Gardening: Heat-loving basil plants enhance cooking, health and spirit

I see it every spring about the time the first vegetables start to appear in the stores. Tucked in among the cabbages, spinach and lettuce are basil plants … shivering, cold basil plants. I almost want to put little sweaters on them to keep them warm. April and May are too early for these heat-loving herbs to be outdoors.

Basil is native to Southeast Asia where it has been used as a culinary, medicinal and spiritual herb for around 4,000 years. Over time, it found its way west with the ancient spice traders to Africa and Europe. It arrived in Britain in the 1600s and from there to North America.

As a culinary herb basil is used in both Italian and Asian cooking. As a medicinal herb it is said to help with poor digestion, headaches, improved memory, motion sickness and as a treatment for burns and cuts. In religious settings, the Egyptians used it in embalming, the Greeks used it as a symbol for mourning while in India it was used it to protect their temples.

Growing basil is not hard if you pay attention to the temperatures. It grows best when the days run in the 80s and 90s and turns black at the slightest hint of freezing temperatures. Unfortunately, we don’t usually get those warm temperatures until mid-July. It is best planted by seed in the open garden about now. The soil and air temperatures have usually warmed up enough for it to quickly sprout. If basil plants are set out when it’s too cold, they tend to turn yellow and become stunted, a condition they don’t recover from.

Seeds also can be planted indoors under lights in mid-May for planting in mid-June. This works well because you can move the basil pots right in behind the tomatoes and peppers you are taking to the garden.

Basil needs at least six to eight hours of sun a day. Plant them about a foot apart in well-drained soil with lots of organic matter and even moisture. Feed the plants every couple of weeks with a 10-10-10 fertilizer to promote leaf growth. As the plants grow, nip off the growing tips of the tallest stems to force the plants to bush out.

Three or four basil plants will usually suffice for an average family. If you are going to make pesto, you will need a dozen or so plants to provide enough leaves. The only real pests of basil are slugs and aphids.

There are dozens of varieties of basil. Sweet basil is often used in Italian cooking. Thai basil finds its way into Asian dishes. Lemon and lime basil make interesting teas, marinades and salad dressings. There is chocolate, cinnamon and Greek to name a few others.

Basil plants come in all sizes and leaf colors and textures which make them an interesting ornamental in the garden. Leave a few plants to go to flower. Basil is a pollinator magnet and will draw a wide selection of insects to your garden.