To many lovers of fresh food summer means tomatoes and fresh basil. Basil is known as the “king of herbs.”
Basil is originally native to India and Iran. It came to Europe via Italy. In native India, it is nearly as sacred as the lotus flower.
Like most herbs, it was used in ancient times for medicinal purposes, to treat many maladies. It was used as an antispasmodic, antidepressant, antiseptic, antibacterial, for stomach issues, and was conducive to meditation. It was also used for headaches, to increase appetite, improve blood circulation, treat fevers, cough, snake and insect bites, fungal infections and rheumatism.
Interestingly, it was also used to chase away bad luck, as a love charm, for aromatic baths and to keep moths from the wardrobe.
Today, we just love the flavor — whether fresh or as pesto.
Basil is an annual plant you have to start every year, but it is easy to grow. Perhaps one of the biggest problems is the rush to get it into the garden in spring. Basil needs warm temperatures to germinate from seed — 70 to 75 degrees. For this reason, most people buy plants rather than try to grow from seed.
Basil needs a sunny spot in well-drained soil. It should be planted about 8 inches apart. Basil is a “cut-and-come-again” herb, so you can enjoy the same plant nearly all season.
There are many varieties of basil. Perhaps the most popular is sweet or Genovese. This variety is widely used in Italian cooking.
Other popular varieties, are spicy globe, dwarf bush, lemon, African blue (which smells like camphor), Lettuce leaf and purple ruffle.
A hard to find but worth the search variety is pesto perpetuo. Its leaves are edged in white and it does not produce flower spikes. Basil is packed with potassium and calcium. For best flavor don’t let the plant go to flower. As with most other plants, the bitter taste takes over.
Basil does seem to attract slugs and Japanese beetles. Soft-bodied insects like aphids, spider mites and white flies can be controlled with insecticidal soap. Diseases include fusarium wilt, a fungus. The plant grows, then suddenly becomes stunted and brown. Pull and throw away.
Overhead watering and poor aeration may cause gray mold to develop. Basil is also susceptible to downy mildew. Watch for yellowing of leaves and purplish gray spots. Rotate where basil is planted. Basil and tomatoes are good companion crops (and eating crops).
If you have basil, you must make pesto. Here’s my recipe for:
Basil-Walnut Pesto
2 peeled garlic cloves
1/2 cup walnuts
1 cup Parmesan cheese
4 cups (packed) fresh basil
1/3 cup light olive oil
Put the garlic and walnuts in the food processor until ground. Drop in the cheese, 2 cups of basil and half of the oil, process. Finally, add remaining basil and oil.
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McKinley is an Ohio State University Mahoning County Extension Master Gardener volunteer.
The Link LonkJune 28, 2021 at 12:08PM
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