Basils in Durham

Wait until the weather is warm and all frost risk has passed before sowing basil outside. Choose a sunny, well-drained spot and loosen the soil or fill containers with compost. Sow the seeds on the surface and cover them with a fine layer of compost (about 0.5 cm of cover). Water gently using a fine rose to avoid displacing the seeds. Keep the soil moist while the seeds germinate.

After germination, once the seedlings are a few centimetres tall and have a couple of true leaves, thin them out. Remove excess seedlings so that the remaining basil plants are spaced about 25–30 cm apart. You can remove seedlings by pinching them off at the base or carefully transplanting the extras to another spot. Thinning prevents overcrowding and gives each plant space to grow.

About a month after the seedlings have emerged, start giving them an occasional feed. Use a general-purpose liquid fertiliser every few weeks to boost growth, especially if the soil is not very rich. Water the basil normally first, then apply the diluted fertiliser. Regular feeding will help the plants grow bigger and produce more leaves for harvesting.

When the basil plants reach about 15 cm tall, start pinching out the growing tips of each plant. This involves pinching or snipping off the top cluster of young leaves on each stem. Doing this will encourage the plants to become bushier and produce more leaves, rather than bolting to flower. Continue to pinch out new tips regularly through the summer to keep your basil lush and productive.

Around 6-8 weeks after sowing (and onward through the season), you can begin to harvest basil leaves. Pick leaves or sprigs as you need them for cooking, preferably in the morning when they are freshest. To harvest, pinch off leaves from the top of the plant, which will also encourage new side shoots to form. Regular harvesting ensures you get plenty of basil and helps keep the plant from flowering too soon. Always leave enough leaves on each plant so it can keep growing.