6 steps to keep your basil green and healthy

Basil, one of the most commonly used herbs in the kitchen. Many a home cook has this herb on his window sill, where it often does not live long. With these six steps, you can keep your basil alive.

🌿Buy your basil plant in a specialised garden centre and not in the local supermarket.

The difference:

• Supermarket = for immediate use

The plants you buy in the supermarket are all small basil plants stuffed together in one pot. These mini basil plants are grown under artificial light so that they get a growth spurt, and are quickly ready for sale. As the plants have little space, they will smother each other and live no longer than a week. These basil pots are specially cultivated for quick consumption. Ideal if you need basil quickly for a dish but do not have anything in stock.

• Basil from a good garden centre = for further cultivation into a large plant

Basil from a garden centre consists of young basil that has not yet reached maturity and is of much better quality. You can immediately recognise this by the pot size which is much larger, and the leaves which are not yet fully grown and therefore much smaller. Do not use this basil immediately but plant it in a larger pot or in full soil, and wait a few (minimum 2) weeks until the plant is bigger. On Hermie.com you can also discover some specials such as Thai, fine, red or bush basil.

🌿Remove the basil from its plastic wrapping and transplant it to a larger pot so that the roots have enough room.

Your plant will only grow stronger as a result. The smaller the pot, the shorter the storage life of the basil. Be sure to use good quality potting soil. This already contains nutrients, and has good moisture permeability but does retain water (in contrast to cheap promo '1+1 potting soil').

🌿Place the plant in a bright and sunny spot so that it can enjoy the sun's rays and regain its strength.

As soon as the temperatures rise in May/June, you can also plant the basil outside in a pot, herb table or vegetable patch. Keep an eye on night-time temperatures if colder weather is forecast. Temperatures lower than 12°C will not do the basil any good.

Plant your basil in the open ground and make sure that the soil is well-drained (if necessary, mix it with topsoil). Do bear in mind that the plant will die as soon as the temperature drops below 12°C for a long time.

🌿Pluck the top leaves and leave the stalks on the plant

So that the basil can grow faster and in a bushy shape.
It is better to remove dry leaves and stems that are growing flowers.

🌿Basil does not like a cold shower

So leave your watering can behind. Is your basil planted in a pot? Place a bowl under it filled with water and/or put the pot under water twice a week so that the soil gets wet but not the stems. Basil rots quickly at the stem to just above the ground. The leaves also quickly turn brown or even black if they are exposed to water and then to sunlight. You can avoid this by watering from below. In full soil, you can also do this by putting the pot in which the basil is kept in the ground next to the plant and watering it. This way you water the roots of the plant directly without touching the stems.

🌿 Don't water too often

Is your plant showing signs of jaundice? Then you have been too enthusiastic when watering. Water the basil once a week. In warm weather you can refresh the plant more often.

After following these tips, your basil will grow like cabbage, and you can enjoy the delicious herb in your Italian classics for a long time. Do you want to store the leaves after you have picked them? Then it is best to keep them in a cool place, but not in the fridge. You can also add them to a bottle of olive oil to give it a nice flavour.

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