Growing Basil in the garden is my number one thing to do for garden health!
It’s just an amazing all around herb. You can eat it, freeze it, dry it etc. However, my main reason for loving it so much is because of its companion plant properties.
Basil as a Companion Plant
This plant is powerful against bugs. They just don’t like the smell of it. Basil detours aphids, white flies, mosquitoes, horned worms and beetles to name a few.
I first started testing basil as a companion plant about six years ago. I was having serious issues with my roses. Serious from the perspective that the aphids loved them. They were destroying the soft little buds before they ever had a chance to thrive. I had read that basil was amazing at deterring aphids so I planted some right below my roses.
To my surprise the aphids were gone! I do mean gone, I have not seen them on my roses since. And, the basil grew so tall it covered the long sometimes spindly legs of the roses, was full of flowers and made a beautiful garden landscape design. I was hooked, it’s now everywhere! I plant it near tomatoes (it makes them taste better); around peppers, behind short flowers I let it grow wild by my pond etc. It’s just everywhere in my beds. And even better I let it self seed so it just returns each year bringing all of those bees, butterfly’s and beauty right back to my space!
How to Grow Basil
- Basil is so easy to grow. It will grow in part shade; however, it does best in full sun. And, I mean full heat sun as well. I have had it growing in full facing west all day 100 degree sun and as long as I water it, it thrives!
- Sprinkle basil seed in well-drained soil, with a bit of compost and cover them about a 1/4 inch deep.
- Keep slightly moist until they come up and for a short period of time as they establish.
- Once basil has established they can be allowed to dry slightly in between watering with a good soaking about once a week, perhaps twice in the hottest weather.
Tips!
- Basil is an annual; however, it seeds profusely on long stems covered with flowers; so, allow the seeds to fall and it returns next year! If attempting to gather seeds, allow them to dry completely on the branch to ensure the strongest germination rates. Shake them up in a bag to grab them!
- Basil is best fresh as a garnish etc. when small and tender. As such, choose several spots for your basil. Areas intended to keep young for real-time garnish and salads. Areas to let go wild for dried basil and flowers.
- Basil is best dried (at least to me) from larger plants as it has a slightly bitter flavor that softens when dried. As a result you have a slightly stronger basil flavor if you utilize larger plants to dry from.
- Basil can grow large so allow basil around roses for example to grow tall. It hides the spindly legs of roses adding beauty with its flowers and protects them at the same time.
- Plant basil near doors or windows and enjoy the smell. Basil smell is strongest after a rain or watering!
- Tomatoes taste better if grown with basil!
- Bees, wasps and butterflies love basil flowers! So, plant basil and allow them to flower around any plant needing good pollination to thrive!
I had trouble with snails eating my basil this year. Any suggestions?
Hi there!! There are a few things you can do, one of the most common is to leave a lid of beer out below your plants the snails crawl into it and drown. (I know kinda morbid) Diatomaceous Earth is also another powder you can lay below your plants. It is supposed to harm the body of the snails. I have not tried the beer lids but I do use DE and have not seen any! Let me know if you try the beer and it works!!