Basil as a family consists of many different varieties most of which are edible and are used in different types of cooking. Each variety has a slightly different flavor and adds a burst of interesting tastes to your dishes. Here is a link if you want to read up on it and many thanks to the author for the detailed information.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/basil/what-are-varieties-of-basil.htm
I have covered Thai Basil in the past as its use in dishes is slightly different but most Basil varieties need mostly the same care in the Gulf. My Thai Basil has survived two years outside and has done well with some shade even in the peak of the dreadful summer heat here.
We will talk about the care of sweet Basil here. You can plant through seeds or buy saplings at your local grocery store. I buy a little pot and keep in it in the summer near my kitchen window. As long as it gets some sun and is watered right it survives the summer and is ready to go into my tomato bed come October.
Basil needs well-drained soil with plenty of sunlight (at least 6-8 hours between October – April) and moderate fertilizer. Grow from seeds in mid-September in the shade and as the temperatures drop move to the sun gradually. It is an excellent companion plant for tomatoes and infuses the tomatoes with flavor. Make sure you harvest the leaves regularly to encourage more growth. You can either store the leaves in the fridge to use in your cooking or freeze them so that you can use them later. People also dry them in the oven or a dehydrator and keep them for later use.
Pinch off the growing tips so that the plant is forced to branch out which means you get more leaves. It also grows fabulously well in an aeroponic unit and has leaves up to 5 inches from base to tip. It is prone to mealy bugs and spider mites so keep an eye out. You can spray with neem oil regularly to prevent pests. I also use Grow Safe, an organic pesticide I get from the US to manage pests on my edibles.
To propagate you can use seeds as well as root a stem in water. Only make sure that the water is changed every two days and it gets plenty of sunlight. Also, strip off the lower leaves and leave only 2-3 leaves on the top before rooting in water.
Basil essential oil is also useful in many ways to treat stress etc. Read about that here and thanks to the author.
And finally, the bees love all varieties of Basil so please plant them in the season just for them even if you don’t use Basil yourself.
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