Basil is one of those must-have herbs in the garden, on the kitchen windowsill, or in a sunny pot on the deck.
Its aroma is unmistakable, its uses are countless, and best of all, it’s surprisingly easy to grow, even for beginners.
Common Basil Varieties to Try
There are so many beautiful basil types you can grow from seed. Here are a few of our favourites:
- Sweet Basil: The classic variety with large, fragrant leaves. Ideal for pesto, pasta sauces, and tomato dishes.
- Thai Basil: Smaller, pointed leaves with a spicy, aniseed flavour. Perfect for Thai curries, stir-fries, and noodle dishes.
- Midnight (Purple) Basil: Striking deep purple leaves that add colour and mild flavour to salads and garnishes.
- Lemon Basil: Light citrus aroma, perfect for herbal teas, fish, chicken, or infusing vinegars.
You don’t need a separate garden bed for each. These can grow beautifully in mixed pots or companion planted with tomatoes or capsicum.
Growing Basil from Seed
This year, we started with Sweet Basil, sowing seeds undercover in trays during early NZ spring. Like many herbs, basil can test your patience early on. It felt like it took forever for those first tiny, round buds to grow beyond “adorable” and into something edible.
But eventually, with warmer weather and rising soil temps, our basil took off like wildfire.
- Germination Period: 10–12 days in warm, moist conditions
- Ideal Conditions: Loves sun and warmth, grows best in Spring through Autumn
Initially, we sowed the seeds into tray compartments. Once they began to crowd each other, we carefully repotted them into individual pots with every intention of planting them out into the herb garden. But basil had other plans…
Not only did every single seedling survive, they thrived. We soon had far too many for the garden bed alone. Now, several basil plants live happily in pots around the house and garden, becoming a productive little green factory of fresh leaves.
Basil’s shallow roots mean it doesn’t need deep soil, but it doesn’t like to be overcrowded, especially with weeds.
Basil Will Bolt… But That’s Okay!
Like many herbs, basil eventually goes to seed, producing flower buds. This is natural and nothing to panic about. In fact, it’s a great opportunity to save seeds for next season.
- Pinch off the flower buds early if you want to extend leafy growth
- Let a few plants go to seed and dry the seed heads
- Store dried seeds in a paper envelope or glass jar for future planting
