You can use a regular potting mix for growing basil , but I highly recommend amply amending the potting soil with compost . Basil likes to be watered deeply and then allowed to dry out slightly . Use the “ first knuckle ” method of testing for moisture . Stick your index finger into the soil up to your first knuckle . If it feels dry it needs to be watered . Isn ’ t it amazing that with all the technology on the market today the good old “ stick your finger in it ” test is still best and most reliable ? If you forget to water your basil and it dries out completely , soak the plant , pot and all , in a bucket of water for thirty minutes or so and it should recover . This is the voice of experience talking . Yes , I actually do forget to water some plants too !
Once the basil is planted , you may need to adjust your grow lights accordingly . If the plants are starting to look a little leggy , move the light closer . If they are showing white spots on the leaves , move the light farther away . Basil does not like to be exposed to temperature fluctuations , so putting them too close to a window in an Alberta winter can lead to their demise . This is another good reason to use grow lights to grow this herb because it allows you to place the plant far away from cold windows .
You can begin to harvest the leaves from your basil as it matures . In roughly two months , you should be able to harvest enough leaves to make your own pesto or plenty of tomato salads . If you see flower buds forming , pinch those off to keep the plant focused on producing more leaves . If you want a continuous harvest , consider planting seeds every few weeks in several pots .
There are many varieties of basil to try . Some that work well in containers include :
• Sweet basil — This is the classic cooking or salad basil .
• Lemon basil — Look for the variety “ Sweet Dani ,” which produces seventy-five per cent more essential oils than other lemon types .
• Genovese basil — Claimed by many to be the best basil for making Italian pesto .
• Thai basil — A good example is lime basil , which is zesty and lime-scented .
• French basil — “ Summerlong ” is a great variety . It produces compact , tight bushes and is slow to go to seed .
A member of the Garden Writers Association of America , Gerald Filipski enters his fifth year of writing for us , but he ’ s been a gardening columnist for the Edmonton Journal for over thirty . In submitting this article , Jerry notes , “ Gardening continues to be the 2020 thing to do , even indoors .” news & views WINTER 2020 | 23