Out of all the herbs I have grown, basil has been my biggest mistake. Lucky for me, basil is my favorite herb, so I can always be sure I have plenty on hand. I love putting basil in all my sauces and, of course, making pesto sauce.
You need to make sure you have all the right supplies. If you are growing them in containers, make sure you have a good size. If you want to grow several basil plants, I suggest using a large pot or a box. This way, you can space them enough but utilize your space. You can use individual smaller pots if you would rather place them in different areas.
Get a good potting soil, preferably without anything added to it. Buy an organic fertilizer that you add to the soil directly when you prepare each container. Mix in enough according to the instructions. Fill your container with soil and water the soil. Make sure the container has holes in the bottom and some sort of tray to catch the water. Sprinkle the seeds over the soil. Sprinkle just a few seeds all around to make sure they are spaced well. Cover the seeds with another small layer of soil. Water the soil again. You can use a watering can or a spray bottle to water your plants.
Soon the basil will begin to sprout. After the seedlings have grown about an inch or so, thin them out so that each plant is at least 3 inches apart. Too many close together will overcrowd them and possibly cause them to die. Once you thin them out, keep watering them every couple of days. Don't over water them, just keep the soil moist. Make sure the basil plants get plenty of sun all day long. I've noticed that after a few cloudy days my basil will turn a shade of yellow-green. They want lots of sun!
Eventually, your basil will grow big and strong. It will begin to sprout lots of leaves ready to be picked. Pluck leaves as you need them. If you don't use herbs that often, pluck them anyway to make sure new ones will always grow in healthy. If your basil plants grow more leaves than you can use, give them away to friends and family. There are also special containers that you can buy to help preserve plants longer in the refrigerator. Another great way to use up a surplus of basil is to make basil pesto for dinner. It uses quite a bit of basil and tastes incredible!
You need to make sure you have all the right supplies. If you are growing them in containers, make sure you have a good size. If you want to grow several basil plants, I suggest using a large pot or a box. This way, you can space them enough but utilize your space. You can use individual smaller pots if you would rather place them in different areas.
Get a good potting soil, preferably without anything added to it. Buy an organic fertilizer that you add to the soil directly when you prepare each container. Mix in enough according to the instructions. Fill your container with soil and water the soil. Make sure the container has holes in the bottom and some sort of tray to catch the water. Sprinkle the seeds over the soil. Sprinkle just a few seeds all around to make sure they are spaced well. Cover the seeds with another small layer of soil. Water the soil again. You can use a watering can or a spray bottle to water your plants.
Soon the basil will begin to sprout. After the seedlings have grown about an inch or so, thin them out so that each plant is at least 3 inches apart. Too many close together will overcrowd them and possibly cause them to die. Once you thin them out, keep watering them every couple of days. Don't over water them, just keep the soil moist. Make sure the basil plants get plenty of sun all day long. I've noticed that after a few cloudy days my basil will turn a shade of yellow-green. They want lots of sun!
Eventually, your basil will grow big and strong. It will begin to sprout lots of leaves ready to be picked. Pluck leaves as you need them. If you don't use herbs that often, pluck them anyway to make sure new ones will always grow in healthy. If your basil plants grow more leaves than you can use, give them away to friends and family. There are also special containers that you can buy to help preserve plants longer in the refrigerator. Another great way to use up a surplus of basil is to make basil pesto for dinner. It uses quite a bit of basil and tastes incredible!
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