Crops › Basil
How to grow Basil
in the US
Sow April to June, plant out July, harvest June to September. About 60 days from seed to plate.
Shown for zone 6. Zone table further down.
Basil is a cracking herb, proper easy to grow and just fantastic for all sorts of cooking. It brings a lovely fresh flavor to your kitchen and doesn't take up too much room, so it's grand for any size plot or even just a pot on the patio. You get a real sense of satisfaction from growing your own, you know what I mean.
Sowing
Basil is generally an easy plant to get going from seed, and you won't often find plug plants for it. For most folks, you'll be sowing in April or May, but this really varies by your USDA zone. Some areas can sow as early as January, others wait 'til July. Just check your local last frost date. Sow seeds about 1/4 inch deep in warm soil, around 65-70°F (18-21°C). Many varieties do best indoors first, or undercover in a greenhouse or cold frame, then get moved out once the weather warms up. You can sow a small batch every few weeks for a continuous supply right through to fall.
Growing on
Once your seedlings have their first true leaves, it's time to prick them out carefully and pot them up into individual small pots. Keep them warm and watered. Before planting them outside, you'll need to harden them off for about a week, gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions. Basil is quite tender, so wait until all danger of the last frost has well and truly passed, and the soil is nice and warm. Plant them about 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) apart in fertile, well-draining soil, or they do brilliantly in containers if space is tight.
Looking after it
Basil likes consistent moisture, so don't let the soil dry out completely, especially in hot weather or if it's in a pot. A bit of mulch around the base can help keep the moisture in and weeds down. Pinch out the growing tips regularly to encourage bushiness and stop it from flowering too early, which makes the leaves less flavorful. If it does try to flower, just snip those flower stalks off straight away.
What goes wrong
To be honest, basil doesn't suffer from too many major problems, which is why it's so popular. Slugs can be a bit of a nuisance, especially when the plants are young and tender, so keep an eye out and pick them off. Aphids might show up too, but a good spray of water will usually sort them out. Planting marigolds or nasturtiums nearby can sometimes help deter pests, like I say, it's all about trying different things.
Harvest
You can start harvesting basil leaves about 60 days after sowing, usually from July right through to September in many zones. Pick the outer leaves first, or snip off whole stems, but don't take more than a third of the plant at any one time so it can keep growing. For storing, fresh leaves are best used straight away. You can keep a bunch in water on the counter, or refrigerate them if you need to, but sometimes they go a bit dark. If you have a proper glut, it's cracking for pesto or freezing the leaves for later.
I always have a pot of basil right by the kitchen door, so I can just nip out and grab a few leaves when I'm cooking. It's proper handy, you know what I mean.
Dates for your plot
Type your zone and the plant-out advice shifts to your frost dates.
Varieties, and whether the club would grow them again
| Variety | Club verdict |
|---|---|
| Genovese This is a classic Genovese type of Basil, a really reliable performer for any gardener. It's the one you want for traditional Italian cooking, especially for a cracking pesto. | No club votes yet |
| Sweet Basil Sweet Basil is another reliable performer, a good all-rounder for your kitchen garden. It's got that classic sweet, peppery taste that everyone loves. | No club votes yet |
| Napoletano Napoletano Basil is a reliable performer, known for its large, crinkled leaves. It's great for adding a strong basil kick to your dishes. | No club votes yet |
| Lemon Basil Lemon Basil is a reliable performer with a distinct citrusy tang. It's brilliant for adding a fresh twist to salads, fish, or even desserts. | No club votes yet |
| Lime Basil Lime Basil is a reliable performer that brings a bright, zesty lime flavor. It's perfect for Asian-inspired dishes or a refreshing summer drink. | No club votes yet |
| Thai Basil Thai Basil is a reliable performer, offering a unique anise-like flavor with a hint of spice. It's essential for many Southeast Asian recipes, like curries and stir-fries. | No club votes yet |
| Holy Basil (Tulsi) Holy Basil, or Tulsi, is a reliable performer with a complex, spicy, and often clove-like flavor. It's traditionally used in herbal teas and Ayurvedic practices, as well as cooking. | No club votes yet |
| Cinnamon Basil Cinnamon Basil is a reliable performer that smells and tastes wonderfully of cinnamon. It's fantastic in fruit salads, baked goods, or even with poultry. | No club votes yet |
| Dark Opal Dark Opal Basil is a reliable performer, standing out with its beautiful deep purple leaves. It adds a lovely color to dishes and has a slightly spicier flavor than green basil. | No club votes yet |
| Purple Ruffles Purple Ruffles Basil is a reliable performer, offering stunning ruffled purple leaves and a good, strong basil flavor. It's great for adding visual appeal to salads and garnishes. | No club votes yet |
| Italian Large Leaf Italian Large Leaf Basil is a reliable performer, producing big, lush green leaves. It's a fantastic choice for making lots of pesto or for slicing onto a Caprese salad. | No club votes yet |
| Siam Queen Siam Queen Basil is a reliable performer, a type of Thai basil with a strong, aromatic flavor. It's brilliant for authentic Thai cooking and has lovely purple stems. | No club votes yet |
| Emily Emily Basil is a reliable performer, a good choice for consistent harvests of classic sweet basil leaves. It's a solid, dependable variety for any home cook. | No club votes yet |
| Aroma 2 Aroma 2 Basil is a reliable performer, known for its vigorous growth and excellent aroma. It's a great all-purpose basil that'll give you plenty of leaves for your kitchen. | No club votes yet |
| Prospera Prospera Basil is a reliable performer, often noted for its good disease resistance, which is always a bonus. It gives you lovely, flavorful leaves, making it a good choice for a busy plot. | No club votes yet |
Votes are members rating varieties in their Seed Tin, one vote per gardener. Tap a variety for the full page and where to buy.
Buy Basil seeds
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Sowing by USDA zone
| Zone | Sow / plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | June to July | August to September |
| Zone 4 | May to July | July to September |
| Zone 5 | May to June | July to September |
| Zone 6 | April to June | June to September |
| Zone 7 | April to June | June to September |
| Zone 8 | March to July | May to October |
| Zone 9 | February to August | April to November |
| Zone 10 | January to September | March to November |
Cook the harvest
Ripe tomatoes roasted until caramelized and sweet are blended with a full bunch of fresh basil, a little cream, and good stock into a soup that captures everything worth loving about summer. This is not a canned tomato affair — roasting fresh tomatoes concentrates their flavor dramatically, and the basil swirled in at the end keeps its bright, grassy character. Serve with crusty bread for a complete meal.
60 min · easyCreamy whole-milk ricotta whipped until light and cloud-like, then folded through with a generous handful of fresh basil and a drizzle of good olive oil. Spread onto grilled bread, dolloped under roasted tomatoes, or served as a dip with crudités, this is one of the most effortless summer starters imaginable. The basil is not a garnish — it perfumes every bit of the cheese.
10 min · easyA vivid emerald oil made by blanching and blending fresh basil with neutral oil — brilliant both in color and flavor. Drizzle it over soups, grilled fish, burrata, pizza, or anything that needs a hit of herbal brightness. Unlike simple infusions, the blanching step preserves the color so the oil stays green for days rather than turning muddy within hours.
15 min · easyA fast, fiery weeknight stir-fry built around a mountain of fresh Thai basil wilted into savory ground beef with garlic, chilies, fish sauce, and oyster sauce. Thai basil is the main event here — not an afterthought — and its anise-edged flavor holds up beautifully against the heat and salt of the sauce. Serve over jasmine rice with a fried egg on top for the full street-food experience.
22 min · easyWatch for, and grow alongside
Companions: marigolds, nasturtium
Questions people ask
When do you sow Basil in the US?
Sow Basil from April to June in zone 6, earlier or later by zone. Plant out July, after the last frost.
How long does Basil take from sowing to harvest?
Roughly 60 days, with the harvest June to September.
Which Basil varieties do gardeners grow again?
Club members rate every variety they grow. This page shows the grow-again votes for Genovese, Sweet Basil, Napoletano, Lemon Basil and more.
Track your Basil from packet to plate
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 3 September 2026.