Growing Basil

Growing basil,growing cinnamon basil indoor,outdoor or in pots which ever way you decide to go,basil is one of the most versatile of herbs.

Adding any type of herb to your cooking does several things. First, it makes people believe you're a better cook, but it also adds more vitamins, mineral and photonutrients to your food.Here are a few tips to growing basil.

Basil Herb Garden

You can grow basil easily in your garden and use either seedlings or plant seeds. There are benefits of both. Basil comes in many different varieties, which includes the basil you normally use but also cinnamon basil, lemon basil, licorice basil and lime basil. Each one has its own distinct flavor with a blend of basil in it.

The different varieties are also used for different types of cooking. For instance, Basil Napoletano is used for pizza and Cinnamon basil is often the base of the exotic flavor of many Mexican dishes and great in chili. Thai basil tastes slightly different with a hint of mint.

If you use basil seedlings, the plant is even easier to grow than it is from seed. The difference is that you often can't find all the different varieties you find in seeds. Most of the time, the gardener that plants basil only puts three to four plants in for the season.

These provide more than adequate amounts of basil for an average family. If you plant all the seeds in the package, you'll have enough basil for pesto for your family and the neighbors. Some seed companies offer custom blends that give you a little of all the flavors.

If you start the plants from seed, begin them 6 weeks before the last frost in your area. Lightly cover the seeds with soil and keep them moist and in a sunny area. Harden the small plants off before putting them in the ground.

Sweet basil plants

Plan to put your basil in an area that receives full sun when gowing basil. If you set your plants outside, you'll need to space them 8 to 12 inches apart, depending on the type of basil you chose. The common variety of sweet basil requires 10 to 12 inches of spacing.

Watering and Soil for Basil

You need to remember that when growing basil that Basil loves to eat so a fertile soil is important for good production. Compost the area well or use a fish emulsion spray fertilizer on it. They like a well-drained soil with average amounts of water. Don't allow the plants to dry or over water them.

Some people prune the plants within a week or two of transplanting. While this might seem severe, it does make the plant bushier.

Another method to create a bushy basil plant is to pinch off the top growth once there are 3 to 4 sets of leaves on the plants. A set is one leaf on each side. Pinch right above the top set of leaves.

growing basil ,Storing and Harvesting Basil

You need to continuously harvest basil and keep it from flowering. Once it flowers, the taste of the leaves becomes bitter and not useful for culinary additions. Simply snip off the stems above 3 to 4 sets of leaves. The more diligent you are about pruning, the more basil you'll have to harvest. Prune back the plant every three to four weeks or sooner if you notice it might have blooms.

The best way to keep fresh basil on hand is to put it in a glass of water, seal the glass and store it away from direct sunlight. Storing basil in the refrigerator turns it black. A method to keep the basil taste, if you use it in salad dressings, is to make basil vinegar.

This is done by pounding the basil with a pestle and mortar, putting it in a sterilized jar and pouring hot vinegar over the basil. You can leave it in a sunny area for three weeks and strain. Put a sprig or two of fresh basil in a decorative bottle and pour in the flavored vinegar for a great display and taste.

If you want to store the leaves for later use, simply wash them and pat them dry. Put the leaves in a freezer bag and freeze. You'll have fresh tasting basil all year around.

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