Growing Herbs: Basil Herb

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Stan DeFreitas, "Mr. Green Thumb". This is common basil and we have different kinds of basils, but this one like most of the basils, needs a good deal of moisture. I like to break off little sprigs sometimes. and use it in cooking. You can use it around chicken dishes. But, I also just break off little sections sometimes, just for teas. You're having some iced tea, or hot tea, and you want to add some flavor to it, break off a little section of leaf, and it makes a nice pick-me-up for your tea as well. But you can use it, of course, in many different dishes. It does require a good deal of peat moss and organic material for it to do it's best. Make sure that you water it on a regular basis. This means the size of the container, and this clay pot may be every second or third day. Don't let it get too dry, or it tends to go to seed. It will flower, and then the plant sometimes starts to shut down. Often with herbs you're going to keep picking off that new growth and the more you pick, the more the lateral buds will spread, you'll get a much bushier plant, and you'll get a plant that will last a lot longer. By doing that of course, you'll have a good plant for your backyard gardening. For On Gardening, I'm Stan DeFreitas, "Mr. Green Thumb"."