Published: April 21, 2022 Last Updated: November 15, 2024
Table of Contents
Why should you grow basil?
Basil is an annual plant, which is why it grows quick. From starting the basil to harvesting the seeds, it can take just a few months. Basil is a plant beginner gardeners can have growing in their own gardens or windowsill. The fresh leaves can be added to salads, pestos and pizzas. Basil will also help repel pests from your gardenhome garden A designated area around a residential property where individuals cultivate plants, fruits, vegetables, or ornamental plants for personal use. It comprises a farming system that combines physical, social, and economic functions on the area of land around a family home, providing a sustainable source of food and other benefits for the household, extended family, and friends..
Common types of basil
Sweet basil – Sweet basil is the most common type of basil gardeners grow. The leaves are green and it tastes like anise.
Purple basil – The purple basil has purple jagged edges and crinkled leaves. It smells like a mix of cinnamon, licorice, and sweet basil.
Lemon basil – Lemon basil smells very different from other basil because it contains a chemical called citral. This makes it smell like lemon.
Thai basil – Thai basil has narrow green leaves. They are smaller than swat basil and much sturdier. When the plant matures, light to dark purple flower appear.
For more common types of basil you can check out 21 Types of Basil That Are Beautiful, Flavorful, and Utterly Delicious from morningsidechores.com
There are 2 ways to grow basil from seed. First one is to direct sow the seeds in raised beds, containers or in the ground. The second way is to start the seed indoors in a seedling tray and then transfer to different size pots as it grows bigger. The common way most gardeners grow basil is by starting the basil seeds indoors, as it will give it enough time to grow before the warm weather comes.
You should start the seed 5 – 7 weeks before your last spring frost date, so when the weather is nice, you can transplant the basil outside. I think growing basil indoors is better so you could get an early start on your basil plants. Then you can transplant the basil plant outside. It’ll produce a lot more leaves when the weather is warm.
Supplies you’ll need to grow basil from seed indoors
The supplies you need are
- Basil seeds
- Starter pots with drainage holes
- Newspaper
- Soil mix with compost
- Spray mister
- A container
Those are all the supplies you’ll need. As you can see, it doesn’t require a lot of supplies to grow basil. Anyone can do it.
How to Grow Basil From Seed Indoors – Instructions
There are a few but easy steps to grow basil from seed indoors. Following the steps I’m about to give you will help you grow your very own basil plant.
Step 1: Before you start, gather all your supplies and set them at your work site.
Step 2: Add some compost and soil in a container with some water and mix it together until it becomes moist. Add a little water at a time and keep adjusting until it forms a ball when you squeeze it in your hand. It should also be loose.
Step 3: With that moist soil, fill up your seedling starter pots and sprinkle a few seeds in each spot. Plant 1-4 seeds so in case one doesn’t sprout, another might. We do that because basil seeds as a 60% germination rate.
Step 4: Since basil seeds are tiny, they have a little energy to reach the top, to get sunlight, so sprinkle soil lightly over the seeds.
Step 5: With your spray mister, mist your seeds lightly. We want to have enough water for the seeds to germinate.
Step 6: Place your starter pots in a warm, dark spot where they can germinate. You should see sprouts within 1 week. If you don’t see any sprouts, then it’s too cold, or the seeds are bad.
Step 7: Once you see some sprouts, remove the lid and expose it to sunlight or supplemental light to help it grow strong and healthy.
That’s all is there to it. It’s super simple.
Caring for your basil plant
Lighting – Basil loves warm weather. Put your basil next to a window that gets over 13 hours of sun per day. You can move it from window to window if you have to. A suitable spot is to place it on a south-facing window to get more sun. If you don’t have enough light, you can use growing lights. For example, if your window is supplementing 8 hrs of sunlight, then use the growing lights to supplement the other 5 hrs of light. This is very important in the early stages of your basil plant. Doing this will help your plant to have sturdy branches and stay healthy.
Watering – Within 1 week, depending on your environment, you should see the first leaves. From then water your seedlings 2-3 times a week. If your soil is dry, water it. Don’t water from the top of the plant, otherwise it might lead to root rot or mold growth. Instead, get a bigger container and pour water into it. The soil of the basil plant will pull the water up and the roots can drink it. After 15-30 minutes, you can take the plant out and put it back in the warm place.
Air circulation – Air circulation is very important to keep the plant healthy. Air circulation will provide a constant supply of fresh air and prevent mold growth. Since you’re growing basil inside, you can bring it to an open window. Another option is to use a small fan. Have your fan blowing air on the lowest setting so it won’t damage your basil plant you’ve already worked hard for.
Transplanting your basil plant
As your seedlings are getting older and you can see the roots coming out of the drainage holes, you’ll want to consider moving them into a larger pot. So here’s how you can transplant your basil into a larger pot.
Before you start, make sure you water your basil plants the night before, so it’ll be easier to transplant the next day. Get your pot and add some soil and compost. Make a medium hole in the soil. Next, remove the seedling from the starter pot and place it in the hole. Cover it up can water it. You can still grow basil indoors, but if it’s summer, then it’s best to grow it outdoors. The rain will water it and you don’t have to keep moving the plant for sunlight.
Pruning your basil plant
In order to have big bushy basil plants, you’ll have to prune them. To get a nice bushy plant is to pick it in its early stages. This is known as pinching.
When the plant reaches around 6 inches high and has 3 – 5 set of leaves, then it’s time to prune. The first set of leaves are true leaves. They’re also known as cotyledon or seed leaves. They’ll fall off as soon as the plant grows. Once you see 3 sets of leaves, cut out the top 2 sets and leave the bottom one. Two more branches should pop out the side where the last set is. Keep repeating the process when it grows another 3-5 set of leaves.
Harvesting your basil
You can start harvesting from the first time you prune it. The leaves that you prune can be used for your meals. Each time you prune your plant, you can use those leaves. Once your basil plant reaches a small to medium size, you can just harvest the leaves or prune it, so it’ll grow bigger.
Common pest that’ll stop your basil from growing
The most common pest gardeners have are aphids. They’ll feed off your basil leaves. You can control the aphids by using high pressure water source. Cover half of the hose with 2 fingers and water your basil plant. This will create a much higher pressure. You can watch the video below to see how to get rid of aphids naturally.
Final Thoughts
Remember, growing basil is very easy. You might make a few mistakes as you start, but each time you practice, you’ll get better. Another great addition to your small indoor garden is mint. Mint is super easy to grow. You can check out another post that I did on how to grow mint from cuttings.
