Basil enlivens gardens and dinner tables

If I could grow only one herb, it would be basil. I use basil frequently when I cook and so would not be without it. The amazing flavor of fresh basil, when compared with the dry version, ensures it a place in my herb garden.

23_thumb_art.JPGView full size

Besides its extraordinary taste, fresh basil is easy to grow, and the plants are attractive. Although basil is fine planted in the herb garden, its numerous shapes, sizes, leaf colors and flowers make basil an excellent addition to any garden.

Tuck basil plants into unused sunny garden corners, display them among vegetables, edge a flower garden with dwarf types, or plant the more ornamental purple-leaved cultivars right among the flowering plants in beds or containers.

Most edible basils are cultivars of the species Ocimum basilicum. The smooth-leafed sweet basil type cultivars that grow 2 to 3 feet tall are the best known for culinary use. Seed racks, seed catalogs and nurseries offer numerous types of basil, such as sweet, cinnamon, lemon, Thai and Greek, each with a different flavor and growth habit.

Within most of these types are numerous cultivars. A gardener could plant an entire garden simply using different types of basil.

Growing basil

Basil thrives during our hot, humid summers and asks for nothing more in the garden than full to part sun and average garden soil that drains well. Plant in well-prepared beds enriched with organic matter and a light application of general-purpose fertilizer. Water during dry weather and keep beds mulched to conserve soil moisture and control weeds.

Basil grows quickly from seeds, which may be planted through July. Transplants may be planted in the garden through early September. Basil plants do not tolerate cold well, so they should not be planted into the garden before April, and they are quick to succumb to chilly weather in late November or early December.

When purchasing basil transplants from the nursery, you might notice that growers are in the habit of planting a number of seeds in each pot. This produces a larger-looking product ready for sale faster. Unfortunately, numerous plants crammed together will generally not grow well in the long run when planted into the garden that way. It is best either to separate the plants or pinch off all but the strongest one or two plants in the pot before planting.

Basil is an annual that, even with ideal care, will eventually lose vigor and die in the fall after flowering and setting seed (although there are some longer-lived types).


Plant enough basil plants so that you do not have to harvest one or two plants excessively to get the basil you need -- but don't plant more than you can reasonably use.

Allow new basil plants to grow for a while before you start to harvest. For standard-size varieties, you can generally start to lightly harvest when the plants reach about one foot tall.

Individual basil leaves may be harvested for use, but more typically the plant is pinched or cut back. Cut or pinch basil just above a pair of leaves, removing no more than a third to a half of the plant at one time. This leaves plenty of foliage to keep the plant healthy and productive.

The more you harvest from a plant at one time, the longer you will have to wait before you can harvest from that plant again.

When harvested lightly and regularly, basil in the garden tends to be more compact and bushy. Harvesting and using fresh basil for seasoning is wonderful, since the full, rich flavors are at their peak. When basil blooms, the young flower spikes can be chopped and used just like the leaves.

Preserve the extra

Usually, basil produces faster than you can use it, and when that happens it's important to know how to preserve the extras. Besides, since basil cannot be grown here in the winter, it is good to save some of your summer production for use then.

The most common methods of preserving basil are drying and freezing (these techniques work well with most herbs).

To dry basil, break off individual leaves and lay them out in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels. Dry them indoors where the air is cool and humidity is low. Avoid trying to speed the drying process by placing the harvested basil in a warm oven or microwave. The heat will cause some of the flavorful oils to volatilize, and this will lead to loss of flavor in the finished product. When the basil is crispy dry, crumble it and store in an airtight container.

To prepare basil for freezing, remove the leaves from the stems and chop them to the desired texture, as if you were about to use them in cooking. Place the chopped basil in a sealable freezer bag, spread it out in a flat layer about one-half inch thick and press to force as much air out as possible. Label the bag with date and type of herb and freeze flat. Freezing the basil this way will make it easy to break off pieces later on.

Types of basil

There are lots of basil cultivars to choose from. Excellent sweet basil cultivars best for typical culinary use include: Sweet, Green Ruffles, Mammoth, Large Leaf Italian, Sweet Genovese, Magic Michael (attractive flowers) and Lettuce Leaf.

Dwarf varieties grow 6 to 12 inches tall and produce small leaves with excellent flavor on ball-shaped or mounding plants excellent for small spaces, containers, window boxes and edging. Varieties available include: Spicy Globe, Green Bouquet, Fine Green, Basilico Greco, Dwarf Bush, Minette and Minimum.

Purple leaf forms are attractive in the garden as well as chopped fresh into salads. When used to make flavored vinegar, purple basil imparts a beautiful pink tint to the vinegar. Look for varieties such as Purple Ruffles, Red Rubin, Osmin Purple and Dark Opal.

Finally, there are a large number of scented basils grown for their more intense basil flavor or unique flavors unlike typical basil at all. Many are very ornamental. Some interesting choices are: Siam Queen (Thai type: very attractive and spicy flavor), Sweet Dani (lemon), Cinnamon, Lemon, Lime, Licorice, Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum) and camphor or African basil (O. kilimandscharicum).


Does Trimec lawn weed killer have any good use for centipede lawns? It seems somewhat similar to Weed-B-Gone, but I know similar is not the same.


The label is your key. Trimec products are generally labeled for use on centipede. But, manufacturers use brands loosely these days. Always read the label fully and completely before using any product. You need to make sure that it will do what you intend it to do and that it is safe for the situation for which it will be used. In other words, if a product called Trimec is appropriate to use on centipede, that information will be stated clearly on the label.


23_gill_mail_bedding_plants.jpgView full sizeSquirrels do not typically eat bedding plants, such as pansies; they prefer to eat seeds and fruit.

This spring, my wife put up a planter about 5 feet high on our 6-foot fence and put in some pansies. They looked good, but were soon eaten by squirrels walking along the top of the fence. Can you recommend something to put in the planter that would be attractive and that the squirrels would not like?

Quin Bates

Squirrels generally don't eat bedding plants, although they may dig them up looking for nuts, on occasion. Given that squirrels are very common, if this were a typical behavior, nobody would have bedding plants in their gardens. I'm not aware of a list of bedding plants that squirrels won't eat; squirrels generally eat seeds and fruit, not leaves. I think what's happening is unique to this situation, so changing the situation is the best bet. It may just take mounting the planter down lower on the fence so that the squirrels running along the top cannot reach them. In fact, the issue may not be that the squirrels want to eat the plants but that they don't like the plants growing so near their highway.


Attached please find a picture of a seed pod for my purple angle trumpet. This is the first time I have gotten a seed pod, and I just do not know what to do with it. Do I leave it on the plant until it falls off? Do I break open the pod to get the seeds? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Avery MacLean

You are under no obligation to do anything. Just because a flowering ornamental sets seed does not mean we want or need them. So, feel free to remove the seed pod and any others that may form. Unless we want the seeds, producing them is a wasted effort by the plant, and the plant could put that energy into more leaves and flowers. Allowing plants grown for their beautiful flowers to set seeds causes them to change focus from flowering to developing the fruit and seeds. If you'd like to plant the seeds because you want more angel trumpets or simply as a garden project, however, wait for the seed pod and seeds to fully mature. The pod will split open, and you will be able to see the seeds when it is time to harvest them. Remove the seeds from the pod and plant them immediately in pots of potting soil. There will be lots of seeds -- don't get carried away. If you sprout the seeds and grow the plants, your only obligation might be to find good homes for all of them!


Dan Gill is extension horticulturist with the LSU Ag Center.

Send mail to:

Dan Gill, garden columnist

The Times-Picayune Living Section

3800 Howard Ave.

New Orleans 70125-1429

Send email to

Please include a phone number.