Ocimum basilicum
Basil, common basil, royal herb, cobbler's orange: its name comes from the Greek basilikon, “royal” — in India, where it originated, it has been cultivated for more than three thousand years. Its aniseed freshness is inseparable from Mediterranean cuisine, even though it comes from the other side of the world.
Characteristics:
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Fresh, aniseed aroma: one of the most fragrant herbs, essential in summer cooking.
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Easy to grow: in a pot on a windowsill or planted directly in the garden.
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Sensitive to frost: annual in our climates, it disappears with the first frosts.
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Can be grown all year round in a pot, sheltered behind a bright window.
Sowing advice:
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Position: full sun and warmth. North of the Loire, growing in a pot is preferable; in the South, plant it directly in the ground from mid-April.
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Soil: light, rich in organic matter, moist and well drained. Unlike Mediterranean herbs, basil appreciates fertile soil that does not dry out: adding compost genuinely benefits it. However, it does not tolerate standing water.
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Method: sow from April to June, in pots under cover at 20 °C or directly in the ground after the last frosts, barely covering the seeds. It cannot tolerate any cold: only bring it outdoors once mild nights have set in. See how to sow your seeds.
Planting advice:
- Transplant with 25 cm spacing. In a pot, choose a container at least 20 cm deep: the roots do not like being cramped.
Care advice:
- Water regularly at the base, preferably in the morning, without wetting the foliage.
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The one step that makes all the difference: systematically pinch out the stems just above a pair of leaves, and remove flower buds as soon as they appear. This makes the plant branch out and extends the harvest by several months — if allowed to flower, basil becomes exhausted and its leaves lose their fragrance.
Harvesting advice:
- Pick the leaves as needed, starting from the top. They freeze much better than they dry — drying causes them to lose most of their aroma. Preserving them in oil or making pesto also works very well.
Beneficial pairings:
Benefits for biodiversity:
- If you let one or two plants flower at the end of the season, their white flower spikes will be heavily visited by bees and bumblebees — a good compromise if you sacrifice the least vigorous plants.
- Its fragrance diverts several pests from nearby crops. See our repellent plants.
Uses:
- Fresh leaves torn by hand rather than cut with a knife, added at the end of cooking: tomato salads, pasta, pesto, pistou soups and infused oils.
- A traditional medicinal plant, used in herbal medicine since Antiquity. See our medicinal plants to sow.
Symbolism:
Royal herb of the Greeks and a sacred plant in India, where holy basil (tulsi) is revered, basil symbolises hospitality in Italy — a pot of basil on a windowsill once signalled that a visitor was welcome.
Harvesting your own seeds:
Leave a few flower spikes to dry completely on the plant until they turn brown, then rub them over a container: the small black seeds will come free from the calyces. Be careful, as basil varieties cross-pollinate easily: isolate your seed plants if you grow several varieties. See how to store your seeds.
Commitment to Quality: at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for all living things as our guiding principle. Based near the Auvergne Volcanoes, we choose open-pollinated, non-hybrid varieties, tested for their germination rate, carefully sorted and packaged, without any chemical treatment. Our belief: to give gardeners back the ability to resow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.
The aroma of summer, within reach of your window all year round.
