Growing Herbs Like Basil In Your Square Foot Garden Is Easy}

Growing Herbs Like Basil in Your Square Foot Garden Is Easy

by

julia stewart

If you haven’t picked-up a copy of Mel Bartholomew’s book entitled All New Square Foot Gardening you really shouldn’t delay because in it you will find a wealth of information about growing herbs.

Culinary herbs like basil, grown with your tomatoes along with cilantro, mint, and oregano are a special treat. And edible herbs such as marigolds and nasturtiums that not only add zing to your salads, but that also keep the bad bugs from getting to munch on your fresh herbs and veggies before you do, is fun too. There are many varieties to choose from for your square foot garden, but basil is especially good.

Growing basil in your square foot garden is an excellent way to have a kitchen garden right outside your back door. Herbs like basil mixed with fresh vegetables like peppers, tomatoes, carrots, radishes, leeks, and beets are easy to do with Mel Bartholomew’s method of square foot gardening.

Basil, particularly ‘Sweet Genovese’, is the best for Italian pesto, but be sure and experiment with basil flavors like cinnamon, licorice, and lemon which are also good in many dishes.

Want to have basil all summer? Six plants of “Sweet Genovese’ basil will yield enough leaves to make pesto all summer long without being overwhelmed. Of course, it’s easy to freeze any variety of basil if you need to.

Another variety to try, especially if you are fond of Asian cuisine, is ‘Siam Queen’. It is a spicy Thai basil with and intense flavor and fragrance all it’s own. ‘Holy Basil’ , introduced to Europe in the sixteenth century as a culinary and medicinal herb, is another good choice. Even try lemon basil in a sauce for your fishvery yummy!

You’ll find many varieties of basil seeds available at garden centers starting in February. You’ll find even more varieties, like the ones mentioned above, online from seed companies.

Some seed companies, like Pinetree Seeds, cater to square foot gardeners by offering smaller number of seeds per packet. This is handy since you aren’t planting long rows with this method, you obviously don’t need so many seeds.

Growing and Caring for Basil

There are two ways to grow basil. The first way is to start seeds inside 4 to 6 weeks before the last spring frost date, or choose to start them outside well after all danger of frost has passed and the soil is warm.

The second way to grow basil is by purchasing transplants (plants ready to set out) from your local garden center which are usually sold in 4 inch pots.

Be very careful not to put out your basil too soon. One good rule of thumb for when to plant is that if you need a sweater outside, it’s too cold for basil. To give your plants the best chance to flourish, plant them outside after all chances of frost are gone and it’s nice and warm.

One of the benefits of square foot gardening is that you can put plastic over your raised bed to warm the soil up. If you get surprised by a cold snap after the frost-free date, as we did a few years ago, simply pace a glass cloche or greenhouse hoop over your bed for protection.

If your planter is light enough, you may even bring inside on frosty nights.

When planting basil in your square foot garden, it’s a good idea to plant it next to your tomatoes to help them grow stronger and more flavorful. It also can repel fruit flies and keep pesky green flies away from your picnic when used as an arrangement in a glass of water.

Plant basil one per square foot if you don’t plan on harvesting very often. Plant two per square foot if you do plan on harvesting often to use fresh, dried (least desirable), or frozen.

During the growing season pinch off flower buds to save the plant’s energy for leaf growth. Pinch stems just above the leaf nodes where new stems will sprout.

Harvest basil anytime and use only the leaves for cooking. Stems may be placed in the compost pile.

Create your own kitchen garden on your deck or anywhere next to your house for easy access and to make growing herbs that much easier. You will quickly see that growing herbs, especially basil, is easy to do using Mel’s method of square foot gardening. One tip is to build your bed with 8 or 10 inch boards, rather than the recommended 6, just to give your roots a little more space and to decrease the amount of watering.

Julia is a Master Gardener, floral designer, and garden crafter who loves to dry herbs for use in dried wreaths and arrangements. Visit her website at

flowers-plants-gardening-advice.com

for a free e-book entitled

Herbs For Your Health: How to Grow and Use Them

when you sign up for her newsletter. You will also find tips and general gardening advice.

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Growing Herbs Like Basil in Your Square Foot Garden Is Easy}