Basil
@belindayhughes (1096)
United States
February 17, 2013 11:26pm CST
Basil is one of the best herbs you can have in your garden. Not only is it great to throw into tomato and pesto dishes, it also protects growing tomatoes against the fat, green tomato hornworm. Simply plant basil around each tomato plant. Basil also produces tiny white blossoms on spiked stems. These feed the butterflies and bees, which pollinate garden plants and help them produce fruits and vegetables for the family table. At the end of growing season, the dried blossoms can yield basil seeds. Just gently friction the dried blossoms over your prepared beds. To harvest fresh basil leaves for cooking or drying, clean a pair of scissors with alcohol and snip the healthy, fragrant leaves into a bag or basket. A simple yet stylish way to serve fresh basil leaves is to arrange them on a wooden cutting board in fallen domino-style alternating layers with sliced tomatoes and mozzarella or provolone cheese, then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Basil is a fantastic choice for your garden.
2 people like this
5 responses
@anuraa32 (2446)
• India
19 Feb 13
Interesting information. I was just thinking of a vegetable garden and growing basil was one of the thoughts I had. It is interesting what you have said about it protecting the tomatoes and the way you will serve it with tomato and cheese. I should try growing them.
1 person likes this
@anuraa32 (2446)
• India
21 Feb 13
Really are there so many different varieties of Basil. You have any idea where I could get the seeds of these varieties. I mean if there is some place I can order from. Some online website or something. It would be great because I dont think the agro shop near my house hosts so many different varieties.
1 person likes this
@belindayhughes (1096)
• United States
21 Feb 13
Hello, anuraa, and thanks for joining in this discussion about basil. Some people grow basil gardens, featuring many different varities of basil. Right now, I'm growing Sweet Basil, but there are also Mammoth, Genovese and Lettuce Leaf, as well as colorful cultivars, like Purple Ryffles, Dark Opal and Red Rubin. Some basil have interesting flavors or scents. Thai Basil has a licorice fragrance, while Cinnamon Basil smells like cinnamon. All these colors and fragrances would make for a great basil garden.
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@belindayhughes (1096)
• United States
21 Feb 13
A few of the catalogs I prefer are Park Seed, Territorial Seed, Johnny's Selected Seeds and the Seed Saver Exchange. It's easier to find a variety of basil seeds in seed catalogs online than at most retailers. The catalogs I mentioned usually have great pictures of the basil plants their seed will produce and great details on each basil variety offered.
1 person likes this
@kalyani1234 (637)
• India
18 Feb 13
I love Basil too and have a lot of them in pots in my balcony. Although I did not know they were good for tomatoes, thanks for this lovely tip! Actually Basil is an indispensable part of all Indian homes, and we use the leaves a lot, but not in sauces as much as you do, but we drink more of these leaves in tea. Basil leaves in tea gives it a rather strong yet delicious taste and is good for coughs, colds and fever. It also boosts our immune system a lot. Most importantly, the Basil shrubs repel mosquitoes and release oxygen so it is good to have around the house. 
1 person likes this
@belindayhughes (1096)
• United States
18 Feb 13
Wow, kalyani! I'm glad you liked my tip on basil, but yours are even better. Thank you so much for posting that. In Louisiana, we joke that our state bird is the mosquito (it's really the brown pelican), so this is good news about basil. I'll be sure to grow more basil around my home this year, besides in the garden.
@kalyani1234 (637)
• India
18 Feb 13
Thanks Belinda! Ha ha ha! That is quite a joke, you will have to plant a lot of Basil around the house to repel mosquitoes! But jokes apart, believe me, it works. Additionally, you may want to add Lemon grass(Cymbopogon), Marigolds and Geraniums as well in your garden. They too keep away the mosquitoes!
Ha ha ha! That is quite a joke, you will have to plant a lot of Basil around the house to repel mosquitoes! But jokes apart, believe me, it works. Additionally, you may want to add Lemon grass(Cymbopogon), Marigolds and Geraniums as well in your garden. They too keep away the mosquitoes! 1 person likes this
@belindayhughes (1096)
• United States
18 Feb 13
More great info, thanks, kalyani. Got the marigolds everywhere, thanks to a generously blossoming plant last year, that was the butterflies' favorite. Need to get some geranium and lemongrass seeds.
@belindayhughes (1096)
• United States
4 Mar 13
Heya wolfie! I only discovered the trick with growing basil around tomatoes to ward off the fat, green, tomato hornworms after a year of eyeballing then handpicking the buggers on a daily basis and experiencing them trying to bite me. My mom wants to try the upside down tomato growing device, but I'm wondering if the basil would grow well enough in that environment. So maybe I'll try one upside down bag while sticking the rest in alongside the basil in my tried and true raised bed gardens and greenhouse pots.
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
21 Feb 13
Helpful tips!!! I love planting tomatoes for they are so easy to grow and they really do give me good harvest. Tomatoes are in season so I really am rejoicing over the fruits day by day. Thank you for sharing tips on the usefulness of basil. I will start planting them around my tomatoes. I do love basil for my pasta. They aren't just aromatic but can really enhance the flavor. I love the creativity in that sytlish way of serving fresh basil. I will do that as well. Again thanks for sharing.
1 person likes this
@belindayhughes (1096)
• United States
21 Feb 13
Hey salonga! Tomatoes and basil go together beautifully. Basil is great in hot or cold pasta with a little olive oil and garlic and the vegetables of your choice.
@blackrusty (3519)
• Mexico
18 Feb 13
thank you so much for this post i never thought about basil and a pest replenent i will be sure it is on my list when i get my mini garden ready
@belindayhughes (1096)
• United States
18 Feb 13
Hey rusty, thanks for commenting on my basil post. Basil is certainly proving its worth in this discussion.
