By Josie Borlongan, Garden Guides Contributor
About Basil
Basils are annuals with toothed, pointed-oval leaves. Basils must
be grown under cover or in warm position in colder regions. Basils
of the Family Lamiaceae (Labiatae) are low-growing plants.
Basils are cultivated as a culinary herb, condiment or spice. They
are a source of essential oil for use in foods, flavors, and
fragrances. The green aromatic leaves are used in salads and can be
used fresh or dried to add flavors or spices in stews, vegetable,
poultry, meat, vinegars, pesto and pasta dishes.
Site Preparation
Prepare soils well in advance, preferably during fall. Remove all
weeds that may compete with the soil nutrients. Basils are
susceptible to frost and cold-temperature injury. They require full
sun and well-drained soils so that they will grow healthy and
vigorous.
Basils can tolerate slightly acidic soils. If the pH is lower than
6.5, add a dressing of lime when preparing the soil.
Aside from its culinary use, basils have medicinal uses. Basils
have been known to treat headaches, coughs, diarrhea, constipation,
stomach aches, worms, warts and kidney malfunctions.
Choosing a Variety
The recommended vaireties of basils are:
Sweet basil (O. basilicum), Thai basil (O. basilicum var.
thyrsiflorum Siam Queen), Genovese basil (O. basilicum Genovese
Gigante), Cinnamon basil (O. basilicum Cinnamon), Licorice basil
(O. basilicum Licorice), Spicy globe basil (O. basilicum Spicy
Globe), Purple ruffles basil (O. basilicum Purple Ruffles), Fino
verde basil (O. basilicum piccolo), Nufar basil (O. basilicum Nufar
F1), Magical Michael (O. basilicum Magical Michael), Lettuce leaf
basil (O. basilicum Lettuce Leaf), Mammoth basil (O. basilicum
Mammoth), Red rubin basil (O. basilicum Red Rubin), Dark opal basil
(O. basilicum Purpurascens), Cuban basil (O. basilicum), Mrs. Burns
lemon basil (O. basilicum var. citriodora Mrs. Burns) and Osmin
purple basil (O. basilicum Osmin Purple).
Planting
Basil can be grown in a variety of situations. You can have a
separate herb garden that does not require a lot of space. You can
also grow them in pots placed on kitchen windowsills for easy
picking when cooking. Basils can also be grown in hanging baskets
or plastic pails. Almost any container is suitable provided there
are drainage holes. Furthermore, container-grown herbs may be
planted throughout the year, but the best time is during
spring.
To sow basil seeds in containers, first tap the seeds from a fold
of paper onto firmed medium. Lightly cover with sieved medium and
keep moist at a minimum temperature of 70 degrees F (21 degrees C).
Once the seedlings are large enough to handle, carefully lift them
with a widger, holding them by the leaves, not by the stems to
prevent damage. Prick out seedlings individually into cell packs of
firmed soil mix, then keep moist in a sunny, well ventilated place.
Plant them out after frost danger or grow them in containers under
cover.
Care
Make sure to water regularly and allow for water to drain,
especially in potted plants. In planting beds, add mulch to prevent
moisture from escaping.
Harvesting and Storage
Pick basil leaves when young during summer. Freeze, dry or use to
flavor herbs or vinegar right after picking or pack in jars of oil
to preserve them.'
