There are many different kinds of basil to choose from for today’s gardeners. They range from cinnamon, lemon, to purple basil used mostly for decoration. Choose a variety right for you and your needs as basil is only an annual and will have to be replanted every year. Basil can be grown indoors with the right conditions but is most often started indoors and then transplanted outdoors. Start your basil seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost for your location. Drop a few seeds into each cell to ensure germination. Cover the seeds with a slight soil cover and dampen soil with a light watering. To speed up germination cover with a plastic top and place in a sunny location. Water twice a day and remove plastic top when seedlings emerge. Once two sets of leaves emerge basil can be transplanted into the garden. Pinch o the top two sets of leaves once the basil plant reaches reasonable height. This gives you a much higher quality plant.
Suggest Varieties:
Italian – Great aromatic leaves and most popular basil variety.
Lemon – An aromatic basil with a great lemon flavor.
