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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12 May 10, (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Your basil will grow more 'bushy' if you nip off the growing tips once the plants are well-established. They will send out lots of side-shoots and bush out. Also, I found watering with a seaweed-based liquid fertiliser helps.
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20 Apr 10, tony (Australia - temperate climate)
bridget, sounds like the basil is just going to the flowering stage?? maybe you planted it / bought it a bit late in the season. you can extend the growing phase by cutting / breaking off the stems just below the transistion / flowering growth . . . but you have probably discovered this already ... its not rocket science :). Once the basil plants die, you can take them out, hang them up, and in early spring just shake the plant and rake seeds into damp soil. Hey presto...nature provides us with pesto.
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23 Nov 09, Bridget (Australia - temperate climate)
To be honest Damooo, i have no idea. I'm a novice herb gardener and just purchased a punnet from a local outlet...
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21 Nov 09, Damooo (Australia - temperate climate)
Is the basil you bought drafted basil? (Do you mean 'grafted'? ed.)
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12 Nov 09, Bridget (Australia - temperate climate)
Can someone please help?? I have searched and searched the internet and i can not find anything even remotely similar to my problem! My newly bought and planted (about a month ago) basil is suddenly sprouting some very oddly shaped leaves. Instead of the normal shape the new growth is small, thickish and rubbery looking (like a succulent) and shovel head shaped and a bit lighter in colour. It is in a styrafoam rectangle planter box planted along side coriander & I have them in nearly full sun (under shade cloth and not in the late arvo) and is given a small drink every morning because its quite hot at the moment. When planted i used organic compost. I also spoke to the local nursery but they have never heard of this either... Has anyone come across this?? What is it? Can i still eat my basil?
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18 May 10, John (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Throw it away, get some good compost and start again. It needs a lot of morning sun.
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08 Nov 09, Jo-Anne (Australia - temperate climate)
My basil plants - in a very large pot - have developed clear/opaque marks in the leaves (if you put your finger under the leaf you can see through the clear section). I can't see any insects, otherwise they look lovely and green and growing well. The pot is elevated well ofr the ground. Can anyone help?
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04 Sep 09, Andris (Australia - temperate climate)
The basil I sow in punnets in a mini greenhouse environment do come up even easier. But soiwng the seeds in their final location is easier work :). I find sprinkling some seeds around each tomato plant (i grow tomatoes in pots) keeps us easily supplied through the tomato season. In spring weather, direct sowed, they should probably come up in just over a week.
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02 Sep 09, Veros Hydros (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Hi Paul, like Andris I found that basil is very easy to sprout. I start mine indoors in a tray fille up with peat. Once they come up I cover the tray with a plastic bag to make a mini greenhouse. Once they are big enough I plant them at the foot of my tomato plants. Works a treat.
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20 Aug 09, Andris (Australia - temperate climate)
Paul, what are you talkinga about? 'Basil is very hard to start from seed'. Whatever! :). Just direct sow them any time in spring or summer. They come up very fast, often as fast as lettuce during the warmer 6 months of the year. Maybe we just have different perspectives of what is hard or maybe your seeds aren't that great... I have had the most luck with herb and vegetable seeds from the imported Italian and French brands, in particular Franchi Sementi (see The Italian Gardener website), Hortus/Orto, Vilmorin and PDF. The basil and other herbs I grow from them come up very well and quickly. Seriously try them. and the seed packs are very generous too. Basil packs tend to have around 5,000 seeds for the same price as 200 or 300 seed packs from local suppliers (Yates and internet based businesses).
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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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