BASIL

VARIETY: Bush, Dolce Fresca, Large Leaf Italian, Thai

FOLIAGE COLOR: green, some varieties are reddish near stems

BOTANICAL NAME: Ocimum basilicum

ANNUAL OR PERENNIAL?: annual

WARM SEASON OR COOL SEASON?: warm season; not frost-tolerant

PLANT SIZE: 8 to 12 inches (Bush) 24 to 36 inches (Dolce Fresca, Large Leaf Italian, Thai

LIGHT NEEDS: full sun (at least 6 hours of direct sun per day)

WATER NEEDS: normal (about an inch of water per week); basil is not drought-tolerant and can be damaged by heat stress

FERTILIZER NEEDS: normal (balanced or nitrogen rich fertilizer about once a month)

IDEAL SOIL CONDITIONS: moderately rich, moist soil

PLANT SPACING FOR TRANSPLANTS: 4 to 8 inches

PLANT SUPPORTS NEEDED?: no

TO START FROM SEED - WHEN?: Indoors = 6 weeks before last frost date; Direct sowing = after last frost date

SEED DEPTH: 1/4 inch

SEED SPACING: 1 per cell in a 200 cell tray; 4 to 8 inches apart in bed or container

TIME TO GERMINATION: 5 to 10 days

WHEN TO PLANT OUT: after all danger of frost has passed

CAN IT BE PLANTED IN A CONTAINER?: yes

DURING GROWTH: pinch back new shoots to encourage bushier growth

WATCH FOR THESE PESTS/DISEASES: aphids, Japanese beetles, whiteflies, slugs/snails, downy mildew, fusarium wilt

TIME TO HARVEST: 64 days

HARVESTING: harvest individual leaves as needed throughout the growing season

POLLINATOR FRIENDLY?: if allowed to go to flower, pollinators love basil flowers