Compact basil plants are flavourful
Plants form lovely fragrant hedge; also, tips for cultivating hard-to-grow cucumbers
QI want to grow pots of basil out on my deck this summer, but in the past I’ve found the usual large-leaved ones become too rangy and tend to flop over as they develop. Are there any varieties that stay more compact?
A: My favourites are the ones that form neat little dome-shaped plants with small, flavourful leaves. These are the best varieties also for growing in pots indoors over the winter. My latest discovery in this group is Pluto, from William Dam Seeds (damseeds.com). In window boxtype planters, it forms a lovely little, fragrant hedge.
If you want some plants of the traditional, larger-leaved “Genovese” type basil, Dolce Fresca is a fairly new, award-winning variety that has full-sized leaves on plants that are half the size of the usual largeleaved varieties. It is also an excellent choice for growing in containers. William Dam lists Dolce Fresca.
Basil revels in warmth and a fertile, humus-rich soil kept modestly moist. To avoid growth that is weak, sappy, and prone to flopping, don’t over-water or over-fertilize with nitrogen. Pinching the plants back as they develop will further encourage a compact, bushy shape.
QEveryone in my family loves cucumbers, but so far we’ve had only mediocre success in growing them. Are there any varieties you would recommend as being productive and easy to grow?
A: My most consistently productive, and earliest, cucumber variety is Sweet Success. Transplants are sometimes found at garden centres.
Seed sources are William Dam and Lindenberg Seeds. Suyo Long (West Coast Seeds), another fine variety, has a reputation for toughness and productivity even in harsh environments.
Because conditions vary from garden to garden, it’s wise to try more than one variety to see which ones prove most resilient.
Seed or transplant only when the soil has thoroughly warmed. Choose a spot that is convenient to keep evenly and consistently moist, and prepare the soil well with fertilizer and compost.