success with sweet basil

[veg4681]

i would like to sow genovese sweet basil seeds but have few questions. the problem i have with home grown is that they look nothing like the supermarket ones that branch out generously with lots of decent amount of leaves for eating.

mine shoots up with a single stem without much of the branching out. is this bolting? i believe the supermarket ones are one plant per pot so is that one seed for pot for me to sow. in the past i've sowed too many seeds per pot and maybe they're fighting for space to cause them to shoot/bolt. any tips you've found to work much appreciated.

[kethry]

no, bolting is when a plant starts to produce flowers/seeds, some are quick to do this, hence the term "bolting". what you need to do to get it to branch out is to pinch out the growing tips, then branches will form from lower down the main stem. i think, if i 'member right, that i let the first stem get 3 proper leaves (not including the seed leaves) then pinch out the growing tip (where you can see new leaves being produced) and that will force the production of branches. you can then pinch out the growing tips on the branches too, and so on, to get a nice bush.

Do remember as well: supermarket herbs in pots are grown to eat, so they get so far and then fail, the growers aren't really interested in producing good strong plants that will last a while, and in addition, supermarket herbs are forced to grow within the confines of the plastic packaging which will make them look fuller within that confined space.

I'm sure someone else will come along soon with some more tips - I'm sowing my own basil this afternoon so i'll be watching keenly!

Hope that helps!

keth
xx

[Paul Wagland]

Are your seedlings getting enough light Veg? If not they will grow tall and thin to get above the surrounding vegetation that they believe is casting the shade (bless them).

Even a south-facing windowsill can be quite a shady spot compared to the open air.

[smallblueplanet]

.... i believe the supermarket ones are one plant per pot so is that one seed for pot for me to sow...

the supermarket pots are many seeds/plants to one pots, grown under lights I'd have thought

we've never had much success growing basil in pots, so I'll be interested in what people do

since getting our greenhouse we tend to grow the basil in the borders underneath the toms and aubs - they love the heat and go a bit crazy!

- basil under toms, behind marigolds!

- red basil under aubs

[Alison]

Have some in a pot on the utility room window ledge at the moment, sowed several seeds (but still pretty lightly) and covered lightly with general purpose potting compost. They were through in a few days and are now growing nicely. Need to make sure that they get plenty of light and enough water. Also, don't let them get any frost or they'll go brown and die but looking at SBP's piccies above may be trying some in the greenhouse this summer - usually keep it in pots but think that looks lovely.

[TonyF]

I've put in dozens of basil seeds in low heated greenhouse of Genovese and I think 8 other basil types, all sown in groups of 4 in modules. Last inspection showed them coming along a treat and I'll be monitoring regularly over the next few weeks.

Sorry to mention it here but another magazine has run two excellent articles on growing basil in the past, June 2005 and June 2006 plus some very good advice from an elderly Italian lottie grower called Silvio Trozzo (featured in Feb 2005) who grows them just as we all would want to.

[kentvegplot]

Last year had a great crop of basil - pinch it out as suggested and you will get nice bushy plants. Grew them all in pots inside the tunnel. I picked from them until late October.

Oh, and I notice from the notes I made that the second sowing (25th March) easily caught up the early one (12th Feb) so I shall wait a little longer before planting this year. (sits on hands....)

[BayViewPlot]

I've tried for a few yrs to grow basil from seed or cuttings with no joy

Last year I read a tip that you could root them in water and then plant them up after.

This works wonders! 100% success rate!

So you can buy supermarket plants and trim them before planting the mother in a bigger pot or seed your own variety and take cutting after.

Plant one cutting per pot and it'll grow higher/bushier and with bigger individual basil leaves than a supermarket 10 or so per small pot.

Just one note though.....

I cam home today to find my parrot had decimated my entire windosill of basil cuttings! Arrgh!

No method is foolproof!

[Armorel]

Yes, I can vouch for the fact that basil will root in water. Last year I bought one of those rigid plastic trays with cut basil stems from the supermarket. I popped the bunch of basil into a glass of water on the kitchen windowsill to keep it fresh. Shortly afterwards, I noticed that some of the basil steps were producing roots so I potted them up. They grew really well

Armorel

[veg4681]

Last year I read a tip that you could root them in water and then plant them up after.

This works wonders! 100% success rate!

Yes, I can vouch for the fact that basil will root in water. Last year I bought one of those rigid plastic trays with cut basil stems from the supermarket. I popped the bunch of basil into a glass of water on the kitchen windowsill to keep it fresh. Shortly afterwards, I noticed that some of the basil steps were producing roots so I potted them up. They grew really well

Armorel

Yipeee.....Thanks Bayview and Armorel for the utterly useful tips, now why I never thought of that . Aren't they mighty tender for superfast rooting? As god is my witness, I shall never grow from seeds again. Why make life harder than it ought to be ? Thanks Kethry and Kentvegplot, I shall also use the pinching techniques you've described. Every little helps.

[Herbie]

This is a new method for me too I will be trying this after my next visit to ASDA!
I'm sure I have a nice south facing window sill to place cuttings, and grow on.

Nice and Easy

[northenlights]

great tips on here for basil was gonna grow from seed but its off to asda now !