Basil
Ocimum basilicum
About it
- Kind
- Herbs · Annual
- Family
- Lamiaceae
- Hardiness zones
- Zones 3–11
- Sun
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 12 in apart, rows 18 in
- Soil depth in a pot
- At least 8 in
- Soil pH
- 6–7
- Water
- About every 7 days
When to plant
- Start indoors
- 6 weeks before planting out
- Plant out
- Plant out 2 weeks after the last frost
- Ready
- About 60 days from sowing
Based on your last frost date. Outside the US, check local advice.
Varieties people grow
- Dark Opal— purple-leaved sweet basil; as much ornament as herb
- Genovese— large-leaf sweet basil; the classic pesto basil
- Siam Queen— Thai basil with a liquorice scent
- Spicy Globe— tiny-leaved dwarf basil; suits pots and edging
- Sweet Dani— lemon basil; citrus scented
Planting partners
What has been claimed about growing Basil near other plants, grouped by how well it has been tested. Most companion planting advice has never been tested; the notes say which is which.
Tested in field trials
- With Cherry Tomato Basil planted with tomatoes reduced thrips on the tomatoes in field and greenhouse studies. UMN Extension ↗
- With Tomato Basil planted with tomatoes reduced thrips on the tomatoes in field and greenhouse studies. UMN Extension ↗
Safety for pets and children
- Cats Listed as non-toxic to cats (NC State Extension)
- Dogs Listed as non-toxic to dogs (NC State Extension)
- Horses No information in our sources
- Children No information in our sources
Read from NC State Extension ↗.
"No information" means our sources do not say, not that the plant is harmless. A non-toxic listing is not a reason to let anyone eat a plant.
Pests and diseases
No pest or disease notes for Basil yet.
Check the label and your local extension service before using any product.
Where this comes from
- family npgsweb.ars-grin.gov ↗ GRIN page: Ocimum basilicum L.
- maturity counted from NC State Extension ↗ Row's 60 days (Almanac, 0024) sits in NC State (North Carolina) Table 16-4's Basil S=50-75, not T=14-35
- Most facts The Old Farmer's Almanac ↗ Backfilled by 0041. Pre-0041 rows recorded one source for the whole row; per-field attribution was never captured and is not invented here.
- toxicity NC State Extension ↗ non_toxic for cat, dog from its "non-toxic for" tags. Page matched to this row by its recorded species; not cited by the row before this batch.
- transplant weeks rel last frost extension.unh.edu ↗ UNH (New Hampshire) table: Basil T, safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost
- water frequency days UMN Extension ↗ UMN "Growing basil": "Depending on the amount of regular rainfall, water deeply every seven to ten days to insure the roots are receiving enough moisture." and "Plants grown in containers will dry out faster than those in garden beds. Water them more frequently."