It never seems like I have grown enough Basil, every year the demand far outstrips the supply. So I was happy this year when I discovered that I can start Basil from seed. Herbs generally are suppose to be difficult to start from seed, but that seems to apply only to "woody" herbs, like rosemary, thyme, sage, those hardy perennials that probably are considered difficult to start from seed because they would take a long time. Basil is a soft stem herb, like parsley and cilantro, and therefore (as I recently found out) fairly easy. Whew, that is a nice way to get tons of basil while saving money on starts. The key to starting seeds is to keep them in constant contact with moist soil at comfortable (for them) temperatures. I do that by keeping them inside until big, and misting them with a spray bottle.
I didn't really believe that it would work, so I started the Basil in an egg carton to save on soil. I don't recommend this because there is too little soil to get a good root base before you have to disturb it with transplanting.
To avoid disturbing the seedlings again I transplanted them right into the container I intended them to live in for the rest of the year. I had to move it inside and put it near a south facing window because Basil is a heat lover and in my area should not really go outside until the middle of May.
By June they were big and healthy and we were already grazing on the plants. I continually harvest my herbs through the year by trimming off just the top few leaves, only taking large amounts once they start to go seed.
Because Basil smells so nice, and I think about things like that, I put the pot between my benches on my south facing balcony. Here the fairly simple yet delicious pesto I made once the plants started going to seed.
Herb Garden Pesto
Process:
Handfuls of Basil
Sprig of Rosemary
Clove of Garlic
Pinch of Sea Salt
Enough Olive Oil to gel
Stir into cooked Pasta, add Garden veggies if you have them
No comments:
Post a Comment