basil
Basil roots easily in water and you can turn one plant into many plants!
Basil From Seed to Harvest
SEED
SPROUT
SEEDLING
MATURE
Overview
Basil is a leafy green that grows best in warmer temperatures. Basil has leaves with slightly pointed edges that come together at the leaves' peak. Basil is an herb that can add flavor to your favorite dishes. It is rich in nutrients and is often used for salads, sauces, rice, teas, and more. Basil can grow to be about 2 feet tall, and their leaves can be harvested when they are about 1 inch long. Read on below to learn more about growing, harvesting, and cooking basil.
Level of Difficulty: Easy to Grow from Seed or Propagation
Plant Spacing: 4 - 6 inches
Days to Harvest: 30 - 50 days from transplant
Plant Care Basics:
Sun - Full Sun
Soil - Humus rich, well-drained soil
Water - Water regularly ~1 inch / week
Planting + Growing
Growing basil in the garden is easy when planted under the right conditions. Basil likes full sun. Your soil should be loose enough to drain well. Basil can grow crowded, but leaves will be smaller and crowded plants may tend to bolt and go to seed more quickly. To optimize growth and a bountiful harvest, follow the spacing guidelines below.
Starting from Seed. If you're starting from seed, plant 1 - 2 seeds about 1/8 an inch down in a small container of soil. Water the soil and place it in a sunny area. Check the soil daily to water if necessary. Once your seeds sprout and have true leaves, transplant them outside or into a larger container with about 4 - 6 inches of space in between each plant.
Starting from Seedling. If you picked up a basil seedling from Sweet Water's seedling pick up, plant the seedlings into soil, allowing 4-6 inches of spacing between each plant.
Container growing arugula. Basil will grow in an 8-inch pot. In larger containers, like a garden bed, you can plant more than one basil, 4-6 inches apart from each other.
Other notes...companion plants. basil grows well next to peppers, potatoes, cabbage, and tomatoes
How to Root Basil in Water
When your plants are about 10-12 inches tall, cut them back to about 4 inches tall, leaving a few leaves.
Remove the leaves from the bottom of the cut stems for about 3-4 inches.
Place stems in jars, fill with water, and place on the windowsill.
After a few days or a week, the basil should start rooting.
If the water gets cloudy, pour it out and add fresh water.
When the roots are a few inches long, the stems are ready to be planted in the garden!!
Basil does well in a sunny part of the garden.
Harvesting
You can begin to harvest your basil when your plant is around 6 - 8 inches high. For a small harvest, you can take individual leaves from different sections of the plant by pinching the leaf close to its base.
If your plant is big enough for a larger harvest, you can trim some side shoot stems with leaves. Cutting the top sections first and moving downward, never cut more than 1/3 of the plant. Find a side shoot stem with leaves that you want to harvest and cut about 1/4 inch above the second leaf node from the side shoot's base (nodes are points on the plant where side shoots grow). Two new shoots will form near the cutting point.
Furthermore, when your plant is more mature, trim away flower buds before they blossom. Once a basil plant flowers, it will not produce new leaves.
Cooking
More info coming soon....
