Cinnamon
Basil- Ocimum basilicum
The
name comes from the Greek word "basileus" meaning king.
Once the fear of the herb past, it was praised more than a king.
Description:
Annual with leafy stems and thin branchy roots. Flowers are
two-lipped, 1/2 inch long, white and grow in racemes at top of
stems. Leaves are opposite, ovate with an entire margin. They
are 2-3 inches long and range from yellow-green to dark green
depending on soil fertility. Fruit are tiny, dark brown seeds.
Leaves have a cinnamon fragrance and flavor.
Plant type and hardiness:
Annual; hardiness zone 4-10. Height and width Height 12-24
inches; width 12 inches. Light and soil Full sun; rich, moist,
well-drained soil with a pH of 5.5-7.5.
Pests and disease:
Few, seedlings are prone to damping off.
Cultivation:
Seedlings are slow growing and delicate. Start
indoors in peat pots to minimize disturbance, or sow after last
frost. Thin to 12 inches. Companion planting Improves growth and
flavor of asparagus, tomatoes and most vegetables. Do not plant
Basil with cabbage or snap beans.
Propagation method:
Seed, cuttings.
Bloom time and color:
July - Aug.; white
Harvesting:
Harvest in early Autumn before the cold weather
arrives and the leaves turn limp and yellow. Cut the long, leafy
stalks for drying just before the plant comes into flower. Spread
them out in a shady place or wire mesh to encourage quick drying.
Do not hang in bunches as the leaves dry to slowly and can mold.
Oven drying is not advised, as the leaves scorch. Basil can be
frozen--chop fresh and place into ice cube trays, add a small
amount of water.
Herbal uses:
Aromatic, cosmetic, culinary, medicinal.
Culinary uses:
For flavoring include the fresh leaves which are used in tomato
sauces, to make pesto sauce. It is used in Italian, Mediterranean,
and Thai cooking and is good with veal, lamb, fish, poultry, white
beans, pasta, rice, tomatoes, cheese, and eggs. Purple
basil is also excellent used in vinegar and as a garnish.
It is aromatic and is used for drying and for fragrance in pot-pourris
and sachets. Cosmetic uses are in herbal bath mixtures and for
bringing luster to the hair. Basil can be grown in containers
and makes an excellent ornamental plant in the landscape. It is
reported to have some medicinal qualities.
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C
ompact
Small leaves, bushy & grows around 12" high
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Lemon
Unusual variety; hard to find
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P
urple
Breeding of basil has led to many hybrids including purple varieties
such as Purple Ruffles, Opal and Rubin. The name comes from the
Greek word "basileus" meaning king. Once the fear of
the herb past, it was praised more than a king.
Description:
Annual with leafy stems and thin branchy roots. Flowers
are two-lipped, 1/2" long, lavender and grow in racemes at
top of stems. Leaves are opposite, ovate with an entire margin.
They are also 2-3 inches long, dark maroon-purple and shiny. Fruit
are tiny, dark brown seeds.
Plant type and hardiness:
Annual; hardiness zone 4-10.
Height and width:
Height 12-24 inches; width 12 inches.
Light and soil:
Full sun; rich, moist, well-drained soil with a pH of 5.5-7.5.
Pests and disease:
Few, seedlings are prone to damping off.
Cultivation:
Seedlings are slow growing and delicate. Start indoors in
peat pots to minimize disturbance. Companion planting Improves
growth and flavor of asparagus, tomatoes and most vegetables.
Do not plant Basil with cabbage or snap beans.
Propagation method:
Seed, cuttings. Bloom time and color July - Aug.; lavender.
Harvesting:
Harvest in early Autumn before the cold weather arrives and
the leaves turn limp and yellow. Cut the long, leafy stalks for
drying just before the plant comes into flower. Spread them out
in a shady place or wire mesh to encourage quick drying. Do not
hang in bunches as the leaves dry to slowly and can mold. Oven
drying is not advised, as the leaves scorch. Basil can be frozen--chop
fresh into ice cube trays and add a small amount of water.
Herbal uses:
Aromatic, cosmetic, culinary, medicinal.
Culinary uses:
For flavoring include
the fresh leaves which are used in tomato sauces, to make pesto
sauce. It is used in Italian, Mediterranean, and Thai cooking
and is good with veal, lamb, fish, poultry, white beans, pasta,
rice, tomatoes, cheese, and eggs. Purple basil is also excellent
used in vinegar and as a garnish. It is aromatic and is used for
drying and for fragrance in pot-pourris and sachets. Cosmetic
uses are in herbal bath mixtures and for bringing luster to the
hair. Basil can be grown in containers and makes an excellent
ornamental plant in the landscape. Striking color, compact. It
is reported to have some medicinal qualities.
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S
acred
Unusual fragrance; reaches 18" high
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S
weetBasil
originated in India, where it was regarded as a sacred herb. The
name comes from the Greek basileus meaning 'king.' Once people
were no longer fearful of this herb, it was said to be "fit
for a king's house." In Haiti basil is thought to belong
to the pagan love goddess Erzulie, and in Italy it has been regarded
as a sign of love.
Description:
The plant has leafy stems and thin, branching roots. The two-lipped
white flowers are 1/2 inch long and grow in racemesat the top
of stems. The leaves are 2 to 3 inches long, opposite, and ovate
with entire margins. They are yellow-green to dark green, depending
on soil fertility. The tiny seeds are dark brown.
Plant type and hardiness:
Annual; hardiness zones are not applicable to annuals.
Height and width:
Height 12 to 24 inches; width 12 inches.
Light and soil:
Full sun; rich, moist, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.
Pests and disease:
Japanese beetles.
Cultivation:
Basil must have warm conditions. For best results, sow in
late spring or early summer. It is susceptible to cold and frost,
and to drastic temperature change. Pinch the centers as the plants
grow to ensure bushiness. Basil can be grown in pots but does
not survive indoors.
Companion planting:
Basil attracts butterflies and insects to the garden. It stimulates
the growth of companion plants, especially tomatoes and peppers.
It is said to repel white flies. Basil and rue do not do well
when grown near each other.
Propagation method:
Seeds, cuttings, or transplants.
Bloom time and color:
July to August; white.
Harvesting:
Harvest in early Autumn before the cold weather arrives and
the leaves turn limp and yellow. Cut the long, leafy stalks for
drying just before the plant comes into flower. Spread them in
a shady place or on wire mesh to encourage quick drying. Do not
hang in bunches as the leaves will dry too slowly and can mold.
Oven drying is not advised, as the leaves scorch. Basil can be
frozen chopped fresh in ice cube trays.
Herbal uses:
Aromatic, cosmetic, culinary, and medicinal. Dried basil is
used for its fragrance in potpourris and sachets. It also is used
in herbal bath mixtures and to add luster to the hair. Fresh or
dried basil is used in cooking to flavor Italian, Mediterranean,
and Thai dishes. Fresh leaves are used in tomato and pesto sauces.
Basil is good with veal, lamb, fish, poultry, white beans, pasta,
rice, tomatoes, cheese, and eggs. It also is used in vinegar and
for tea. Basil is said to have some medicinal qualities.
Insider's secret:
Plant basil in large massings near smaller groupings of summer
savory. Pinch off the basil flower buds during most of the summer
to prolong the life of the plants by delaying flowering. This
will make the plants very bushy and full. Let the basil flower
just before the summer savory so that both bloomed at the same
time. This produced a nice effect. To keep the plants looking
nice, pinch off new growth if damaged by the insects.
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