Basil seeds

Grow your own delicious, fragrant basil at home with this easy-to-grow summer favourite: Basil Genovese seed.

Basil Genovese is a large leafed fragrant and sweet basil variety from Italy. 

Basil is one of the most rewarding herbs to grow, producing lush green leaves packed with vitamin K, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that should be grown alongside every tomato plant! 

Basil Genovese is also perfect for pesto, salads, pasta, pizza and countless other dishes. Regular harvesting (picking) encourages even more fresh growth throughout the season.

Seeds can take a while to grow though, so get started as early in the season as you can! 

Quantity: Roughly 50 basil seeds per packet.

Season: Sow from Spring through to Summer once the risk of frost has passed, unless starting indoors or under a greenhouse cover. If sowing indoors, start in Winter - as long as you've got a full spectrum LED grow light or a sunny spot that gets more than 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. In warmer climates, basil can be grown for much of the year.

Sow depth: Approximately 5mm below the soil surface.

Family: Lamiaceae

Life Cycle: Annual

How to grow basil from seed

Basil seeds can be sown into seed raising trays, small pots or directly into the garden once the weather has warmed. They are TINY - so I find starting inside or in seed raising trays helps keep track of them and prevents them from overcrowding.

They'll grow beautifully in our upcycled seed raising kits (under the 'Shop' tab).

Basil thrives in rich, well-draining soil in a warm, sunny position with a minimum 6–8 hours of direct sunlight each day. Keep soil consistently moist but avoid waterlogging.

For the best results, regularly pinch out (cut off or break off) the top of the plant. This will encourage it to put its energy into becoming bushier rather than taller. If you don't do this, however, it's not a problem at all! Your plant will just put its energy into growing taller. 

If you notice your basil plant changing form and beginning to produce flowers, this is when it's "going to seed". Cutting off any part of the plant that look like they're trying to flower will extend the plant's lifecycle. 

How to sow basil seeds

Sow seeds approximately 5mm deep and lightly cover with our premium seed raising mix.

Keep the soil evenly moist throughout germination by watering gently as required.

Seeds can take anywhere from 7 to 14 days to germinate, as long as the soil is warm enough. 

Once seedlings have developed their first true leaves, thin them out (by removing the weakest seedlings, cut off or pull out) or transplant them so plants are spaced approximately 20cms apart. It's not a problem at all if you wait until seedlings are a bit bigger before you transplant them, as long as they're not competing for sunlight.

Harvesting

You can start enjoying and eating your basil as soon as the plant has established. As long as you leave at least half of the plant in tact, don't hesitate to start chopping off and enjoying your basil from early on. Cutting off the top sections of the plant will encourage it to grow bigger and bushier.

While you can just pick off individual leaves, cutting off entire stems will produce a better long term result.

Fresh basil can be used immediately, refrigerated for short periods, made into pesto to preserve the harvest. Freezing basil isn't recommended as the leaves will go black - similar to what happens outdoors if it gets too cold!

Perfect for kitchen gardens, raised beds, vegetable patches, greenhouses and pots on sunny balconies or patios.