May
2005
I've added some new fresh basil recipes for this year on
the lefthand sidebar of this page, so enjoy! Planted some
lemon basil, Italian Large leaf basil and purple leaf basil
just as the month started, and they are looking pretty
happy. Not sure if I'm going to grow thai basil this year
or not, depends if there's room. The African basil plant
from last year is going strong, and has so many leaves
I'm even keeping some of the flowers rather than pinching
them back, just because they look pretty. This year I decided
to plant mostly lemon basil because that is by far my favorite
basil to use for recipes. But it is more sensitive to drops
in temps than the Italian basil, so I planted a few of
those too so when winter starts to roll in, I'll still
have fresh basil in my garden--at least through Christmas.
Culinary
Herb Trio
Contains
3 terracotta pots measuring approximately 6" high, & info
regarding each herb and its uses. Herbs pictured are Sweet
Majoram, African Basil, and Rosemary. Variety substitutions
will only be made if seasonal shortages occur.
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March 2005
Ah,
the longing for the smell of a sweet basil leaf! Usually,
basil plants grow pretty easily. Well, growing basil was
just plain hard to do this winter, as the enviromental
conditions just weren't particularly kind to the basil
plants. Even though I did my best to keep pinching back
the buds, and at this point think I pretty much know how
to grow basil successfully, I think everything was pretty
much dead or really leggy by the end of November, which
for So. CA is a short season. RIP for the Australian Basil
plant too, would love to find another, but don't remember
where I got it. Maybe Santa Monica Farmers Market. Had
a lemon basil volunteer but that eventually died too. The
African basil plants are just starting to come back, so
we'll see how they do over the next month or so. So far,
they seem to be doing pretty good. By the end of April,
I can probably put in new plants of the Italian Basil and
Lemon Basil varieties, assuming this rain GOES AWAY!!.
The slugs and snails are going nuts this year, so the tender
leaves of young basil plants will be fertile munching ground
I'm sure. but don't let that stop you from planting basil
in your own garden. Basil plants can be grown in the vegetable
garden, used as a filler in perennial or annual flower
beds, and are even a good plant for city gardening, as
basil will also grow in pots on a sunny windowsill. and
nothing, but NOTHING, beats cooking with fresh basil, so
put some where it's close for you to clip a sprig or two
when you need it!
June 2004
African
Basil plant is not faring well. Have tried to prune it
back. DRASTICALLY. We'll see what happens. Did the same
to an Aussie Basil plant,
also a perennial basil, that had gotten a bit leggy, but
that one seems to be coming back a bit quicker than the
African plant. However, huge success with all other basils,
and actually had fresh lemon basil in my garden last year
that lasted me all the way through January. I think Lemon
Basil is my favorite. Can't walk past it without touching
the leaves just so that the scent stays on my hands for
a little. Incredible. Made delicious sauce with some tomatoes
I had frozen from my garden (yum!) Then I was thrilled
in May when I found another huge ziploc bag of my tomatoes
that had languished, forgotten, in the back of Freezerville,
so since this year's crop was in full swing already, I
just made myself some fresh sauce early this year! As always,
this year I'm growing Italian Large Leaf Basil, Italian
Sweet Basil, Lemon Basil, Red Leaf Basil, Spicy Thai Basil & Globe
Basil. All plants are happy, getting huge and taste as
good as ever!
Companion
Planting Tip for Basil: Basil
makes a good companion to tomatoes, not just in the
kitchen, but in the garden! Basil deters tomato hornworm, aphids,
flies and mosquitoes, slows the growth of milkweed bugs and acts
as a fungicide. Use 3 basil plants for every tomato plant.
March
2002
Got
an African Basil plant about a month and a half ago which
supposedly will over-winter and should live indefinitely
as long as it is kept from flowering. I'm keeping it in a
pot until I'm sure it likes its location, but so far all
appears good. It would be great to have fresh basil in my
yard all year round. The lemon basil, sadly, did not make
it. The area it was in lost more sun than I thought it did
by the time winter rolled around. I might try some this year
near where the African basil is and see how it fares there...
Did
You Know?
The faeries who
watch over the basil can help us awaken greater discipline
and devotion.
2001
My
two favorite kinds of basil to grow are the Sweet Italian Basil
and Lemon Basil varieties, both of which are excellent with
tomatoes and tomato sauces. But I particularly like using the
lemon basil in stir-fries. This year I planted my basil plants
in the sunniest possible spot in my yard, hoping that I could
keep the plants growing all year round, which is at least theoretically
possible here in Southern California. I always plant basil in
the same bed as my tomato plants, as they are companion plants
that very much like to be near each other. Having basil nearby
improves the flavor of the other vegetables, keeps away harmful
insects, and encourages pollination of your tomato plants by
attracting pollinators with those big flower stalks. However,
to keep the plants producing leaves throughout the growing season,
clip of buds as they form at the node BELOW the node where the
bud has formed, basically clipping off all of the tall, long,
stalks than you can. I have 6 basil plants and there is no way
I hardly have the time to keep them flower free, and thus, I
accept their help with pollination as well. But cutting them
back is good to do as much as you have time for--this encourages
the plant to grow out instead of up, and you'll have all the
tasty leaves you need for all the pesto and homemade tomato
sauce your tummy can handle!
Natural
Pest &
Environment Controls
Escar-Go!
Basil may help protect your tomato plants from insects but slugs still LOVE
to suck on basil leaves.Protect your plants from nasty slug damage. Lured
by the tasty bait, slugs and snails stop feeding soon after they eat Escar-Go!
PyolaTM
and Soap-Shield®
Save on this Special Spray Combo
Gardeners should have these two products on hand right from the start of the
season -- Pyola to control insect pests and Soap-Shield to fight disease. Like
the moldy mildew and fungus that can attack plants under very moist environmental
conditions. Buy combo and pay $5.95 less than if purchased separately!
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