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I've tried growing this but didn't get any luck at all. I bought the seeds over the web and they came from Thailand. This year, I've had a coupld of catalogues from seed companies and both sell Holy Basil. These are UK based companies so I presume it's possible to grow them here. Anybody have any luck growing them? If you have, could you tell me how you went about it? What growing medium? Any specific temperature? It's a very fine seed. I tried growing Thai sweet basil at the same time and most if not all seeds germinated. Thanks.

It's much, much too early to sow it.

Sow at 18-20ºC, during April-May, using any good seed compost with added sharp grit for good drainage.

Cover seed very thinly with sieved compost or vermiculite.

Keep at 18C

Me, I can't grow any kind of basil - it always gets smothered in greenfly

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Thanks for your reply two sheds. I'm not attempting to grow quite yet. I've got a propagator this year so hope that will help although the temps you mention aren't that hight considering Holy is grown in India and Thailand. Sad to hear about your green-fly problem.

18C is quite a high temp round here! 20C is a roasting summer's day on the East Coast.

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~ "I would rather do a good hours work weeding than write two pages of my best; nothing is so interesting as weeding" ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

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Basil is terrible for damping off which is why sowing it later gives better results. I grew some last year at the beginning of March with a heat mat and it germinated ok but the death rate was quite high. I tried it again in mid summer which was much more successful.

Perlite can help with small seeds - with drainage and it also helps warm them up. Sprinkle a thin layer on top of the seeds after sowing. Always water from the bottom.


Having said all that I still find it one of the more trying herbs that I grow..

Thank you for that reply. Sorry if this is a stupid question but would you fill a pot with perlite and then the thin layer of perlite on top of the seeds after sowing? I've recently bought an electric propagator so hopefully that will help too.

There is obviously NO nutrient in perlite - it is just used for drainage really.

I would mix it 50/50 with MPC myself.

__________________
~ "I would rather do a good hours work weeding than write two pages of my best; nothing is so interesting as weeding" ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

I promise not to mention the rather excellent Search function again. Feel free to slap me if I do

Use seed compost in the normal way in your tray or plugs, sprinkle over your seeds and then cover with a thin layer of perlite. As Two Sheds says, its really for drainage - it stops the seeds sitting in water and because its white it reflects the light and helps keep them warm. Sorry if that wasn't as clear as it might have been

I can't seem to grow it either. I cheat I buy a couple of plants from the supermarket and pot them on . Keeps us going all summer

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Despite the gardener's best intentions, Nature will improvise. ~Michael P. Garafalo, gardendigest.com

Jo

Binley knows best... and if you believe that ...

Thank you Miss Jessop and Two Sheds for your replies.

binley100,
Which super-market is that? It is Holy Basil?