Mulching Basil

Since basil likes a moist soil, a layer of mulch under the plant improves performance and continues to feed the soil that important organic amendment as the mulch decomposes and is pulled down by the earthworms. Place a 2 to 4 inch layer of some kind of organic mulch such as chopped leaves, straw, or hay under the plants when they get to be about 6 inches tall. As the mulch settles down in mid summer, you might want to add a bit more to get the plants through the fall season. For more information see Mulching The Vegetable Garden

Fertilizing Basil

In normal situations when only light harvesting is anticipated, basil is a light feeder. In good soil it needs no additional fertilizer. If your soil is not yet in shape, it is probably wise to give it an application of slow-acting, granular fertilizer at planting time. Be careful - over-feeding basil stimulates excessive foliage production that reduces the flavor of basil leaves.

If you plan to harvest basil heavily, even if the soil is good, you can give your plants a monthly supplemental feeding with a diluted liquid fertilizer. This will also help plants endure periods of high heat (over 85 degrees for periods of weeks. For more information see Fertilizing the Vegetable Garden

Watering Basil

Basil plants require a fair amount of moisture, but if your soil is good and you use mulch, you should seldom need to worry about watering this plant. If your soil is not great and if you don’t use any mulch, then at maturity basil will need at least 1 inch of water per week for optimum health and foliage production and flavor. In any case, water seedlings frequently after transplant until the plants are established. For more information see Watering The Vegetable Garden

Pruning and Grooming

Proper pruning of your basil will determine how much of the herb you will harvest in the season.

Whether basil is planted to provide for the kitchen or enhance the landscape, it benefits from regular pinching of its branching stems. Pinching off branch tips stimulates the plant to grow more bushy and compact and yield more foliage for cooking. The more you prune early on, in the first few months, the bigger and bushier each basil plant becomes.

Start pinching off growing tips with your thumb and forefinger or clipping them with pruners when each plant is about 6 inches tall. Always pinch off blossoms as they appear, as they will affect leaf growth and the oil content of the leaves. Best to prune before it flowers by cutting the main stem from the top, leaving at least one node with two young shoots. Thereafter, cut back subsidiary branches every two or three weeks.

If you want to follow the advice of an expert, follow the pruning technique of Susan Belsinger, co-author of Basil: An Herb Lover’s Guide. As soon as she plants her seedlings out into the garden she cuts them back to just above the bottom two sets of leaves. Then about every four or five weeks she prunes the plant back again to just above the bottom two sets of leaves, always before they show signs of flowering.

Staking Basil (optional)

Many basil varieties will grow to be 2 feet tall or more if all conditions are ideal. As the season progresses the stems tend to get a bit brittle and vulnerable to damage from wind storms. A single bamboo stake is usually sufficient to avoid this problem.