Growing Tips for Holy Basil Seed

  

Holy Basil is easy to grow from seed, or you can buy it as a nursery-grown plant at Lowes or other garden centers. I grow my basil herbs in raised garden beds or containers, but that doesn’t mean you can’t grow them in the ground.

The herb holy basil, also known as Tulsi, has many health benefits. In the past, I have harvested holy basil leaves for tea. Drinking two cups of tea daily was a great way to relax and unwind and boost my immune system. You can also cook with this basil; it will add a delicious flavor to many foods.

 

Here’s a step-by-step guide for growing Holy Basil

• You will need the following
• Holy Basil seeds
• Seed starter soil mix
• Seed trays with covers or containers
• Plastic wrap
• Watering can / spray bottle
• A sunny window for indoor growing or a grow light.

Plan to start your Holy basil seeds indoors in early spring to protect them from a late spring frost.

Fill the seed trays or containers with seed-starter soil mix or potting soil.

Use a water sprayer to moisten the soil. The soil should be moist but not muddy.

Sow your basil seeds by sprinkling them lightly on the soil surface.

Use your index finger to press the seeds into the soil.  Do not cover the seeds with soil, as the seeds need light to germinate.

Water your newly planted seeds with a spray bottle.  Mist the soil lightly so that the soil is moist.

Set the seed tray in a sunny location, by a window or under a grow light. Put the plastic cover on the seed tray or wrap the trays or containers with plastic wrap. (The cover will help maintain humidity, which is needed for germination.)

 

Holy basil seeds will germinate indoors where the average temperature is 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.   Seedlings will be healthy if they get 6 to 8 hours of sunlight daily.  

Your seedlings should emerge in about 7 to 14 days.  Once they germinate, you would remove the plastic covering.

Keep the soil moist and continue to provide light and warmth to your seedlings.

When the threat of late spring frost has passed and your seedlings have a few leafy branches, transplant them outdoors. You can grow in a raised garden bed, containers, or in the ground.

*AI generated watercolor images created by Susang6

Growing Herbs - Basil

 Basil is a culinary herb that is a main ingredient for many recipes. When you add fresh  basil leaves to soups, sauces and entrees the flavor of the food will be heightened.  The foods that are prepared with basil herb are always well received by family and friends as they are delicious. If you enjoy cooking then I would recommend that you grow basil in your herb garden.

Aromatic and Delicious African Blue Basil

Grow basil from seed by starting the seeds indoors, planting in a grow kit, and set by a sunny southern exposure window.  Keep the seedlings soil evenly moist but not wet.  Transplant after the threat of spring frost has passed.  Plant the basil in a sunny location that has well-drained soil.  Water lightly in the morning until the plants are mature, then you would water as needed.  A mature basil plant is approximately two feet in height with a similar spread. 

The leaves of the basil are green and highly aromatic.  This herb produces a flower that blooms mid to late summer.  The flowers attract bees and butterflies.  If your summers are hot then grow basil as they flourish in hot humid climates.  

I grow Thai, cinnamon, and African blue basil in various sized containers and decorative pots and also in my rock garden. In the summer, I display the basil in containers on my patio and along my walkways. The aromatic scent of the basil plants is refreshing and repels many flying insects including mosquitoes. It is nice to enjoy the fragrant basil while sitting on the patio.

  
Tips
In the winter, I bring my basil herb containers into my kitchen or into the greenhouse and set them by a sunny southern exposure window.  

In January when the winter days are long and dark we will set the basil under a grow light.  Basil likes it hot so we set the plant container in the center and set the other herbs on the sides or behind the basil.

If you enjoy cooking with fresh herbs then harvest the basil leaves before the flowers bloom. My husband enjoys cooking he will not permit some basil plants to flower because the leaves have a stronger taste after the plant blooms.  

It is best to grow many basil plants so you can enjoy the fragrance and the flavor.

When you add basil to your kitchen herb garden, the plant's aromatic properties add a fresh scent to your home.