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Basil

Basil grown as an annual is a favorite herb among gardeners. Most gardeners love it’s aromatic and dark green leaves. Backyard gardeners also love basil as a companion to tomatoes, which is said to ward off tomato hornworms and aphids. Basil, originally from India, is used for seasoning many Mediterranean dishes and is the main ingredient in pesto sauce. It is easily grown and is best started from seed. There are over 160 varieties of basil. The vegetable garden is a great place to start, but they can also be grown in containers. Most herbs including basil can be grown in a kitchen window for year round enjoyment.

Growing fresh basil

Plant basil seeds outside one to two weeks after the last frost of the season, when the soil has warmed up. Inside, start seeds six to eight weeks before transplanting outside. Plant a new crop every month to have a fresh supply all summer long. Basil prefers sandy soil that has a nice mix of organic material. Keep the seedbed moist during germination, and well watered throughout the hot summer. Basil grows best in full sun but will grow in light shade. Your basil will have better flavor if it is not fertilized.

Make sure to remove all flowers. This will maintain basil’s full flavor. Collect leaves regularly throughout the summer. Freezing is a good way to preserve your basil. Before you place your basil in the freezer rub olive oil on the leaves and place them in a air tight plastic bag. To dry your basil just hang upside down in a cool dry spot. Crumble your dried basil leaves and place them in one of your old herb container for year round use.

Related Articles
	Growing Basil Plants And How To Use The Basil Leaves Growing basil plants in your garden or container garden will yield you a bountiful crop. The basil leaves can be used in a variety of ways in your kitchen. Experiment with many varieties of the basil plant.

	Tulsi (Holy Basil) - Benefits and Uses Most worshipped plant in Hindu culture. It has a mythological background as tulsi is considered as lord Krishna’s wife. Literal meaning of tulsi is incomparable so as the name suggest, it really has properties that are incomparable with any other herb.

Pesto
	Italian Basil took the firmest root in the regions of Liguria, Italy and Provence, France. The Ligurians around Genoa took the dish and adapted it, using a combination of basil, crushed garlic, parsley, grated hard cheese (parmigiano-reggiano, pecorino, etc), and pine nuts with a little olive oil to form pesto.

	French In French Provence the dish evolved into the modern pistou, a combination of basil, parsley, crushed garlic, and grated cheese (optional). However, pine nuts are not included.

Basil
	Sweet Basil Sweet basil is one of the main ingredients in pesto, a green Italian oil-and-herb sauce. Its other two main ingredients are olive oil and pine nuts.

	Thai Basil Thai basil is a cultivar group of basil. It has a more assertive taste than many other sweet basils. The herb has small leaves, purple stems and a subtle licorice or mint flavor.