How to Grow Basil

When looking at how to grow basil at home there are a few basic considerations you need to make for the plant to be part of your garden. Basil is a core component of Mediterranean and Italian cook and is must have herb in your homestead herb garden. With that in mind we can already identify that it’s a Mediterranean plant. Lucky for us, basil is far easier to grow and way less temperamental than most other plants from that region. We’ll cover everything you need to know to get basil growing in your garden quickly.

How to Grow Basil: Quick Reference

Growing Requirements for Basil

Of the warm weather Mediterranean plants that you can grow at home, basil is perhaps the least picky and most tolerant of temperature change. Light requirements and plant care are the hardest parts to deal with, but if you follow our simple recommendations you can easily grow just about any type of basil in almost any home garden.

Soil Requirements for Basil

For basil you absolutely need to have a well draining soil. The plant will not tolerate standing water, but likes it’s soil to be very moist. It actually has very similar soil requirements to that of cucumbers and other members of shallow rooted plants.

Basil also likes a nutrient rich soil. To get a soil that is nutrient rich and well draining, you want to have something with high organic matter, and very little clay. If you are planting outside in ground soil, you should spend a good deal of time preparing your soil with compost and tilling it thoroughly.

Basil also has a very wide range pH range that it can grow in and is one of the few plants that can survive slightly basic soil. It grows best between a pH of 6.0 to 7.5, but recommend you try and keep your soil between 6.0 and 7.0 for optimal results and better companion planting options.

Temperature requirements for Growing Basil

Basil is a Mediterranean plant, but it can actually do quite well in mild weather. It will grow just fine outside so long as the temperature stays fairly consistently above 50F. That being said dips in temperature below 50F can damage the plant, especially when they are younger.

On the upper end of the temperature spectrum it can grow in hot summers up to 85F. If temperatures in your area get above 85F during the summer you will need to take special care to shade or otherwise cool your plants when the temperatures are at their peak.

Light Conditions for Growing Basil

Light conditions for basil are a bit tricky if you start them from seed outdoors. This is because initially the plant does not do well with full sunlight. Immature plants and seedlings need less light than adult plants. seedlings and young plants do great with 4-5 hours of light a day while more mature plants require 6-8 hours of full sun a day.

If you young plants get too much sun they can get scorched leaves and discoloration.

To avoid trouble with this where you can’t control how much light your plants are getting we recommend that you always start basil indoors. Basil is a great container plant too, so if you want to avoid the hassle of transplanting your basil you can start it in small pots that can easily be moved around to control the light conditions for the plant.

Planting Basil

Basil should be started indoor in seed starter mix one to two weeks before you expect temperatures to be consistently above 50F. After temperatures are above 50F you can transplant your basil starters outside and space them 12 to 16 inches apart for optimal growth. In raised beds it is possible to put them slightly closer together, but you will need to ensure the plants don’t compete for sunlight as they mature.

Two to three plants will produce roughly 1 to 1.5 cups of basil leaves a week if harvested properly, so plan your planting around your usage accordingly.

Watering Basil

Basil requires about 1 inch of water per week. The soil should be kept moist, but should never be wet. Always check the soil before watering basil as over watering is the easiest way to kill the plant. Under watering for basil is less likely as they tend to be a bit heartier to under watering than to over watering. If you find your soil is staying to damp for too long we recommend that you transplant them to better soil or reduce your watering levels to accommodate the additional water retention.

Pruning and Harvesting Basil

As basil is growing you will need to prune it at least once early on to optimize the plants growth and production. Trim the top most branches of your basil off once the plant is 4 to 6 inches tall. This will force the plant to grow more side branches and become bushier. Bushier basil plants generate more leaves on average and will maximize your harvests.

Additionally, don’t be shy about trimming your basil, since it is an herb and you are using the leaves from it you need to be able to make cuts on it appropriately.

Basil grows in repeating segments of two leaves and two offshoots right next to the leaves. To prevent your Basil from getting to tall and then bolting, you will need to prune off the tops of a stem right above a set of leaves and offshoots. Leave a bout 1/4 inch of stem above the lower set of leaves. The leaves you collect from this upper stem you cut can be used while the lower offshoots begin to grow.

You can repeat this process often every time your plant is 4 to 6 inches tall.

Basil is Essential

For any herb garden, basil is an essential part. It’s perhaps one of the easiest to grow and most useful herbs you can put in your garden. It grows well and produces for a long time so long as you keep harvesting it, so you’re sure to enjoy plenty of basil throughout the season. The leaves even dry well for future recipes so if you grow a lot of it, you can easily stock up for the future. Good luck on building up that herb garden with your new Basil knowledge. If you’re looking for more ideas for your homestead herb garden, check out out guide to the Chef’s Essential Herb Garden and find out what you should be planting at home!