Thai Basil - ocimum basilicum

kansuze (63)in #gardening • 8 years ago

The first time I tried Thai food, I loved the anise/licorice flavor in one of the dishes and asked about it. I had no idea it came from Thai basil. That's when I decided to try growing it and it has been in my small garden every year since then.

As much as I liked regular basil, I never had success with it, and I'm one of those people who can grow almost anything. I tried it both inside and outside.

In my garden, the soil tends to be dry. I can give it daily soakings but I would rather work with it than fight it - that's just better ecologically. Indoors, winter dryness was so much of a problem, I got a central humidifier for the sake of my old piano. Can you imagine such dryness that wood warps? My tropical plants with their thicker waxy leaves all did well, but the regular sweet basil did not.

Thai basil solved the problem. It's just that little bit more drought tolerant and although the leaves don't seem any tougher, their smaller size means less moisture is lost to transpiration. I have it in the garden all summer and have been bringing it inside for the last couple of winters.

Thai basil is considered a tender perennial for warm climates. It's native to Southeast Asia where it is important in Thai, Vietnamese, Lao and Cambodian cuisines. The plant grows up to 1.48 feet (45 cm) tall.

Growing Thai Basil

You can get a head start on the season by starting basil indoors three to four weeks before planting time. One thing you should know is that it doesn't germinate really well. Plant twice as many seeds as you normally would in a small pot and then thin them if enough come up. I have been bypassing this step and buying them at the local garden center although I haven't needed to in recent years. One other thing I discovered with herbs is that the fresh ones available in my grocery store can sometimes be rooted.

Plant the seeds in full sun once all danger of frost has passed. They prefer slightly moist, slightly acidic, well drained soil that is reich in compost. They will tolerate part shade.

If you are transplanting seedlings, they should be hardened first. Do this by placing the pots outside and out of wind or direct sun for several days. You can bring them inside at night if the temperature dips. This plant really likes warmth - even a 50°F (10 C) night will slow its growth.

One the flowers become 6 inches (15 cm) tall, pinch back the tips of the branches to encourage branching, and pinch off flowers so the plants don't become straggly.

In the autumn, before the weather cools, transplant it into a pot and bring it inside. Place it in your sunniest window. You can control its size by pruning - I prefer to say 'harvesting' - and continue to pinch off the flowers. Its typically purple stems may be less so inside if it isn't getting as much light.