Basil is one of the warm season herbs that have a distinctive scent and flavor. Basil plants are in the mint family, but they’re not invasive like many types of mint plants are. They are an annual herb, so they will survive only one growing season. Basil makes a wonderful addition to any garden, and when grown near tomatoes, they make them taste sweeter. It’s easy to grow basil from seed, and there are lots of varieties to choose from.

Basil is a fast growing herb, and is definitely one of the the most popular herbs grown by gardeners . Basil is super easy to grow from seed, and basil seeds will germinate pretty quickly in the right conditions. It’s not frost hardy, so it’s best to plant basil a little later in the spring than planting it too early .





How to grow basil from seeds indoors

Fill a small pot with moist multipurpose compost. Sprinkle your seeds thinly and cover with a very fine layer of compost. Place your pot on a warm windowsill. Basil seeds need warm soil to germinate. Keep the soil moist but not too wet as the seeds can rot. The seedlings should appear after one or two weeks.





To aid germination place a plastic bag over the top of the pot to help the compost maintain its moisture and humidity, but remember this must be removed as soon as the new seedlings germinate to prevent fungal infection. Once the seedlings have emerged, keep them in a light position but out of direct sunlight. Keep the pots on a warm indoor windowsill , maintaining a temperature of at least 15°C as the seedlings appear. Water the seedlings as necessary.

Basil seedlings growing indoors need a lot of light to keep them from getting long and leggy. Always keep the soil in your seed starting trays or pot consistently moist, and never allow it to dry out completely. Basil seedlings don’t like to be sitting in soggy soil though, so make sure you don’t over water them. When the seedlings are large enough to handle and have developed their first true leaves , transplant them into individual pots filled with multi-purpose compost.





Hardening Off Seedlings

To reduce stress caused by the transition from indoors to outdoors, gardeners should implement an acclimation technique known as hardening off.

Hardening off is the process of slowly acclimating young plants or seedlings to a new environment. In other words, hardening off is a way for gardeners to gradually condition their plants to the comparatively harsh conditions of the outdoors.





Planting Basil Seedlings Into Your Garden

Anyone can grow basil. All that’s required is a warm, sheltered and sunny position. Basil thrives in well-drained, moist soil with a neutral pH. I add a rich organic compost as chicken manure to the soil at the beginning of the season.

Basil won’t tolerate cold weather or cold soil, so make sure you wait to transplant your seedlings into your garden until the weather has warmed up in the spring. Once the soil has warmed up and all chance of frost is gone, plant basil seedlings spacing them 6-12 inches apart.

Giving basil plants plenty of room to grow will allow for ample airflow between your plants, and help to prevent powdery mildew. Pinch off basil flowers as they start to grow to encourage new leaf growth, and to keep the plants bushy.

As the plants continue to grow, remove any flower buds as they arise as this will signal a change in the flavour of basil. Flowering will also cause a significant reduction in the growth of new foliage. If you allow the flowers to grow, you can collect the seeds and save them to grow basil from seed for next growing season.

Now with these tips and advice you know how to grow basil from seeds, you can give it a try in your own garden. You will be able to grow basil successfully.

Hope you enjoy these great tips!

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If you have any tips for growing Basil, we'd love to hear them - please share them in the comments below.



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