Basil
Select Your Climate
Think of basil as a “plenty” herb. Give it plenty of sunlight, plenty of nutrients and plenty of water, and you’ll get plenty of basil.
Likes: Full sun; well prepared soil, boosted with rotted manure or pelletised chook fertiliser.
Dislikes: Frost so plant after all chance of such cold snaps have passed.
When to plant/sow in zone:
How to start: Sow seeds 3mm deep, directly into the garden or start in punnets or trays and transplant once established. Thin seedlings when large enough.
How to grow: Water plants every other day if hot. During autumn, the pressure to water is a bit less, if plants’ uppermost stems wilt, it's time to water.
When to harvest: Pick leaves as needed. If you want leaf production to continue for an extended period you need to keep harvesting. Make your cut just above the junction of a stem and some new leaves, and the plant will quickly regenerate.
Pests and diseases: Snails and slugs; whitefly
Wondering what to plant when?
Use our planner to create a planting calendar for your climate zone
View Planting Guide
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