How to Grow Purple Basil

Purple basil is a wonderful addition to any herb garden. Not only is it useful for adding seasoning to Italian and tomato dishes, it's also aromatic and attractive in the garden. Purple basil can be used in any recipe that calls for sweet basil, but until you have tried it, it is best to use slightly less purple basil--the flavor is more intense than traditional sweet basil.

Things You'll Need

• Sunny location
• Purple basil seeds

Instructions

1. Choose a sunny location that receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight.

2. Prepare soil that is loose and provides good drainage. Unlike many herbs, basil prefers fertile soil--so mix in plenty of organic matter to the existing soil.

3. Sprinkle basil seeds onto prepared soil and cover with 1/8 to1/4 inch of soil. Firm down gently by hand. These tiny seeds only need a light layer of soil covering them to germinate. Planting them too deeply may prevent germination.

4. Spray the area with the finest setting on your garden hose sprayer to wet the soil and keep the soil evenly moist until germination.

5. Thin purple basil to one plant every 4 inches when the seedlings have grown 3 or 4 sets of true leaves. You can transplant extra basil plants in another location by gently digging beneath the soil to get the whole root system.

6. Water on a regular basis whenever the soil dries out.

7. Harvest purple basil by picking select leaves from the top of the plant and allowing the plant to continue to grow. Not only will you have a continual supply of fresh basil, picking leaves from the top will encourage side growth and create a bushy plant.

Tips & Warnings

• Plant basil after the soil has warmed up to at least 60 degrees F. Basil seeds can take up to 3 weeks to germinate if the soil has not warmed enough. To get a head start on mother nature, start basil inside several weeks before it is time to plant outside.

• Plant basil near tomatoes for easy access when making your favorite tomato dishes.

• Purple basil makes a great border plant for herb or flower gardens.

• Do not refrigerate fresh basil. The leaves will turn black and it will lose flavor. Store fresh basil sprigs in a glass of fresh cool water on the counter, out of direct sunlight.