Herb Garden Gal

Basil has been widely grown in the Mediterranean for centuries, and is the first herb most people think of in an Italian Herb Garden.

And, Genovese basil –originating from the Genoa region of Italy — is the hands-down favourite basil in many Italian herb gardens.

Genovese basil leaves are large and sweet.  This basil is also highly aromatic, with that distinct basil aroma that makes you dream of Italian food.

Botanical Name:  Ocimum Basilicum Genovese

How To Grow Genovese Basil

Genovese Basil is an annual herb — a tender annual in much of the northern hemispheres.  It is one of the most popular herbs grown today in home gardens.

Grow Genovese Basil From Seed

Genovese Basil grows easily from seed.  Sow outdoors in the spring when all danger of frost has passed.

Cover seeds with a thin layer of soil (1/8”), and gently press the soil where you have sown the Genovese basil seed so the soil and seed make contact.

Keep the seeds moist constantly until they have sprouted.

Genovese basil may also be started indoors from seed and transplanted into the garden when all danger of frost has passed.

Transplanting Your Genovese Basil

Wait until all danger of frost is past before permanently planting your Genovese basil into the garden.  This applies whether you are transplanting your own basil seedlings or nursery-bought basil plants.  Frosts and low temperatures at night can destroy a basil plant in one night.

Genovese Basil In Containers

Genovese basil also grows well in containers.  Grow a few Genovese basil herb plants in a pot on the backyard deck or windowsill , for easy access just outside your kitchen.  The closer your basil is to your kitchen, the more you will be inclined to use it.

As Your Genovese Basil Grows

Genovese basil likes full sun, but can tolerate light shade.  It prefers moist, rich, well-drained soil.  After planting your basil, add compost to enrich the soil.

Basils likes to be pruned, and Genovese basil is no exception.  To encourage bushy plants, and extend the productivity of your Genovese basil plant, prune your basil plant regularly.  And of course, there are many wonderful culinary uses for the pruned pieces of this wonderfully fragrant herb.

Keep your Genovese basil plant from flowering.  When a flowering spike begins forming, cut off the top of the stem along with at least one set of leaves.

How To Harvest Genovese Basil

Harvest your Genovese basil by cutting at the stem.  Leave at least two leaves on the stem to encourage new growth.

By cutting off stems of basil, rather than plucking individual leaves off the stem, your basil plant will grow bushier, and you will increase your supply of basil.  Remember, basil is an herb that likes to be pruned.

Using Your Genovese Basil in the Kitchen

Its sweetness and fragrant aroma makes Genovese basil THE basil for fresh dishes.  Young Genovese basil leaves have the brightest sweetest flavour.

This superb basil is the classic basil used for pestos.  It is also an excellent basil to use in Caprese salad.

Genovese basil is a versatile herb that can be added to pasta sauces, pizzas and  stews.   Chicken and fish dishes are also enhanced with the addition of chopped Genovese basil.

Genovese basil also freezes well for winter use.  Note that  when you freeze basil, it will turn dark.

Frozen basil is best used in cooked dishes, added to the dish right from its frozen state.

Have fun growing and eating this Italian kitchen garden staple – Genovese basil herb.

To your herb garden success,
Herb Garden Gal

Copyright © 2011 www.HerbGardenGal.com.  All rights reserved.

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Whether you purchase your herb plants from the nursery, or start your herbs from seed indoors, you will need to harden them off (get them acclimatized to being outside).

Why Harden Off Your Herb Plants

Herb plants grown indoors live in a sheltered environment.  These plants need to get accustomed to the outdoor elements, especially strong light from the sun, and the wind.

Herb plants purchased from a nursery have usually been raised indoors in a greenhouse and also need to get acclimatized to the outdoors.

What Happens If You Don’t Harden Off Your Herb Plants

If you don’t harden off your indoor and greenhouse grown herb plants before permanently moving them outside, the plants stand a much smaller chance of surviving once they are outdoors.

• Tender herb plants are likely to be destroyed by the elements:
• Herb leaves get burned by the sun
• Herb plants can’t withstand the wind, with the weak stems breaking
• A strong rainstorm knocks down the herb plants
• Young herb plants wilt beyond recovery

The over-stressed herb plants that do survive usually remain weak and less productive than they otherwise would have been.

If you placed your herb plants outside in a constantly shaded spot that was sheltered from the wind, and from downpours, your tender herb plants might be OK.  Certainly your losses will be much smaller than leaving the plants out in the open.

How To Harden Off Herb Plants

The standard method of hardening off any herbs that were raised indoors, is to take the plants outside for a brief period of time the first day, and leave them out progressively longer each day.

A general guideline is to start with two hours in a protected shady spot, and extend the time the herb plants are out by two hours each day, gradually increasing sun exposure.  After 5 or 6 days, you can leave the herb plants out overnight.

Ideally, start hardening off your herbs on a calm, cloudy day.  Of course, the weather rarely cooperates.

Place plants in a shady sheltered area – use barriers to create shade and shelter if you do not have a suitable outdoor area.

The garage is also a good place to use for hardening off herb plants initially.  Ideal if it’s very windy outside.    Place your plants in the garage with the garage door open, and leave them in there while you are out and about doing your yard work.

When To Bring Your Herb Plants In:

• Your herb plants are drooping or look like they’re struggling
• The weather is not cooperating – especially strong sun, high winds, and storms
• The temperature is expected to drop significantly at night,
• There is danger of frost

5 Tips For The Time Challanged

Problem is, most of us work all day.  So what to do?

1. Some time is better than no time. Any time spent hardening off your herb plants before leaving them out permanently increases your herb plants’ chances of surviving and thriving.

2. Begin after work.  Take your herb plants outside for a couple of hours when you come home from work.  This is actually a good time to start hardening off herb plants as the sun is less strong, and the wind tends to die down in the evenings.

3. Cut yourself some slack.  If you get home from work too late, just skip the day and continue hardening off your plants the next day.  It’s not worth stressing about it, and your herb plants will be fine.

4. Use the weekend to your advantage.  Start hardening off your herb plants after work on weekdays.  Then leave them out for longer periods of time over the weekend.  They should be ready to leave out all day in a sheltered area, come Monday.

5. Protect, protect, protect.  Once you are leaving your herb plants out for the entire day, make sure you protect them well with barriers to shelter them from the elements.  Because you won’t be home should the weather turn, make sure they are protected even if the forecast calls for a mild overcast day.

Hardening Off Overwintered Tender Perennial Herbs

If you brought your tender perennial herbs indoors for the winter, they too need to be hardened off before you leave them outside for the summer.

All winter, your herbs have been exposed to lower light conditions, and no wind.  The growth on the herb plants is usually noticeably weaker.

Problem is, these are mature plants, sometimes even small trees (e.g. bay laurel), which makes them heavy to lug in and out of the house each day.

If you can, use a trolley or a wagon.  You could even wheel your herbs in and out daily without removing them from the wagon.

These mature herb plants usually require less time to harden off than young herb seedlings.  Still, don’t rush the process.  Gage the hardening off time by how your tender perennial herbs are responding to being in the outdoors.

Final Note

At the end of the day, whether you are hardening off young herb plants or mature herb plants, let the plants be your guide.  If they are looking droopy or you notice the leaves are starting to burn, move them into a more protected shady area or bring them indoors.  If your herb plants are standing strong, you can leave them out a little longer.

Happy growing,
Herb Garden Gal

Copyright © 2011 www.HerbGardenGal.com.  All rights reserved.