How To Grow Basil From Seed: A Step-by-Step Guide - Growfully

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Basil is one of the first herbs many new gardeners want to have in their plot—and for good reason! This member of the mint family of herbs is super delicious, very versatile, and incredibly easy to grow.

Of course, you can head over to your local garden center and pick up a basil plant and grow it that way, but we’re here to convince you to try growing basil from seed! Not only is it easy to do and can save you cash, but growing from seed also dramatically increases the number of cultivars you can grow! Sweet basil? Of course! Dark purple basil? Yes! Lime basil? Yum! Giant leaf basil? Yes! Lemon basil? Awesome! There are literally dozens of kinds of basil to experiment with in your garden—so let’s get to growing.

Why should I grow basil?

It probably goes without saying that basil is a delicious addition to any vegetable garden. This versatile herb is great in salads, pesto, sauces, pizza, sandwiches, soups, pasta, and tons of other dishes.

But did you know that basil also pulls double duty in the garden? It’s an excellent option for companion planting. Basil’s aromatic leaves tend to repel all kinds of pests in the garden. We plant many different varieties of leaf basils throughout the garden to help control pests organically (and harvest lots of yummy leaves).

What kind of basil should I grow?

There are so many different kinds of basil with varying, nuanced flavors that we highly recommend trying out several different kinds in your garden. However, if you’re looking for classic pesto basil or one that can be thrown into your favorite tomato sauce—Genovese or sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) is what you’re looking for.

If you’re looking for some fun basil cultivars to broaden your horizons, here are a few of our favorites:

• Purple Ruffles Basil: Exactly as the name sounds! Deep purple leaves with ruffled edges (and a traditional basil flavor) make this herb a striking addition to any salad.
• Lemon Basil: This basil is common in Southeast Asian cooking, and it’s prized for its lemony flavor.
• Siam Queen Thai Basil: This basil is a must-have for curry, pad Thai, and other classic Thai dishes. The plants and flowers are beautiful enough to be ornamental, and they are loved by pollinators.
• Cinnamon Basil: As its name suggests, this spicy basil has a hint of cinnamon and licorice flavor that really adds warmth and depth to your favorite dishes.
• Dark Purple Opal Basil: The darkest of the purple basils, these leaves are so dark they can almost look black! A real stunner in the garden.
• Holy Basil (Tulsi): This medicinal herb has a ton of different benefits from improving cognitive function to reducing stress. It’s an adaptogenic herb used frequently in Ayurvedic medicine.

One important (and fun!) note on growing purple basil cultivars: when growing purple basil from seed, don’t be surprised if one or two of your seedlings looks green, speckled, striped, or otherwise variegated!

Sometimes the genetic code of purple basil seedlings doesn’t fully transfer into every seed. The leaves will still taste great, and you can enjoy your very own genetic marvel!

Should I grow basil seeds or plants?

If you’re in a rush to get basil in your garden, you can typically find sweet or Genovese basil seedlings pretty easily at your local garden center. But if you want to grow lots of basil (which we recommend because it’s a great companion and pollinator plant) and grow a variety of cultivars, we recommend grabbing some seed packets and starting your own seeds.

Is it hard to grow basil from seed?

Not hard at all! Basil is a fast-growing herb that is easy to germinate from seed. If you’re new to seed starting, basil is one of the first herbs you should try out.

Should you soak basil seeds before planting?

You can, but we’ve run tests in the Growfully gardens and haven’t seen any increased germination rates by soaking basil seeds before sowing.

When should I plant basil?

Basil is a tender annual herb that is not cold hardy—in fact, it is incredibly intolerant to freezes and frosts and should only be planted out in the garden after the last frost date in your area. In fact, we recommend waiting to transplant basil seedlings out in the garden until 7-10 days after your last frost date just to be certain the cold weather is done.

How do I plant basil seeds?

Planting basil from seed is a breeze and requires no special knowledge or tools. Here’s how to do it:

1. About 6-8 weeks before the last frost in your area, prepare seed starting trays, newspaper pots, or peat pots. Fill with sterile seed starting medium.
2. Sow 2-3 basil seeds per cell or pot, planting them 1/4″ deep and firming the soil well over top.
3. Keep the trays or pots warm (between 75°F and 85°F) and moist until germination—which should happen in about 5-7 days in ideal conditions. You can help maintain these conditions by using a humidity dome or by covering your trays with plastic wrap, removing once the seeds have germinated.
4. Once the seedlings have at least one set of true leaves, thin to just one seedling per cell.
5. Once the seedlings have six sets of true leaves, pinch off the top set of true leaves—this promotes the growth of strong, bushy plants.
6. As your basil plants grow, you can pot them up into increasingly larger containers—make sure to bury the stems to create stronger plants.

How do I grow basil from cuttings?

Basil is also incredibly easy to grow from cuttings, AKA: propagation. Just clip off a stem next to a leaf node (where the leaf connects to the stem)—this is the location where the plant has the highest concentration of rooting hormone—and place it in water.