Spring planting doesn’t start when the air feels warm, It...Read More
Lemon Basil is a lovely variety of basil with a sweet lemony aroma and flavor. This is a very easy to grow variety for beginner gardeners and works well in pots or containers due to its short and compact size. Lemon Basil does best in a full sun area in warm conditions, since it does not do well during a frost or cold temperatures. Use this delicious herb in place of regular basil, but keep in mind that the flavor of Lemon Basil is less sweet and more citrusy. It goes great with chicken, seafood, pasta, or pesto! Near the end of its life cycle, Lemon Basil produces beautiful white flowers that are great for our pollinators but are edible too. Grow this herb alongside other flowering herbs like Bouquet Dill. This seed can also be used to grow microgreens.
NAME: Basil (Ocimum basilicum citriodorum)
VARIETY: Lemon
DAYS TO MATURITY: 60 – 70 days
POLLINATION: Open Pollinated
TYPE: Annual
HARDINESS ZONE: Zones 4 – 12
SUNLIGHT: Full Sun
SOIL: Fertile soil with a pH between 6.0 – 7.0
PLANT HEIGHT: 12 – 26 inches
SPACING: 8 – 12 inches apart
TEMP: 55 – 95°F
These seeds do not required stratification.
To learn more about Stratification, click here!
Sow seeds indoors 2 weeks before your last local spring frost
You can sow into small or large pots; the seedlings can remain in larger pots for their entire life if you choose
You can also sow in cell trays to transplant outside later
Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in seed-starting soil mix, keeping the soil moist and ensuring ambient temps are around 70°F
Germination will occur in 7 to 14 days
When seedlings emerge, thin to one seedling per cell or several seedlings per large pot
As soon as the seedlings emerge, provide plenty of light on a sunny windowsill or grow 3 to 4 inches beneath fluorescent/LED plant lights turned on 15 hours per day, off for 9 hours at night, raising the light with growth
Before planting outside make sure soil temps are at least 55°F and ambient temps don’t fall below 60°F, basil seedlings are sensitive to cold temperatures.
You will also need to first harden off the seedlings for several days. Do this by taking them outside during the day and bringing them in at night (Outside temps should be above 50°F when you start this process)
Direct sow seeds outdoors once ambient temps stay above 60°F during the day and night; soil temp should be 55°F or higher (Minor temperature fluctuations are okay)
Sow seeds 2 inches apart and cover with 1/4 inch of fine soil; press soil down lightly and water them in generously; seedlings will emerge in 7 to 14 days (Warmer soil temps germinate the seeds quicker)
When seedlings are 2 inches tall, thin to 8 inches apart; this will allow enough space for each plant to grow
It is important to keep the soil continuously moist until the sprouts get to be 1 inch tall
Cutting the plant stem above a leaf node will cause it to bush out more, which is recommended for more productivity and less tall leggy plants
Lemon Basil can be grown as an annual in most climates, but in warmer regions, it may behave as a perennial.
Pinch back the growing tips of the plants regularly to encourage bushier growth and prevent them from becoming leggy.
Leaves may be harvested individually once the plant is over 8 inches tall; be careful not to overharvest and keep a few leaves on the plant for photosynthesis
Harvest leaves as needed throughout the growing season, but avoid harvesting more than one-third of the plant at a time to ensure continued growth.
