Friday, May 1, 2026

All About Basil

In this episode, we discuss the essentials of basil cultivation, highlighting the basil basics for home gardens. We cover basil soil preparation, planting, timing, and a few of the various flavorful basil varieties such as Sweet, Thai, and cinnamon basil. We include basil care tips such as watering, fertilization, and pest management. Special guest Rose Loveall-Sale from Morningsun Herb Farm (https://morningsunherbfarm.com) shares her knowledge about basil’s cultural significance and culinary uses, as well as sharing her vast knowledge of even more basil varieties. Her audio was taken from her how-to basil video on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iIWJnXVSRc) , because this week she was busy getting ready for Morningsun Herb Farm’s annual open house day (https://morningsunherbfarm.com/pages/open-house-2026) , on Saturday, May 2, an event that features speakers, vendors, crafts, demonstrations, and informational booths (including the Solano County Master Gardeners) at the nursery outside Vacaville, in the San Francisco Bay Area. More links and pictures about basil in today’s podcast transcript! ALL ABOUT BASIL - THE PODCAST TRANSCRIPT Farmer Fred: [0:00] If there’s one herb that practically begs to be grown at home, it has to be basil. The good news? It’s not fussy at all. It just wants what most of us really want. Warm weather, plenty of sunshine, and a good drink of water every now and then. Basil is happiest in fertile, well-drained soil that has lots of organic matter. Most garden soils, though, work just fine. But before you plant anything, it’s always worthwhile doing a quick soil test so you know exactly what you’re working with. Farmer Fred: [0:30] If the soil needs a nutrient boost, work your fertilizer into the top six inches. If you’re going the compost route, spread no more than one inch of well-composted material per 100 square feet. A little goes a long way here. The golden rule with basil is wait until after the last frost before planting. Cold soil is the enemy. If you’re starting from seed, basil germinates best when soil temps are between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and you can expect the little sprouts to pop up in about 10 to 14 days. If you’re starting with transplants, we’ll give them about four to six weeks to size up and aim for a mid to late May planting. You want to sow seeds about one eighth of an inch deep. That’s barely covering the seed with perhaps some vermiculite. Cover it lightly and keep the soil consistently moist. Then, once your seedlings emerge, thin them to three to four inches apart. Then gradually work toward a final spacing of about 12 inches. Farmer Fred: [1:32] Hey, and don’t throw away what you thin out. Those little guys can be transplanted elsewhere or even tossed into your dinner salad. One tip worth remembering, basil grown in full sun develops more essential oils, and that means richer, more complex flavor. Shade-grown basil? It just isn’t the same, really. So the age-old question is, well, how much basil should I plant? Over a whole season, plan on 5 to 10 plants per person for fresh use, and maybe another 5 to 10 plants if you want to put some away for storage. That may seem like a lot, but believe me, you will go through it. The Master Gardeners of Sonoma County (https://ucanr.edu/site/mg-sonoma/basil) have suggestions for basil varieties worth trying. Farmer Fred: [2:15] Sweet basil (https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ocimum-basilicum/) is probably the most popular. It’s a large-leafed Mediterranean variety. It’s the primary culinary basil used in Italian cuisine, and it gets up to about two, two and a half feet tall. Purple or opal basil (https://ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2018-07/287036.pdf) is similar to sweet basil, but it has dark bronze-purple leaves and pink flowers, and that’s a welcome color contrast in the garden and in dishes, although visually it’s really not very suitable for pesto. A somewhat more tender variety, purple basil grows to about the same height as sweet basil, about two and a half feet. Lemon or lime basil (https://ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2018-07/287036.pdf) is a smaller plant, about 12 inches tall with white flowers, and a mild citrus aroma paired with many types of food. There’s also Greek or globe basil (https://ucanr.edu/site/mg-sonoma/basil) . That’s even smaller, about 6 to 12 inches tall, with tiny compact leaves, soft stems, and a very spicy character that’s useful in salads. Its compact size makes it a good container plant, too, and its hardiness allows it to thrive in poor conditions. Another one worth trying, cinnamon basil. (https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ocimum-basilicum/) That’s a spicy variety with a pronounced flavor, and it gets about 18 to 30 inches tall. Farmer Fred: [3:29] Thai basil (https://ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2018-07/287036.pdf) . That can be recognized by its unusually serrated leaves and a spiciness that sort of resembles licorice. ...