By Garry 
Basil: sowing, planting, growing and harvesting
Learn when to sow, plant, care for and harvest basil in your garden.
🌱 Basil : key growing facts
📅 Growing calendar
Indicative Northern Hemisphere temperate-climate calendar only. Adjust to local frost dates, climate, variety and growing conditions. In the Southern Hemisphere, seasons are approximately six months later.
🔎 Growing specifications
🧺 Harvest readiness & expected yield
When to pick
Pinch shoots just above a pair of leaves before flowering; harvest little and often for bushy regrowth.
What to expect
Harvest small amounts repeatedly
Indicative only; variety, climate and care affect harvests.🌿 How to grow successfully
🤝 Companion planting
Group herbs by similar water and sunlight needs rather than relying on pest-repelling folklore.
↔️ What to avoid
Do not combine drought-loving Mediterranean herbs with constantly wet, rich compost.
🐛 Pests and diseases
Check regularly for aphids, slugs and fungal disease.
🧤 Ongoing care
Pinch growing tips and avoid soggy compost.
🧺 Harvest and storage
Harvest tender tips before flowering; use fresh or freeze in portions. Cold refrigeration may blacken leaves.
🧑🌾 From sowing to harvest
Prepare the soil
Use free-draining soil or containers with drainage; adjust fertility to the herb species.
Sow or transplant
Sow fine seeds at the correct depth or plant rooted young plants after frost if tender.
What to monitor
Look for leggy growth, soggy roots and flower stalks that reduce leaf quality.
When and how to harvest
Pinch shoots just above a pair of leaves before flowering; harvest little and often for bushy regrowth.