers contain seeds and i have used this method and I have never bought any basil seeds or plants.
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22 Jan 11, Trish (Australia - tropical climate)
We have a few basil plants around a foot high right now and are picking and eating happily. They haven't flowered, and I'm told I should pinch off the flowers to prevent it. my question - I'm such a beginner - do they die off and require replacing, or do the carry on forever if I keep pinching off the flowering heads? If they die, I should be planting again now!
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14 Oct 11, Julie (Australia - temperate climate)
I have been experimenting growing herbs for the last year. Let some of the basil flower and go to seed, when dried out save the seeds and plant again in September for regrowth. Perfect for making pesto, keeps well when made and sealed. Basil does need to be sown each year,
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23 Jan 11, craig (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
You can actually just cut them right back and dry an excess in the oven (very low temp for 45 min or so). the plant will look like death, but tends to start growing again. If it dosent it's an easy herb to keep seeding. I still have the same "bush" that Ive had in a pot for 3 years. Pick, dry regrow start again!
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18 Dec 10, Mish (Australia - temperate climate)
I seem to be able to grow every thing besides basil!! Tried different types, seedlings, seeds, sun, under shade cloth... Nothing works , they just shrivel up and die everytime. Am I posibley watering them too much?? All my other herbs and veg are lush green and healthy
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28 May 10, Steve (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
How can I grow Thai Basil in Adelaide Winter,I have small glasshose will this work or do I need lighting too Ta
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12 May 10, Rachel (Australia - temperate climate)
How do I make my basil grow fuller? does anyone know how my plant needs to be groomed to grow thick and lustrous? thanks
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Showing 101 - 110 of 123 comments
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I had the same problem at first. Most instructions aren't very clear on the details. The trick is to wait until there are 3-5 sets of true leaves on the seedling. Then, only cut off the top pair of leaves. Also don't pinch or trim until it is transplanted or in its final pot for growing. For the second "pinch," wait until the suckers (like on tomatoes) have 2-3 new sets of leaves, at least. Always use scissors or shears, btw. A good rule of thumb is to never remove more than 1/3 of a plant's leaves at a time, if you want it to keep growing. Once I figured out how to trim my basil plants, they went nuts within a couple of months. Now I have more basil than I can handle!

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