Out of stock
Sweet Basil Plant
Ocimum basilicum
Grow Your Own! Growing and harvesting your own herbs is easy and cheaper than buying from the store.
Best known for its wonderful aroma and use in Italian cooking, no herb garden is complete without this plant.
Common Name: Genovese Basil
Type: Annual
Family: Lamiaceae
USDA Zones: 3–10
Exposure: Full sun
Bloom Time: Spring
Flowers: White
Fertilizer: Add compost at time of planting.
Mature size: 18"x24" tall x 10"-14" spread
Resists: Deer
Pot Size: 4"
Cannot ship to:AA,AE,AP,AS,CN,FM,GU,HI,MH,MP,PR,PW,VI
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Planting: Plant after danger of frost has passed. Select an area with sandy loam, which has good drainage where it will get at least 6 hours of direct sun. Space approx. 12” apart. This plant should be planted at the same depth it was growing in the container.
Watering: Give about an inch of water per week. Allow the soil to dry out between waterings. Overwatering can cause root rot and other problems.
To harvest and store: Harvest before the flowers appear for optimal flavor. Collect on a dry day, in the morning after the dew has dried, and hang in small bunches (to ensure proper drying) in a cool dry place out of direct sunlight for a week until thoroughly dry. Then remove the dried herbs from the stems, and store in an air tight container such as a glass jar, out of direct sunlight. Properly dried herbs should last between 1-3 years.