Basil Basics

Having too much time, and too little energy, I have decided to start gardening.

Having a backyard also helps 🙂

I got my third(in the past 5 years) basil plant and killed the last two. The first one didn’t die after two months of not watering. The second died because I watered it too much. Talk about kill ’em with kindness. I hope I don’t kill this one. And to do that, I need caretaking notes.

Plant: Some Random Basil
Level: Easy

Growing Conditions

  • Basil likes sun
  • Moist but well-draining soil
  • Water weekly but do not clog the soil, preferably in the mornings
  • Tomatoes grow well with basil
  • Sparing fertilization

Pruning and Harvesting

  • Pinch the top set of leaves as soon as it reaches 6 inches in height
  • Have 3-4 leaf sets below the snip
  • The basil will grow two stems at the snip, so it can get crowded
  • Harvest in the early morning or the early evening

Red Flags

  • Wilting + yellow-green leaves = too much water
  • Dry droopy + brown leaves = too little water