How to grow basil

Ocimum basilicum · Lamiaceae · Herb

Basil is a warm-season herb in the Lamiaceae family, grown either from a direct sowing or from transplants. It wants full sun (six or more hours of direct light) and steady, even moisture. From sowing to first pick is about 30–60 days. It is killed by frost, so nothing goes outside until the danger has passed and the soil has warmed.

Grower’s note: Cold soil stalls it - wait for warm nights. Pinch above a leaf pair every couple of weeks and remove flower buds to keep leaves coming. Downy mildew-resistant varieties are worth seeking out.

Sowing

Sow barely covered — the seed needs light to germinate, into soil between 65–90°F — germination is quickest near 80°F. It comes up fast (5–10 days). For an early crop, start seed indoors about 5 weeks before your last spring frost and grow it under bright light.

Spacing & layout

Give each plant about 10″ along the row with roughly 12″ between rows. On a square-foot grid that is 4 per square foot. Allow at least 10″ of loose, workable soil for the roots. It grows well in containers at least 8″ deep.

Fitting it to your season

Basil needs roughly 30–60 frost-free days to crop. Where the season is shorter than that, start it indoors and choose the earliest-maturing varieties, or grow it in a container you can move under cover on cold nights. In long, hot-summer regions it can often be planted twice — once in spring and again in mid-to-late summer for a fall harvest.

Quick facts

When to plant basil

Companions

Common problems

Pests: aphids, Japanese beetle, slugs.

Diseases & disorders: basil downy mildew, fusarium wilt, damping off.

Same family (Lamiaceae)

Rotate these so they don’t follow each other in the same bed year to year.

Figures are typical home-garden ranges from Cooperative Extension planting guides, cross-checked against multiple state sources. Your variety and conditions will vary.