Growing Basil
Basil is the fastest win in the garden, a few weeks from seed to your first pesto, and it just keeps giving if you treat it right.
How to Grow Basil
Planting
Direct-sow after all frost danger has passed and soil has warmed, basil hates cold soil and will just sulk. If you want a head start, start indoors 4–6 weeks earlier. Thin or transplant to about 10 inches apart so plants get good airflow.
Watering & feeding
Keep soil consistently moist but never soggy. Basil doesn’t need much feeding, one light feed at planting is usually enough for the whole season. The real secret is pinching: once the plant has 6–8 leaves, pinch the top back to just above a leaf pair to force it to branch out instead of bolting.
Harvest
Harvest from the top down, always cutting above a leaf pair, and never take more than a third of the plant at once. The moment you see flower buds forming, pinch them off, letting basil flower turns the leaves bitter fast. Picked regularly, one plant will keep producing right up to first frost.
Grows Well With
Basil is a classic companion for tomatoes. Its scent is said to confuse pests and sharpen the tomatoes’ flavor. See all our companion planting pairs →
When to Plant
Start indoors mid-to-late March, transplant after mid-April once hardened off, right alongside your tomatoes. See the full planting calendar →
Buy the Seeds We Use
From the Seed Center
Shop Basil Seeds
$1.25
