Basil Seeds (Sweet Genovese)

Sweet Genovese is a large leaved variety of Italian Basil. This aromatic herb is perfect for cooking with and goes extremely well with tomatoes, garlic and in homemade pasta sauces and pestos. Sweet Genovese is the most commonly grown basil variety, it originated in the Mediterranean region but is now grown around the world. It grows particularly well in containers.

Visit the GIY Veg directory for more growing details and tips.

Sow seeds anytime from April to June.

Sow one seed in a module tray or small pot.

Basil likes a Mediterranean climate, so either grow it indoors in a pot, in a glasshouse or a polytunnel, or on a sunny windowsill.

Basil will germinate in about two weeks.

Transplant into a larger pot or the ground when it is about 7–10cm high.

If planting in the garden, allow 30cm between plants.

If growing indoors, fertilise compost once a month with a liquid feed.

Basil plants can be killed by frost, so don’t put outside until June.

Make sure to water often in hot weather.

Start picking the leaves of basil as soon as the plants are around 25cm high.

Cut off the growing tip of the plant with a scissors. This encourages the plant to get bushy rather than tall and straggly.

Keep harvesting by cutting off the tips above a node (where the leaves join the stem), so new shoots will grow out of the node.

For best results harvest in the early morning, when leaves are at their juiciest.