How I grow basil
Basil is not just for summer, it’s for spring too. Well, that’s what I like to say, probably because I cannot get enough of this vibrant annual herb. In March, it’s the first herb seed I sow.
Unlike other Mediterranean herbs that prefer less fertile, gritty, free-draining soil, basil is the opposite. When potting on, I’ll use moisture-retentive, peat-free compost and even add a little blood, fish and bonemeal to the potting mix to provide a slowrelease fertiliser as the basil grows.
Even though the plants are being cared for on benches in the safer confines of the greenhouse, there are slugs and snails about. Every morning I’ll check for tell-tale signs of bitten leaves, slime trails and poo-piles around the base of my seedling pots. To create bushier plants, I’ll pinch off the tip as soon as they hit 15cm tall, to trigger sideshoot growth. By May, basil leaves not only grace my plate, but the plants are giving my aubergines some company too. In July, I’ll sow more seeds, just as the first batch goes to flower and begins luring bees into the greenhouse. They’re perfect for attracting pollinators to the aubergine flowers. Plus, basil’s aroma seems to keep greenhouse whiteflies at bay.
ALSO TRR
I can never have too many varieties of basil, but ‘Sweet Genovese’ is my all-time favourite. It’s ideal for windowsill boxes too. For those orientinspired stir-fries, Thai basil produces purple-tinged stems with small, narrow leaves. Even when cooked at high temperatures it holds its notes of liquorice. This year, I’d like to grow ‘Lettuce Leaf’. As the name suggests, each of its crinkly leaves is huge (about the size of my hand). They can be stuffed with rice, dolma-style.