HerbsLamiaceae
Basil.
Pollinator magnet
At a glance
The spec sheet.
- Indoor start
- Apr 1
- Direct sow / out
- May 15 (very cold-sensitive)
- Germ
- 5–10 days
- Days to harvest
- 50–75
- Spacing
- 12"
- Depth
- ¼"
- Square-foot
- 1 per square
- Qty target
- 6–8 plants for pesto season + fresh use.
Plant
Wait for warm nights — cold nights permanently stunt basil. Pinch tops weekly to force bushy growth.
Care
Pinch flowers as they appear — flowering ends leaf production. Water deeply but let soil dry between.
Harvest
Pinch stem tips just above a leaf pair. Every pinch doubles the branches.
Pesto frozen in ice cube trays is the standard NJ move. Also dried, oil-preserved.
Companion planting
What basil likes, and doesn’t.
Good neighbors
- Tomatoes (classic pairing)
- Peppers
- Asparagus
- Eggplant
- Squash
- Beans
- Strawberries
- Nothing significant
Repels aphids, flies, mosquitoes, hornworms, spider mites; improves flavor of tomato and pepper neighbors.
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