Basil
A fast-growing aromatic herb that needs steady water and constant picking.
- Scientific name: Ocimum basilicum
- Family: Mint family
Basil is among the quickest herbs to respond: plant it and you are picking usable leaves within weeks. The only skill required is picking correctly from the top and preventing it from flowering — that alone decides whether you harvest for a month or a whole season.
At a glance
- Plant typeHerb
- WateringTwice weekly
- LightFull sun or part shade
- Comfortable range20 – 38 °C
- Height20 cm – 1.5 m
- SpreadUp to 30 cm
- HarvestLate spring through autumn
- Growth rateFast
Care guide
Watering
Twice a week, keeping the soil lightly moist throughout with good drainage. Basil wilts visibly and fast when dry, but recovers immediately once watered.
Light and heat
Full sun in the milder months, afternoon shade at the height of summer. It has no cold tolerance at all.
Soil and feeding
Start with a balanced feed then move to high nitrogen to support leaf growth. Feed every four to six weeks at quarter strength, keeping fertiliser off the foliage.
Picking and pruning
Pick just above a healthy pair of leaves and the plant branches from that point. Remove flower buds the moment they appear; once basil flowers, the leaves turn small and bitter and the season ends quickly.
Propagation
A cutting from a non-flowering stem in water or moist soil. It roots readily, usually without rooting hormone.
In Saudi conditions
In the interior, grow it in a movable container: morning sun through spring and autumn, then shift it into partial shade for July and August.
Common problems
- Early flowering, which ends leaf quality — prevented by regular picking
- Thrips, leaf miner and caterpillars on the soft foliage
- Sudden wilting in drought or extreme heat
- Stem rot from over-watering and poor airflow
Need a hand?
Setting up kitchen herb beds and choosing the right herbs for each season fall under our agricultural consulting service.
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