Prospera® Compact Basil
Ocimum basilicum • Organic • F1 DMR (PL4)
This is a fancy patent-pending Italian basil that grows great in containers.
JOY MAX SCALE ✦✦✦✦✧
This is the classic Italian Genovese basil but bred to be less tall, more densely packed with fragrant leaves, and superior disease and downy mildew resistance.
✦ Classic Italian variety only improved, hence all the strange numbers and letters.
✦ The perfect summer herb. Add to pastas, make endless caprese salads & pesto, and even elevate frozen pizzas with this incredibly fragrant herb.
✦ Slow-bolting plants produce large, 3–4", dark green, glossy, heavily cupped leaves.
✦ Great in containers. Keep on your porch to (supposedly) deter mosquitoes or (definitely) romance suiters.
✦ Bred for resistance to downy mildew and fusarium wilt
✧ Very sensitive to cold. Protect from frost.
If you see flowers starting to form on your Genovese basil, pinch them off with your fingers, then smell them for a dose of heaven.
Basic Growing Information
Start transplants indoors 6 weeks prior to planting out or direct seed once temps are 70º.
Direct seed (recommended): Plant seeds 1/4” deep, 2-3 seeds per inch. Firm soil over the seeds. Thin to a final spacing of 8”-12” apart to produce healthy, full plants.
Transplant: Sow indoors 6 weeks prior to setting out. Plant 1/4” deep and keep at 70ºF (21ºC) for best germination. Transplant to the field when seedlings have 3-4 sets of leaves.
HARVEST: Basil is a pick-as-you-go kind of herb. You may harvest only what you need, or if you have an abundance on hand, you may clip a mass harvest.
Tips for Growing Basil
• Basil is not drought tolerant and can be damaged by heat stress. Regular moisture throughout the growing season helps to ensure a good crop.
• Pinch off any flowers as culinary basil grows to keep the flavor in the leaf. Once the season winds down, you can let the plants go to flower. The flowers are edible and have a strong basil flavor.
• Harvest basil as you would mint, snipping a stem just above the point where two large leaves meet. Regular clipping encourages a more rounded, less leggy plant.
Companion Planting for BASIL
Plant basil among other herbs and vegetables with similar light and water needs, like chamomile, lettuce, peppers, and oregano, parsley, or tomatoes. Some even say tomatoes taste better when they neighbor basil.