Ocimum basilicum

JOY MAX SCALE ✦✦✦✦✧

Trying to make Asian dishes at home is almost impossible without this unique flavor. You can also use it as a gloriously scented bouquet filler.

✦ Reminiscent of anise and cloves, it goes well in Thai curries, pho, and many other Asian dishes.

✦ Bees love it and it looks lovely in the garden. So if you rarely make those dishes, you can plant as a fragrant ornamental to attract pollinators to your garden. You can also use it as a scented bouquet filler.

✦ Called "Horapha" in its mother country, "Hun Que" in Vietnam.

✧ Very sensitive to cold. Protect from frost.

How to Grow Basil

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. For this flowering variety, you may want to keep some for eating where you pinch the flowers off and then let other go to flower for the bees and bouquets.

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.

• 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

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.