Mulching Basil
Since basil likes a moist soil, a layer of mulch under the plant improves performance and continues to feed the soil that important organic amendment as the mulch decomposes and is pulled down by the earthworms. Place a 2 to 4 inch layer of some kind of organic mulch such as chopped leaves, straw, or hay under the plants when they get to be about 6 inches tall. As the mulch settles down in mid summer, you might want to add a bit more to get the plants through the fall season. For more information see Mulching The Vegetable Garden
Fertilizing Basil
In normal situations when only light harvesting is anticipated, basil is a light feeder. In good soil it needs no additional fertilizer. If your soil is not yet in shape, it is probably wise to give it an application of slow-acting, granular fertilizer at planting time. Be careful - over-feeding basil stimulates excessive foliage production that reduces the flavor of basil leaves. 
If you plan to harvest basil heavily, even if the soil is good, you can give your plants a monthly supplemental feeding with a diluted liquid fertilizer. This will also help plants endure periods of high heat (over 85 degrees for periods of weeks. For more information see Fertilizing the Vegetable Garden
Watering Basil
Basil plants require a fair amount of moisture, but if your soil is good and you use mulch, you should seldom need to worry about watering this plant. If your soil is not great and if you don’t use any mulch, then at maturity basil will need at least 1 inch of water per week for optimum health and foliage production and flavor. In any case, water seedlings frequently after transplant until the plants are established. For more information see Watering The Vegetable Garden
Pruning and Grooming
 |
Proper pruning of your basil will determine how much of the herb you will harvest in the season.
Whether basil is planted to provide for the kitchen or enhance the landscape, it benefits from regular pinching of its branching stems. Pinching off branch tips stimulates the plant to grow more bushy and compact and yield more foliage for cooking. The more you prune early on, in the first few months, the bigger and bushier each basil plant becomes.
Start pinching off growing tips with your thumb and forefinger or clipping them with pruners when each plant is about 6 inches tall. Always pinch off blossoms as they appear, as they will affect leaf growth and the oil content of the leaves. Best to prune before it flowers by cutting the main stem from the top, leaving at least one node with two young shoots. Thereafter, cut back subsidiary branches every two or three weeks.
 |
If you want to follow the advice of an expert, follow the pruning technique of Susan Belsinger, co-author of Basil: An Herb Lover’s Guide. As soon as she plants her seedlings out into the garden she cuts them back to just above the bottom two sets of leaves. Then about every four or five weeks she prunes the plant back again to just above the bottom two sets of leaves, always before they show signs of flowering.
Staking Basil (optional)
Many basil varieties will grow to be 2 feet tall or more if all conditions are ideal. As the season progresses the stems tend to get a bit brittle and vulnerable to damage from wind storms. A single bamboo stake is usually sufficient to avoid this problem.
MONTH TO MONTH CARE FOR BASIL
Month of January
Basil - Basil grows well indoors under fluorescent lights, one warm and one cool set at 2 to 4 inches above the plants. It will also thrive under high intensity halide or sodium lights. In artificial light situations, basil needs 14 to 16 hours of light a day.
Month of February
Month of March
Basil – Basil grows easily from seed so can be started indoors about 2 to 5 weeks before expected last frost. When the plants are two inches tall, you can transplant them into pots or into a flat for transplanting outside when it is warm enough.
Month of April
Basil – Basil seedlings are available from the garden center for almost the entire season. Basil also grows easily from seed. Plant seedlings or sow seed outdoors in the spring when you are certain the danger of frost has passed and when the soil has warmed to a temperature of at least 50F. That is about the same time as your lilac is in full bloom (95% of flower clusters are fully open). Plant the seeds about 1/8 inch deep. When seedlings appear, thin the plants to leave 1 foot of space between them. Basil prefers full sun, but can handle some shade.
Basil is a light feeder. In good soil it needs no additional fertilizer. If your soil is not yet in shape, it is probably wise to give it an application of slow-acting, granular fertilizer at planting time. Be careful - over-feeding basil stimulates excessive foliage production that reduces the flavor of basil leaves.
Month of May
Basil – Mulching basil helps to keep the ground moist and warm and discourages weeds.
To encourage a bushy basil plant, keep pruning basil all season long. Basil can be harvested all the way to first hard frost when the plant will die.
If you plan to harvest basil heavily, even if the soil is good, you can give your plants a monthly supplemental feeding with a diluted liquid fertilizer. This will also help plants endure periods of high heat (over 85 degrees for periods of weeks)
Month of June
Basil – You don’t want any flowers blooming on your basil; the flavor of the leaves change after flowering. So just before it flowers, cut the main stem of basil from the top, leaving at least one node with two young shoots. Thereafter, cut the branches every two or three weeks. This keeps the plant bushy and delays the production of flowers.
Many basil varieties will grow to be 2 feet tall or more if all conditions are ideal. As the season progresses the stems tend to get a bit brittle and vulnerable to damage from wind storms. A single bamboo stake is usually sufficient to avoid this problem.
Month of July
Basil – Keep pinching back the plant and don’t let any flowers go to bloom. If you intend to use a lot of basil, you might consider setting out a few more young seedlings to better cover your needs into the fall.
Optional – Some gardeners have found that rigging shade cloth over the basil plants helps them avoid some of the stress coming from the heat of summer.
Month of August
Basil – Keep pinching back the plant and don’t let any flowers go to bloom.
Month of September
Basil – One trick for keeping basil into the winter is to harvest a bunch now and make pesto according to whatever recipe you choose, but don’t add the cheese. Freeze the basil sauce in ice cube trays and then pop the cubes into plastic bags for use later. You then thaw on or more cubes of the paste and add the cheese and you are ready to go.
Month of October
Basil – Basil outside will die with the first hard frost. However, Basil grows well indoors under fluorescent lights, one warm and one cool set at 2 to 4 inches above the plants. It will also thrive under high intensity halide or sodium lights. In artificial light situations, basil needs 14 to 16 hours of light a day.
Month of November
