This is the harvest season, time to enjoy fresh garden vegetables!
Create delicious nutritious meals and flavor them with herbs. A popular annual herb that is used in flavoring dishes and is used as an essential oil is basil. Basil, Ocimum basilicum is known as common or sweet basil. It is the member of the mint family (Lamiaceae); it has a square stem. Basil offers to the palette a spicy flavor that can be incorporated into many culinary dishes. Basil’s flavor complements garlic too.
Basil can be used as an essential oil. It provides refreshing, energizing and antidepressant properties. Basil plants originated from Africa and Asia. There are many varieties of basil to choose from mini (8” to 12” tall) to regular sizes (12” up to 36” tall); green colored leaves to purple colored leaves and some varieties have ruffle leaves.
Basil grows best in a warm sunny location that receives at least 6 to 8 hours of light per day. It should be protected from the wind, and direct midday sun. Basil prefers moist well drained soil that has a pH range of 6. 0 to 7. 5. It can be grown in a garden bed and/or in containers. Sow seeds directly in the ground after the danger of spring frost. Fertilize the basil once or twice during the growing season with a 5-10-5 fertilizer. Make sure to water deeply every 7 to 10 days if lacking rainfall. Container grown basils will need to be watered more frequently. One can add 2 to 3 inches of mulch around the plants to help keep them moist and the weeds from growing. Mulch such as pesticide free grass clippings, straw, compost, or ground-up leaves can be used.
It is best to harvest basil leaves when they are young. Basil leaves can be used fresh or dried. The main source of the basil fragrance and oils is found just as the flowers start to open on the top of the plant. Cut the stems at this time and place in a vase of water. Cut stems will last for weeks and may root. Cut the leaves from the stem and use in cooking.
Two basils that the Master Garden Volunteers are growing in the Cornell Vegetable Varieties trail gardens are Prospera Premium F1 Basil and Purple Ruffles Basil. Seeds were provided for these trails by Harris Seeds. The Prospera Premium F1 basil is a type of sweet and aromatic Genovese basil. It grows fast and has a compact shape with dark green leaves. It has shown to be Downy Mildew resistant, and bolt resistance.
The Purple Ruffles Basil is a cultivar that is grown for its mild taste and purple foliage. This is also a fast-growing large type of basil.
Cornell Cooperative Extension is always happy to help with your garden questions. Find your own answers on our website cceoneida.com and click on Home & Garden on the menu or call us at 315-736-3394, ext. 100. Be sure to like and follow us on Facebook and check out our YouTube channel for great gardening talks.
The Link LonkAugust 30, 2020 at 08:00PM
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Basil — a culinary herb | Rome Daily Sentinel - Rome Sentinel
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