Brush up on your basil-growing skills
PACKS of cut basil from the supermarket are convenient but everyone knows the contents go off quickly.
As far as I’m concerned, nothing is worse than finding a mass of wilted l eaves at t he moment t hey’re required, so ensure you always have a fresh supply to hand by growing your own crop from seed.
It’s easy to grow this versatile herb. Start seeds off indoors now and you’ll have some well-established young plants ready to go outdoors when temperatures are much warmer in late spring. With care, plants will grow vigorously, providing plenty of tasty pickings all summer and into early autumn.
There are loads of great varieties to tantalise your tastebuds. ‘Tigullio’ boasts large, slightly curled leaves and is grown commercially for pesto in Italy. ‘Horopha’ is used in Thai food and has leaves with a sweet, liquorice flavour, while ‘Purple Ruffles’ has dark purple, crinkled leaves with toothed margins.
Growing basil is a doddle. Fill a 3 in pot with seed compost, level and tap to settle. Firm with the bottom of another pot, and then scatter seeds on top – only sow one or two more than you need as most will germinate. Cover with a fine layer of vermiculite, water and pop in a label.
Put inside a heated windowsill propagator or slip a clear plastic freezer bag over the pot, holding in place with an elastic band.
Once seedlings nose their way above the surface, remove from the propagator (or take off the bag) and stand in a light spot. Water occasionally to prevent compost drying out.
Give seedlings their own pot when they are about 1 in tall. Decant the rootball and carefully loosen compost to separate seedlings. Gently lifting by a leaf, place a seedling in the centre of a 3 in pot filled with multi-purpose compost. Ensure the leaves are just above the surface of the soil, gently firm in and water.
Stand plants in a light place undercover, such as a windowsill, conservatory or front porch. Move them into 5 in pots when roots appear through the drainage holes and water regularly to prevent a check to growth. The best time to water is first thing in the morning.
Move plants outside at the end of May. Plant in a sunny, sheltered spot or raise them in decorative containers. Plants will grow quickly, so transfer to slightly larger pots every time their roots have run out of space. Pinch out the tips of branches to keep plants productive.