The Best Way To Grow Basil In Containers is to start your Basil indoors around 8 weeks before the last frost. Furthermore, they grow fairly fast and are easy to care for, not to mention they are great companion plants to other vegetables and herbs.
Table of Contents
Types of Basil Plants
- Sweet Basil
- Mammoth Basil
- Cinnamon Basil
- Globe Basil (spicy)
- Purple Basil
- Thai Sweet Basil
Planting Your Basil Seeds
I use small cups or containers to start my seeds. However, I use the seeds from the flowers of my previous year’s crop. Therefore, I love to let them go to flower, in the end, to collect the seeds and attract more bees to my garden.
- Use a basic all-purpose starter mix for your Basil plants
- Add a few seeds to each container or tray
- Cover your seeds in 1/4″ of soil once you have placed them
- Place a small piece of plastic wrap over the top to encourage germination
- Place in a warm location where it will get lots of sun
- You should see the leaves appear above the soil in about 7 – 10 days.
Caring For Your Container Basil Plants
Choose a sunny place for your Basil. Full morning sun is the best for them. Try to give them some light shade during really hot humid days.
- Companion Planting will give your plants protection against certain problems. Plant near Oregano, tomatoes, peppers, and lettuce.
- Water regularly container basil needs more water than those in the ground. Use a container with good drainage or use a moisture control soil.
- I use a bit of shake and feed after they are really growing well. They don’t need much if your using the Miracle Gro mixes.
- Prune the leaves back. As soon as your plant has two sets of the leaves, pinch them off to encourage a more bushy plant
- Avoid letting them go to seed until you have harvested what you want. You can let them flower to encourage bees to come to your garden. Use the seeds that do come from the flower to plant the next year.
The Best Way To Harvest Basil In Containers
I harvest fresh all year round. You can easily dry basil or freeze it for preservation. My favorite thing to do is make a bunch of pesto and freeze it. I do not jar it because it is in oil. But it freezes for all-year-round use. Dry your bail by putting it in the oven at a low temperature of 170 degrees F for 2-4 hours. Place in bags, or jars for all-year use in your spice rack.
The Best Way To Grow Basil In Containers is just like any other herb. It takes some care and adds a great addition to any container garden.
My Rare Finds and Recommendations
Once in a while, I come across some good finds and recommendations from what I use myself. Check out some of these fins for growing your basil plants. Caribou Seeds is a 100% Canadian Owned Seed company operating right out of Southern Ontario.
Basil Beans Beets Bell Peppers Carrots Cayenne Peppers Celery Chinese Eggplant Chives Cucumber Garlic Jalapeno Kale Lemon Lettuce Mint Onions Oregano Parsley Peas Potatoes Rosemary Sage Spinach Thyme Tomatoes Zucchini
