How to Grow, Care for & Harvest Basil

There are a couple of different ways you can start to grow basil. Firstly, basil is an annual plant, so you’ll only get one growth season out of your plant.

If you’d like to start from seed, you can grow it indoors starting about 4-8 weeks before the last expected frost date. Just use a small planter, water them and then cover them in plastic wrap to increase humidity for roughly 7-10 days. When your seedlings have sprouted, you can move them to a sunny windowsill until they’re ready to be planted outside.

If you’d rather skip the seeds, you can buy a young plant that’s ready to be planted once the last frost has come and gone.

Whether you’re growing basil indoors or growing basil outdoors, be sure to plant it in moist but well-drained soil, in a place that gets roughly 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. If you can’t put it in direct sunlight, partial sun can work as well, though full-sun is recommended. If you’re planting outside, be sure that the temperature won’t dip below about 10 degrees Celsius, or it could harm your basil plant.

When it comes to watering your basil plant, remember that basil generally needs about 1 inch of water per week, so be sure to top it up when needed. Mornings are usually the best time to water and be sure to keep the soil moist if possible.

When caring for your basil plant, pruning is important. Once your plant starts to develop leaves, prune above them to encourage even more leaf growth. Be sure to prune your centre stem if you notice flowering, as you want to make sure there are no flowers on your plant. Don’t worry though, if you notice flowers, you can easily just cut them off.

When harvesting basil, wait until your plant is about 6 inches tall and cut your stems just above the point where two large leaves meet. Even if you don’t need the basil right away, pick it and store it to help encourage new plant growth and to avoid overgrowth. You can always freeze or dry your basil out to use later! You’ve now got the know-how to grow your own basil to use on all of your favourite dishes!