Holy Basil originates from India. It's also known as Tulsi. There is a green and a red variety. This is the green variety. The leaves are light green, slightly serrated and a bit hairy. The taste is very slightly reminiscent of nutmeg and cloves. The plant blooms with attractive, small purple flowers.
This basil is mainly used in Thai cuisine in various dishes. In Ayurvedic medicine it's used for it's relaxing and uplifting properties. It's used externally against skin diseases, among other things. The leaf mixed with ginger powder and sweetened with honey can also be made into a tea that helps against coughs, colds and bronchitis. The plant is also used to keep mosquitoes away. Non hardy annual. Height: 30 – 60 cm.
Indoor sowing: March - April
Outdoor sowing: May - June
Germination: 14 - 21 days
Germination temp.: 22 - 25 °C
Sowing depth: 2 - 3 mm
Plant distance: 30 - 60 cm
Plant position: sunny and sheltered (greenhouse)
Harvest period: May - October
Sow indoors from March - April. Use seedtrays filled with moist potting soil. Sow shallow and thin. Press the seeds gently on to the soil, but don't cover them. Basil is a light germinator. Use a spray bottle to water the seeds, so you don't disturb them. Cover the trays with a lid to retain the moisture. Keep the temperature as even as possible and don't let the temperature drop during the night.
Remove the lid when the seedlings emerge. Transplant the seedlings, when they're large enough to handle, to seperate pots. Harden the seedlings of by putting them outdoors on a sunny place with shelter during the day for about 10 - 14 days, in the beginning of May. Plant them after this period on a very sunny and sheltered plot, from the middle of May, when there's no longer any danger of nightfrosts. Keep the plants 30 - 60 cm apart.
Sow outdoors from the middle of May, when there's no longer any danger of nights frosts. Sow on a very sunny plot with shelter. Sow thinly and shallow and press the seeds gently on to the soil. Don't cover them, because basil is a light germinator. Thin the seedlings, when they're large enough to handle, to 30 - 60 cm. Water them during the germination and with drought. Never let basil dry completely out. Pick the leaves from the top of and keep picking to stimulate new growth. Basil needs a lot of light, warmth and water to grow. It needs at least 5 - 6 ours of light each day to thrive.
It is also possible to sow this basil indoors in large pots all year round. Make sure you provide sufficient light, heat and possibly nutrition. Pick regularly from your plants to encourage fresh foliage growth.
