Growing Basil

[wellie]

I've also sown some GREEK Basil from seed, which has germinated well. The LETTUCE and LEMON Basils have completely refused to germinate ("Bastards!" if I may be allowed to say that before or after The Watershed, because I am really, seriously annoyed with them?!), but that'll be because the seed is too old, or I've been a bad girl, and not kept the seed in an environment to it's liking.

P.S.... (Thank you for my 'Likes' Children?!X)

[buzzingtalk]

ahhh. i had loads of seedlings but thinned them out to one a pot, now i only have 4 basil plants I think i will get a few more pots of it going then, so sow 10 or so seeds to a smallish pot and let them be for a while? i will also chuck some seeds in to my tom pots once they are done.

[wellie]

I started a thread earlier in the week to do with buying herbs'n'stuff from retail outlets, and splitting and dividing them to save sowing seeds yourself? I've had huge success again this year by doing that with seedlings from Homebase.
Please pay attention Children....

[Furny]

As well as growing some in pots, I pop a few seeds in when the toms are in their final buckets. Works ok for me.

Do you mean in the same pot?

[Florence Fennel]

As well as growing some in pots, I pop a few seeds in when the toms are in their final buckets. Works ok for me.

[Alison]

It depends on how much basil / tomato you like / want. Last year I had about 20 tomato plants in the polytunnel and 2 largish clumps of basil with another 3 pots of it at home in the greenhouse. This gave me loads but you may want more if you make a lot of pesto.

[ugley_matt]

Have you ever grown it with tomatoes? I am trying to work out how many plants i would want. one basil per tomato, two, three?

[Alison]

I always sow basil, I prefer to be able to have different varieties than just the supermarket stuff. I'll sow reasonably densely in 3" pots and then split into other pots when it's a reasonable size.

[ugley_matt]

Is it actually worth sowing basil or are you better off just buying a small plant and growing it on? I tried sowing basil before and didnt have much luck. This year i want to grow it amongst my tomatos so would need quite a bit i think.

[Nicos]

When I buy a shop bought plant, I split it into about 5 pots and rotate the use of them.
So yes, I;d say there are about 10 plants in each of those smaller pots- sounds about right as they seem to support each other.

[taff]

they'll be bushy if as trish says you pinch out the tops to encourage sideshoots, otherwise they'll be tall, straggly and not bushy at all, until it's time for them to flower.

[trish60]

You probably need about 9 or 10 in a pot.
Pinch out the growing tip to encourage them to branch out into bushy plants.
When they get to supermarket size you can cut off about 5cm of the growing tips again, take off the lower leaves & put them in water where they will root & you can plant them.
You can do this with supermarket basil as well.
Good luck!

[Newton]

When you buy basil in pots from the supermarket it comes with what appears to be many plants in a pot.

I am growing in modules which are now ready for potting on. Should I grow them individually and will each seed produce a bushy plant all being well?

Any advice appreciated...