Basil - Sweet Large Leaf

Seeds/pack: 1,500

Large Leaf Sweet Basil is regarded as the essential variety for true Neapolitan cuisine, especially pesto. Italian Basil plants are loaded with volatile oils, responsible for the heady aroma and strong flavor so essential to cooking. Like all Basil plants, Large Leaf Sweet Basil is easy to establish from herb seeds for the garden or to grow in a container on the patio.

Large Leaf Sweet Basil is regarded as the essential variety for true Neapolitan cuisine, especially pesto. Sweet Basil plants are loaded with volatile oils, responsible for the heady aroma and strong flavor so essential to cooking. Like all Basil plants, Sweet Large Leaf Basil is easy to establish from herb seeds for the garden or to grow in a container on the patio.

This Basil grows 18 to 24 inches high and 12 to 15 inches wide. The dark green, shiny leaves grow up to 3 inches long. Pick the extra large leaves and use them fresh or dried in tomato dishes, pasta sauces, vegetables and soups. Basil is at its most flavorful when fresh. The best time to harvest is just as the plant starts to set flower buds, well before flowers bloom. Harvest leaves continually to encourage new growth. Pinch out growing tips to encourage bushier plants and to delay flowering.

How To Grow Basil From Seed: Sow Basil seeds in the garden after all danger of frost has passed. For areas with short growing seasons, start the herb seeds indoors 4 - 8 weeks before setting out. Grow the Italian Basil herb in a rich, well-drained, soil and in full sun. Plant Basil in the vegetable garden next to the tomatoes and peppers as a companion plant to repel aphids, mites, and tomato hornworms.