You can enjoy this fragrant, tasty, and medicinal herb right in your own garden. Holy Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) is closely related to the sweet basil used in kitchens around the world. It grows well in containers for gardens too, and homes in colder regions. You can use it in any way that you would use sweet basil: in sauces, salads, stir fries, chicken dishes, pastas, and more. Holy basil’s flavor is spicier than that of sweet basil. Holy Basil is considered one of the most significant plants in Ayurvedic medicine.
Grow Holy Basil:
Sow seeds in spring/early summer after the last frost in a warm, sunny location. Optionally, start seeds indoors six weeks before the last frost date. Maintain moist soils. Fertilize at the beginning of the season and again if the leaves begin to pale. Plants prefer to grow in warmth and can be damaged if temperatures drop below 50°F.
Harvesting Holy Basil:
Harvest older leaves and pinch back flower buds for continuous leaf production. Do not harvest more than 1/3rd of the size of the plant if you wish to have continual growth and prospective harvests. In the case of growing outdoors in conditions with winter temps below 50℉, harvest the entire plant in the fall.
Gardening for happiness!