Basil: Sowing, Planting, Growing

Description and botany

European Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is an aromatic herb native to the Pacific Islands and Africa. This herbaceous plant grows 30 to 60 cm tall and 20 to 40 cm wide, depending on the variety and growing conditions.

The stems are upright and branched with a square cross-section, a typical characteristic of the Lamiaceae family, formerly known as Labiatae. These stems bear oval leaves 3 to 5 cm long. Their size and colour vary depending on the variety: they can be very large or very small and display green or purple hues of varying intensity.

In mid-summer, basil produces flowering spikes bearing clusters of small white or mauve flowers. These require insects to carry pollen and facilitate pollination. Once fertilised, the flowers develop into small seeds, each enclosed in a receptacle that dries out upon maturity in September or October. The seeds then fall to the ground quite easily.

The use of basil in the Mediterranean basin dates back to antiquity. For the Romans, this plant was an emblem of lovers, while for the Greeks, it symbolised hatred and misfortune. In India, basil is considered a sacred plant!

The main varieties

Common varieties

Unique and exotic varieties

Genovese Basil

Genovese basil, also known as Genoa basil, is the traditional Italian variety used for pesto. It features beautiful, crinkled, glossy, large and broad leaves. Highly aromatic, its intense fragrance is particularly prized.

• Height at maturity 50 cm

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Sweet Basil Organic - Large leaf Italian Basil

Large Green basil is a variety with oval, shiny green leaves that are broad, blistered and very fragrant. Its flavour is strong and characteristic of basil.

• Height at maturity 50 cm

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Basil Fino Verde - Bush basil

Compact Fine Green basil is a dwarf variety with a rounded growth habit. Its flavour is pronounced and highly aromatic.

• Height at maturity 50 cm

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Organic Purple Basil - Ferme de Sainte Marthe seeds

Purple basil is a herbaceous culinary plant reaching 30 cm in height. This variety has small purple leaves and a compact habit, making it ideal for pots.

• Flowering time July to October
• Height at maturity 30 cm

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Marseille Basil - Ferme de Sainte Marthe Seeds

Marseille basil is a traditional Provençal variety, slow to bolt, which extends its leaf production period. Its fragrance is robust and distinctive.

• Flowering time July to October
• Height at maturity 30 cm

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Anise Basil - Ferme de Sainte Marthe seeds

Anise basil grows to 30 cm tall with a compact habit, ideal for container growing. Its foliage has the distinctive feature of exuding an aniseed fragrance.

• Flowering time July to October
• Height at maturity 30 cm

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Cinnamon Basil - Ferme de Sainte Marthe seeds

Cinnamon basil is a compact variety with medium-sized leaves, originating from Mexico. Its oval leaves have a fragrance reminiscent of cinnamon and cloves.

• Flowering time July to October
• Height at maturity 30 cm

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Lemon Basil - Ferme de Sainte Marthe seeds

Lemon basil is a variety prized for its highly fragrant, citrus-scented leaves.

• Flowering time July to October
• Height at maturity 30 cm

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Thai Basil - Ferme de Sainte Marthe Seeds

Thai basil is a Thai variety, reaching 30 cm in height, dense with purple flowers, exuding a very spicy fragrance reminiscent of tarragon and anise.

• Flowering time July to October
• Height at maturity 30 cm

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Perennial Magic Mountain Basil in seedlings

Magic Mountain perennial basil, also known as Kenyan basil (O. kilimandscharicum), has the unique characteristic of being perennial and hardy down to -5°C, whereas traditional varieties (O. basilicum) are annual and cannot tolerate the slightest frost. Nevertheless, perennial basil remains quite delicate—for outdoor cultivation, it’s best suited to regions with strong maritime influence; otherwise, it should be protected with winter fleece or, better yet, grown in a pot and brought indoors during winter. Its broad, dark green leaves with purple veins are highly aromatic, and this variety is excellent for culinary use.

• Flowering time July to September
• Height at maturity 40 cm

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Sowing basil

Start sowing basil in warmth, indoors or in a heated shelter, from February to April. You can sow either in individual pots or in a seed tray. From May onwards, sow directly in the ground. The bottom of the tray or pots should have small drainage holes to allow excess water to escape. Germination typically takes around 10 days at an average temperature of 20°C, protected from direct sunlight.

1. Fill the seed tray two-thirds full with compost and lightly firm it down with a trowel.
2. Place the seeds, leaving at least 2 cm between each one.
3. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of sowing compost (ideally using a sieve) and lightly firm it down with a trowel.
4. Water lightly using a spray bottle.

To encourage germination, cover the tray with a pane of glass. Ventilate during the day by lifting the glass once the seedlings have emerged.

For seedlings sown in trays, carefully transplant them into pots when they have more than three true leaves (the first two leaves that appear after sowing are cotyledons and are not counted). Keep the plants protected from frost.

Planting Basil

Seedlings grown from warm-sown seeds must be hardened off for at least two weeks by exposing them to outdoor temperatures and direct sunlight during the day, then bringing them indoors or sheltering them at night. This acclimatisation phase ensures a gentle transition, as seedlings raised indoors under ideal conditions need time to gradually adjust to direct sunlight, fluctuating temperatures, and inclement weather. This process prevents basil plants from suffering too much when they are finally planted in the vegetable garden. After this hardening-off period, they can be safely transplanted outdoors.

Planting in the vegetable garden should begin once the risk of frost has passed. This period typically spans from mid-April to late May, depending on the region and the year’s weather. Traditionally, frost-sensitive plants like basil are planted after the Ice Saints period, i.e., after 13th May.

As basil thrives in sunlight, choose a warm, sunny spot for planting. In southern regions, however, partial shade is preferable.

When planting, allow 25 cm spacing between plants. As with sowing, plant in loose, weed-free soil. Follow these steps:

1. Dig a hole matching the size of the seedling
2. Place your basil plant in position
3. Fill gaps with soil
4. Water thoroughly. Rainwater warmed by sunlight is particularly beneficial.

Growing Basil: Care and Watering Tips

Soil and Exposure

Basil thrives in sunny spots, or partial shade in warmer regions. It grows well in a wide range of soils but prefers humus-rich, well-draining and cool soils.

Whether planted from seeds or seedlings, it should be placed in soil that has been loosened and thoroughly weeded beforehand. To achieve this, break up the soil using a grelinette or garden fork, carefully removing any grass and weeds.

Basil Care and Watering

Drought tends to trigger basil flowering, to delay this phenomenon:

• Trim the tops of the stems
• Ensure regular watering with preferably lukewarm rainwater
• Pinch off flower spikes to stimulate new leaf growth
• Apply a nutritious mulch made from dried grass clippings

→Read also: Our best tips for successful basil cultivation.

Companion Planting with Basil

In the vegetable garden, a good combination is planting basil between each tomato plant. Basil roots secrete substances that protect tomatoes from nematodes. These are called nematicidal substances as they kill nematodes – microscopic worms that parasitise tomato roots and weaken plants, sometimes leading to their death.

It’s also an extremely practical pairing – you can harvest tomatoes and basil from the same spot, perfect for creating a summer salad full of flavour!

Basil in a pot

Basil is an easy and practical herb to grow in pots, here’s how to do it:

1. Place one to two centimetres of clay pebbles or volcanic rock (pouzzolane) at the bottom of the pot (with drainage holes) for proper drainage.
2. Fill your pot with universal potting mix, which you can enrich with homemade compost at a ratio of 1/3 compost to 2/3 potting soil.
3. Transplant young seedlings, spacing them 5 cm apart.
4. If sowing directly in the pot, sow more generously and thin out later to keep the strongest seedlings.
5. Water lightly using a spray bottle.

Once the seedlings are well established, water from above or soak the pots in sun-warmed water, preferably rainwater.

In spring, when temperatures are warm enough, pots can be placed outside—on a windowsill, balcony, or terrace. As with garden planting, choose a sunny or lightly shaded spot and ensure the soil never dries out completely.

Basil grown in a pot

Sowing in pots can be done from spring to late summer. For fresh basil pots by year-end, sow outdoors in August. The plants will have time to soak up sunlight before being brought indoors (by October) before the first frosts—preferably placed on a sunny windowsill.

If starting with store-bought seedlings, don’t hesitate to cut back half the stems before repotting. This will stimulate the plant to produce new roots and shoots.

A well-maintained basil pot provides roughly four months of harvests. During growth, apply a gentle natural fertiliser like dried coffee grounds, mixed equally with potting soil or garden compost, then top-dress the pot with a 1 cm layer of this blend.

Harvesting and preserving basil

Harvesting Basil

From early summer to autumn, harvest the leaves as needed, simply by picking them by hand or with scissors.

To extend the harvest sustainably, encourage the basil to produce new shoots. To do this, regularly pick (when possible) the terminal sprigs, which allows new shoots to develop. The secondary stems take over the growth, keeping the plant dense, stocky and bushy, while also delaying flowering.

In the first photograph, you can see two young shoots at the leaf axils (below the scissors). By cutting the main stem at this point, the two shoots take over, as clearly visible a few days later (second photo).

1) Cutting the terminal shoot 2) The shoots at the leaf axils take over

Preserving Basil

After picking, basil leaves do not keep for long and tend to turn black. The best approach is to harvest them fresh as needed. However, here are some good preservation methods:

To keep basil fresh for about a week, cut stems and place them in a glass of water. Change the water every two days to prevent the leaves from yellowing and the stems from rotting.

To preserve basil leaves for about a year, you can dry the leaves on racks until they lose most of their moisture—they should be completely dry and crumbly. Then store them in airtight containers away from light.

Freezing is also an option. A simple and practical method is to chop the leaves and place them in ice cube trays, covering them with water before freezing.

Lastly, and most importantly, you can make pistou or pesto—two recipes that allow basil to be kept for a few days in the fridge or several months in the freezer.

Uses – A Few Recipes

Using Basil in Cooking

Basil is widely used in Mediterranean cuisine as well as in Asian cooking. Its fresh or dried leaves are enjoyed in salads, marinades, or sauces (such as pesto), accompanying pasta, meat, or fish (like sea bream à la varoise).

Pistou and pesto are two essential basil-based recipes, though they are quite distinct:

• Pesto, developed in the late 19^th century in Italy (Genoa), is traditionally made with Genovese basil. Other ingredients include olive oil, Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, garlic, and pine nuts.
• Pistou is the Provençal adaptation of pesto. The recipe consists primarily of Marseille basil, garlic, and olive oil. Pine nuts and cheese are optional in pistou.

The quintessential pesto!

• Caprese Salad

The famous Italian Caprese salad (tomato and mozzarella) is made by slicing tomatoes and mozzarella and arranging them alternately. It is garnished with finely chopped basil leaves and dressed with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Tomato, mozzarella, and basil

• Pistou Soup

Pistou soup is a traditional Provençal dish typically enjoyed in summer. The soup consists of bacon with fresh shelled white and red beans, along with garden vegetables—usually green beans, carrots, courgettes, and potatoes. The pistou is added at the end of cooking, giving this Provençal soup its distinctive flavour.

• Summer Tomato-Basil Salad from the Garden

Straight from the garden, pick a few ripe tomatoes of different colours, still warm from the sun, slice them thinly, and top with chopped basil, a drizzle of high-quality olive oil, a pinch of fleur de sel, and a twist of black pepper—voilà, a delicious salad!

The Benefits of Basil

Basil aids digestion and can be consumed as an infusion after a heavy meal.

It is rich in antioxidants, compounds that help slow cell ageing and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Regular consumption is beneficial for health.

Basil flowers contain an essential oil rich in eucalyptol and eugenol. Its use helps combat anxiety and infections, acting as an antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial with calming and relaxing properties.

Holy basil, used in Ayurvedic medicine, is employed in India to prevent and treat various ailments, including gastric issues, diarrhoea, bacterial and fungal infections, inflammation, and headaches.

Growing Your Own Basil Seeds

Basil requires considerable heat to produce viable seeds. As not all climates in mainland France are equal, seeds are typically harvested in the South, in Provence, or potentially by growing under glass for more northern climates.

For larger harvests, cut entire dried plants, sieve then winnow to separate debris from seeds. Store seeds in non-airtight containers.

To prevent cross-pollination between varieties, only allow one variety to seed per year or space different varieties at least 100 metres apart. In September or October, when flower spikes dry out, cut them and rub the receptacles between fingers to release the seeds. Avoid heavy leaf harvesting from plants intended for seed production, though ensure they retain good flavour.

Basil seeds should not be stored in airtight containers but rather in paper bags. Indeed, basil seeds are mucilaginous – when exposed to water or excessive humidity, mucilage forms around the seed. Composed of sugars, this mucilage may dry but then renders the seed vulnerable to mould development.