Growing Sweet Basil
sweet basilBasil is a little more finicky than other plants in your herb garden, like thyme and mint. It prefers warm weather, so you won’t want to plant it until after the last frost of the season. The plan also does well both in the ground or in pots.
There are several varieties. While some can grow to be as tall as 6 feet, most gardeners find their sweet basil to rest under 3 feet – if that. If you want to ensure a smaller basil plant, simply keep it in a pot, which will restrict root growth.
Sweet basil can be started from seed (you don’t need to buy a small plant from the garden center). Place your seeds about ¼ inch deep in the ground and about 10-12 inches apart from each separate planting. Make sure the spot you have chosen will get full sun as basil wants it bright and warm. Also, keep it well hydrated with adequate amounts of water.
In order to encourage a healthy plant with a lot of foliage, develop a habit to pinch off the tops of the growing stalks; this will encourage new growth and will also prevent flowering (known as “going to seed” in the gardening world). If your basil develops flowers, the flavor will lose some potency, so preventing flowers is a good idea. However, if you do get flowers those are edible too!