A lot of people are put off from keeping basil after bringing home the plants available in supermarkets and watching them deteriorate in front of their eyes. They can be a bit of a challenge because basil needs a lot of sunshine to really do well.  However, it’s worth perservering as having fresh basil leaves is a boon to your kitchen.

It’s available in many different varieties, but the most popular is Sweet Basil (ocimum basilcum). You may also like to try Cinnimon Basil or Lemon Basil (great with fish).

The most important thing for basil is a good supply of sunshine. It likes to be in full sun, so this can be difficult if you’re growing it indoors. However, you may be able to find a suitable sunny spot, or if you’re especially keen, you could buy an indoor growing light. It also grows well on a sunny windowsill in a window box, but make sure it’s sheltered from cold winds and frost in the winter. Make sure you use a compost with good drainage and good luck! See the post on how to grow basil from seed to get started, and tips for healthy plants for maintaining your plant.

It’s important to start with a good quality compost. You want a nutrient rich soil with good drainage.

Sow the seeds in April. Sprinkle the seeds onto moist potting compost in a small pot, about 2-3 inches (5cm) wide. Aim for about 5 seeds per pot so they don’t get crowded. Then cover the seeds with a thin layer of compost and leave in a warm place. The seeds should sprout in a couple of weeks.

While the seeds are sprouting, keep them warm and in sunlight. Place the pot in a saucer of water to keep the soil damp. When the small plants are established, take out the smallest two so that you have your three healthiest plants in each pot.

The plants are ready to repot again when they have their ‘true’ leaves. Seedlings grow with two small leaves opposite each other, like mini propellers. The true leaves are the ones that develop after this. Wait until the new plants have about 5 true leaves, and they’re a few inches tall, and they’re ready to be potted into their own pot.

Make sure you have a suitable container like a herb planter or window box as these plants need good drainage. The pH of the soil should be slightly acidic to neutral, at least 6.0 and below 7.5. Checking the pH every 4-6 weeks and maintaining the pH with an organic fertiliser will keep it at this level. You probably only need to use this fertiliser at about half the recommended strength to do this. Normally basil isn’t too fussy regarding soil composition but they need a bit more attention when growing indoors. Water the plant regularly and keep the soil moist, but make sure the excess water drains away underneath the pot. Don’t leave plants sat in water or they could rot. If you really want to pamper your plant, use tepid water rather than cold.

To pot plants, gently remove each seedling. Hold the plant by the stem only, and NEVER touch the roots. They are fragile, and often a bit spindly at this stage. Place the seedling in the new pot, in hole deep enough to allow the roots to spread. Tip in compost around the seedling and gently pat the soil down around the plant. Water it in well. If you are putting more than one seedling into a large pot or a winow box, try to allow about 4 inches (10cm) between plants to give them room to grow.

Harvesting basil

Wait until the plant is about 4-5 inches (10 cm) tall before harvesting any leaves. Then just pinch or cut the leaves off as required. Try to restrict yourself to only taking the leaves, not a whole stem, as this can weaken the plant. Pinch off the tops of the plant regularly to encourage more young leaves to grow.

Need some basil seeds?

It’s difficult to keep basil going in the winter because of the lack of sunshine and chance of frost. Your plant will probably look a bit sorry for itself. However, if you can just keep it alive, give it a pruning and a new pot in the spring, and more than likely the plant will come back as good as ever with the sunshine of spring. You could invest in a growing light if you were keen to keep the same plant, or just grow from seed again in the spring. If you have a productive plant, you could dry some of the leaves, but I would prefer to freeze them as they keep their flavour better.

If there are yellow leaves around the bottom of the plant, it needs more light and hold back on the fertiliser for a bit.

Sprinkle some dried, ground up eggshell around the plant on top of the soil. Do this after about a year, and then repeat every year. This will refresh the plant.

White powdery mildew on the surface of the soil?

Rosemary needs good air circulation. Without this, rosemary plants can develop a mildew that looks like a white powder. This is especially common if the air is humid. If this occurs then try and increase the circulation by placing a fan in the room for a few hours a day.

Aphids or spider mites?

Indoor rosemary plants are particularly prone to these. This is easily treated by spraying the plant with an insecticidal soap bought from a garden centre under the plant is healthy again.

Cut a 2 inch stem for new growth on a well established plant. Snip off the bottom leaves rather than pull them off.

Dip the bottom tip into a hormone rooting powder.

Pop the cutting carefully in a pot of dampened peat moss and perlite. Spray the cuttings with a mist of water.

Your new cutting may even take root if you leave it in a glass of water on a sunny windowsill.

The cuttings will take about 2­ to 3 weeks to root. You can check if the plant has taken root by gently tugging at the plant, but be careful not to dislodge the plant if it isn’t ready yet!