How to grow basil

Growing basil for the first time

Difficulty: Easy · Sun: full sun · Ready in: about 50 days

1. Choose the spot

Pick a sunny spot (6+ hours of sun). It does best in loam soil with a pH of 6.0–7.5. Avoid clay soil, or improve it with compost.

2. Sow or plant

Sow outdoors in Jun. Start indoors or under cover in Mar, Apr, May. Space plants about 20 cm apart.

3. Look after it

• Water roughly every 2 days, more in hot or dry weather. Water the soil, not the leaves.
• Feed every 21 days once it is growing strongly.
• Keep weeds down, and add a daily note and photo to your BeAgric grow diary so you can spot problems early.

4. Watch for problems

Common problems: Downy mildew. Take a photo with Check a plant if leaves look spotted, yellow or wilted.

5. Organic tip

Pinch out the tops to keep it bushy and stop it flowering.

6. Harvest

Expect your first harvest about 50 days after planting. Record it in Harvests and list any spare on the marketplace.