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A short introduction to basil
Basil is one of the most aromatic and recognisable herbs, and a key ingredient in much Italian cooking. It grows wild in southern Europe, but it actually originated in India, where it’s considered sacred. According to wikipedia, the word basil comes from the Greek ‘basileus’, meaning “king”, as it is believed to have grown above…
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Growing basil from seed
As with growing most plants from seed, hedge your bets. You’re not expecting every single seed to produce a whopping great basil plant, so expect to lose some along the way. But if you sow enough seeds, you improve your odds of ending up with at least a couple of plants. It’s important to start…
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Tips for healthy basil plants
When basil flowers appear, pinch them off. This encourages the plant to put its energy into producing leaves instead. 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…