BASIL (Ocimum basilicum)

Basil is one of the easiest herbs to grow and with its versatility for use in so many cuisines is fun to experiment with it in your garden. The flavors can be pungent, peppery, licorice, or lemony. They are bold and spicy to mildly sweet and can be enjoyed with main dishes or desserts. The leaves can be used fresh, dried, or frozen. It can be grown in the ground, in pots, and under lights in your house. There are over 160 varieties to choose from and some can add ornamental interest to your yard. Basil is native to India, Iran and other warm regions of Asia.

All basils can be used in containers but some were developed specifically for containers or small places:

‘Boxwood’ basil has small leaves that give their plant a perfect shrublike form. It grows 12 inches tall and 12-16 inches wide.

‘Emerald Towers’ is the brand of a new basil bred to form a tidy columnar plant. They can grow 24-36 inches tall and 8-12 inches wide and fit in a place where you want some height.

‘Minette’ is a compact, small-leaved Greek plant with a mounding habit that forms a spherical shape of just 10 X 10 inches. It is great in containers, as an edging plant, or in “knot” gardens.

The flavor and scents of the types of basil are also amazing:

‘Genovese’ is the traditional heirloom Italian basil. It has a pronounces anise flavor with a sweet clove fragrance and large shiny leaves that is used in all Italian foods and fresh salads.

Italian Large Leaf basil has a slightly milder Genovese taste and with its large leaves it makes a lot of delicious pesto.

‘Mammoth’ basil is a lettuce leaf plant that is a stronger tasting Genovese. With its large leaves it is perfect for pesto.

The Greek type of basil is often compact with small leaves. The variety O. basilicum var. minimum is deeply spicy and the strong flavor best used in salad dressings, sauces, and soups.

‘Cinnamon’ is a sweet-flavored plant with a distinctive cinnamon taste that is delicious in baked goods, jellies, and vinegars. It also known as Mexican spice basil and is pretty in your garden with purple flowers and dark colored stems.

‘Siam Queen’ is a Thai variety of basil with a sweet licorice flavor that is common in Thai dishes: stir-fries, soups, and curries.

Lemon basil is a key ingredient in Indonesian cuisine. This basil has a fresh lemon scent and a sweet-tart flavor. It is popular eaten fresh in salads and wraps or used in curry, soups, and stir-fries. A friend told me it makes a marvelous pesto! Lime basil has a floral-citrus flavor and is great in beverages, salad dressing, sauces, and desserts. Its size is similar to the lemon basil.

The last basil is dual purpose. ‘Dark Opal’ can be used as a cut flower and for cooking. It has deep purple leaves and pink flowers plus a flavor that is anise with a hint of ginger. It can also be used in traditional Italian dishes and sweet dishes.

Basil is an annual that freezes when temperatures drop into the 40s. It grows easily from seed, cuttings, or plants. All of the types of basil mentioned here can be bought online as seed and the common ones are available in your local stores. You can also collect seed from your plants or make your own cuttings. Plants need a very sunny place so plant seeds indoors under bright lights or outside in containers or ground. Wait until night temperature is above 50 degrees and keep them room temperature inside. Germination takes 5-10 days and are ready for picking in two months. Fertilize with general fertilizer. Keep them picked to encourage more growth and more basil to enjoy with meals.

Edith Iwan is a Cibola-McKinley County Master Gardener who lives and works in Thoreau. As a Master Gardener she assists the County Cooperative Extension Service in providing accurate, research-based gardening information to county residents. If you have any gardening questions, please call the NMSU Cibola County Extension at 505-287-9266 or NMSU McKinley County Extension at 505-863-3432