Basil

[worth1]

I like the cinnamon basil or whatever the devil it's called.
Didn't see any seeds this year.

[karstopography]

I don’t believe I have tried the cinnamon type.

I’ve been sort of succession planting my basil which means I once in awhile remember to scatter some basil seeds into open areas of the basil bed. Last scattering was a couple of weeks ago, some lettuce leafed basil which evidently is especially delicious to the little critters that hang out near the soil. We’ll see how many of those are able to rise off the launch pad and get into orbit.

When the weather is warm, Basil really takes off if I remember to give it enough water. Nature is taking care of the watering for the next few days it seems.

[pepperhead212]

I love basil - the reason I have to grow them in the off season. I have tried many of the varieties, and the flavored ones, but not the cinnamon, as I am not crazy about a raw cinnamon in savory dishes - only a hint of cinnamon in things like Mexican, and using the Sri Lankan cinnamon, or toasted cinnamon, in a lot of Indian foods. The lemon basil was good, but bolted early, and no amount of pinching back would get it productive; same with the lime, which would be good with Thai, but I wouldn't get enough. The anise flavored one was strong with licorice, but not much else, so not good for Thai food. Early on, when I was growing larger ones, in the garden, the large leaf varieties just didn't have much flavor, compared to the Italian varieties. Back before the hydroponics, I saved it frozen, but not in pesto form - I much rather put fresh garlic in when I use it, and not freeze the garlic. I would rinse the basil, then spin dry, then put it in the food processor, with a generous pinch of citric acid, then pulse it, adding just enough neutral oil for it to circulate, and grind to a paste. Then I'd put them in those 2 oz popsicle molds, I got in dollar stores, and freeze. I did this with Thai basil, too, and the molds had a T on them, to ID these. I figured out that 1 loosely packed cup (what most Thai recipes call for!) would produce 3 tb of paste. I would take one of those "sticks", and swish it into a sauce, until it has enough of the flavor, then put the stick back in the mold, and back in the freezer. Almost as good as fresh, but not quite.

Here are the basils I have inside and out, every year now. The Sawtooth and Dolce Fresca are sort of short, bushy varieties, which I grow, initially for the hydroponics, but later, for the windowsill boxes, around the deck. The Siam Queen Thai basil used to be a short one, too, but the last several I've gotten have been taller - like the one in the photo. They used to sell just "Thai Basil", which was taller, and more productive, but not as flavorful, IMO. I wish I could find that old variety, but I just have to keep trimming this one, even if not using. I only need these 6 plants, as they are growing in one of those Jr Earthboxes, which is almost as productive as hydroponics, and, like with the hydro, it grows back in no time.

Did I mention that I love basil?
My 6 basil plants, on 6-18, 2 each of Burpee's Spicy Sawtooth, Dolce Fresca, and Siam Queen. In winter, I only need one each in hydroponics. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[Sue_CT]

I love basil too. I cover the tomatoes in my tomato sandwiches like its lettuce lol.

[JRinPA]

I like the cinnamon basil or whatever the devil it's called.
Didn't see any seeds this year.

Ahh, but is True Cinnamon Basil...

[Seven Bends]

I'm curious, do any of you have basil downy mildew in your area? Since about seven years ago, we haven't been able to grow any basil varieties here except the downy mildew resistant varieties. The Thai basils last a little longer than the Italian types, but they succumb too. So basically I've been limited to Prospera, which is fine but not very exciting. I know @Cranraspberry mentioned the same issue awhile back and gardens near me. I'm curious how widespread the problem is.

[karstopography]

I'm curious, do any of you have basil downy mildew in your area? Since about seven years ago, we haven't been able to grow any basil varieties here except the downy mildew resistant varieties. The Thai basils last a little longer than the Italian types, but they succumb too. So basically I've been limited to Prospera, which is fine but not very exciting. I know @Cranraspberry mentioned the same issue awhile back and gardens near me. I'm curious how widespread the problem is.

Have not had the downy mildew on Basil.

[karstopography]

I’ve been pretty hands off with basil in past seasons. I tend not to feed it and often neglect watering it during drier periods. At times, something nibbles on the leaves, but I don’t take measures to kill what might be eating the leaves other than removing any obvious bugs like grasshoppers.

The pattern has been in past years that later in the summer I’m scrounging up whatever decrepit but still useable basil leaves I can find and might need for a dish from my neglected and mostly post mature basil plants.

This year, I’m attempting to be more intentional with caring for the basil so that at least some of it remains nice throughout the summer. Definitely done more successive seedings this year. I’ve paid more attention to the watering. I’ve even tossed in some cottonseed meal into the basil bed to boost the fertility.

With All that extra attention for the basil probably means the basil will get downy mildew.

Gardening is year around here and it is hard for me to maintain equal enthusiasm for all the plants all the time. We’ve barely used any basil this year. We might have done 2-3 Caprese salads and I used some basil for the eggplant Parmesan. The trouble with gardening is the produce is perishable and there’s often more than needed or desired and finding homes for surplus produce or taking measures to preserve the harvest all require commitments of time and or resources. Preserving the surplus harvest becomes a second job almost. If I use handful of dried basil or a few ounces of basil pesto in the off season, that would be a lot. Basil is something we like fresh and even then it isn’t an everyday ingredient. Maybe once every two or three weeks in season type of deal.

But, If I take better care of the basil, then maybe at least the bees will benefit from the extra blooms even if we’ve had our fill.

[pepperhead212]

I've been lucky - I have never had any type of fungal disease on any of my basils, even in those horribly humid summers, and even that wettest summer on record for the area, that destroyed the farmers corn, pepper, tomato, and many other crops, and destroyed most of my tomatoes. Yet no mildew on basil, just not as much to do with it.

[worth1]

I've had black spots all over it when it was wet and rainy in the spring, I sprayed the bleach solution on it and it went away.

[karstopography]

I went and checked my basil. The lettuce leaf basil seedlings seem to enjoy the rain, they are all putting on weight. That in the ground bed they are in really dries out fast. Lots of silt/fine sand in it and it’s raised a bit from the grade and on the top of a little rise. My lot has undulations, troughs and crests, basically old meander scars from a river that left behind the cut off, oxbow lake. It can be difficult to keep things moist in this bed during the summer. The house itself is built on the top of one rise or old meander scar. The soil is pretty varied depending on where on my lot one might dig. Heavy clay dominates up towards the entrance, but plenty of silt closer to the lake. This bed is 30 feet if even from the water.

[Cranraspberry]

@Seven Bends I think in our case things are worse because we have so many plots crammed close together in a fairly small space and diseases are rampant, but around here the DM-resistant varieties are the only ones that will grow. I tried Mammolo last year and it succumbed to DM before we could get a single harvest. I think Johnny’s started offering a few more new Prospera varieties this year.

[AKgardener]

I just saw lettuce leaf basil on you tube it’s huge.. gonna give it a try

[Seven Bends]

@Seven Bends I think in our case things are worse because we have so many plots crammed close together in a fairly small space and diseases are rampant, but around here the DM-resistant varieties are the only ones that will grow. I tried Mammolo last year and it succumbed to DM before we could get a single harvest. I think Johnny’s started offering a few more new Prospera varieties this year.

Yes, there are definite drawbacks to community garden plots as far as disease and bugs are concerned. I'll check out the new Prospera offerings -- thanks for the tip! I like the regular, Genovese-type Prospera fine, but it would be fun to have other choices.

[karstopography]

IMG_4596.jpeg

IMG_4594.jpeg

The basil wasn’t bothered too much by Beryl.

[Cranraspberry]

I had a not so great experience with Prospera - harvested a smidge too late (not flowering, but started to form buds) and the flavor immediately got very bitter and anise-y. Ordered some Rutgers Obsession and Devotion to compare. I thought that Genovese basil (Prospera and Devotion) was the same as sweet basil (Obsession), but then I read that sweet is milder in flavor, so maybe that will be a better fit for my taste buds.

[Labradors]

Cranraspberry, you might like Lemon Basil. I found it very mild.

[Cranraspberry]

@Labradors thank you! Silly question, but does it actually taste of lemon?

[karstopography]

IMG_4776.jpeg

One thing I have observed about basil here is that the Genovese and Bolognese types get a very pronounced hydrocarbon like flavor as summer progresses. The Persian basil remains mellow and tasty even late in the summer and during flowering. Lettuce leaf basil has only a faint hydrocarbon flavor.

IMG_4779.jpeg

IMG_4778.jpeg

[rossomendblot]

I've noticed a bit of a petrol whiff from my sweet basil at times. It doesn't carry over into the pesto, luckily.