This article covers the benefits of growing your own basil, the unique benefits of basil, and how to plant basil seeds and nurture them so that you have basil at your disposal for 6 months.
Herbs are the lifeblood of any good dish that is seasoned with more than just salt and pepper. To be fair, you can use sauces and other ways to add flavor, but herbs have a special place in my kitchen, but they always tend to be very expensive. Especially for someone trying to live on a budget, buying fresh herbs to complement my current pizza-making craze tends to be difficult to justify.
With that in mind I figured why not grow my own. I was digging through some boxes in my closet the other day (true story) and came across maybe 3-year-old basil seeds that I bought a while ago thinking I would plant them. Obviously, I never did get to planting them and figured why not.
These specific seed packets probably cost me about 2 dollars before inflation made everything cost an arm and a leg. Especially now, the cost of fresh basil can cost anywhere from $3 to $5 for not even 1 oz of fresh basil. Instead, I realized the price of basil seeds is about the same, and if you have some patience, you will essentially have unlimited fresh basil for 6 months. This is due to it being an annual plant.
So if you are anything like me and love the flavor of basil in your pasta, pizzas, or even salads and sandwiches, this is a must-have plant to have at your disposal in the kitchen.
However, it is also a great plant to have for reasons outside of flavor. Basil also is a great food to help you live a healthier life that tastes amazing. While it is not often known for its health benefits and more for its flavor, Basil tends to have many benefits. These include the following:
Digestive Aid: Basil has been used to alleviate digestive discomfort, such as gas and bloating. It is believed to have carminative properties that can help soothe the digestive system.
Anti-Inflammatory: Basil contains compounds like eugenol, which have anti-inflammatory properties. It has been used to help reduce inflammation and swelling, which may be beneficial for conditions like arthritis.
Respiratory Health: Basil is sometimes used to relieve respiratory issues like coughs, asthma, and bronchitis. It is thought to have properties that can help ease respiratory symptoms and promote easier breathing.
Antioxidant: The antioxidants in basil, such as flavonoids, can help combat oxidative stress and protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. This is believed to contribute to its overall health benefits.
Antibacterial: Basil may have antibacterial properties, and it has been used in some cultures to treat minor infections or to prevent them from worsening.
Stress Reduction: In some traditional systems of medicine, basil has been used as an adaptogen to help the body cope with stress and anxiety.
Skin Conditions: Basil leaves, when crushed into a paste, have been applied topically to soothe insect bites, minor skin irritations, and acne.
How to grow your own Basil Seeds:
Anyways, since you are going to now plant your own personal basil plants, read below for how I grew my own basil and how it went.
As mentioned before, I already had a packet of seeds and just happened to find them in an old packed box in my closet. With that in mind, if you are looking for a good packet of seeds to plant your own basil leaves, I would just recommend going to your local grocery store or a home gardening store like Lowes or Homedepot to get your seed packets. If you want to buy them on amazon, this packet of basil seeds tends to be a solid place to start.
Now, my seed packet was a mix of various basil varietals so I would try that as well since it’s kind of like a pick-your-own adventure as they all pop out of the soil.
Anyways, planting these suckers is the easiest thing I’ve done in my life.
The materials necessary are as follows:
- Potting soil
- A pot Ziplock bag
- Sunlight coming through a window (preferably 5-8 hours a day) but as long as it is warm it should be fine since it is indoors as long as it gets some direct sunlight.
- Basil Seeds
- Water
- Time
Step 1: Put potting soil into the pot about 70% of the way water it so that it weighs down and put more soil on as necessary to get to around 70%
Step 2: Put your seeds and sprinkle them on top over the soil. Don’t make it too crowded so you might have leftover seeds depending on how big or small your pot is. ( I used 3 smaller sized pots and one bag, which might still be too crowded but we will find out soon enough)
Step 3: Cover the seeds with a bit more of the dry soil and then water one more time and then cover the pot with the Ziploc bag to create a small greenhouse-like situation.
Step 4: Place the pot with the bag on top next to the window for about 5 days. After the 5ish days, you should start to see little green leaves poking out of the soil. Those are your basil plants!! Congrats!
When you see about 2 true leaves you can transplant the plants to a larger pot or their own individual small pots so that it doesn’t get overcrowded since these suckers can get as big as 24 inches tall if provided the room to grow.
You can start to harvest the leaves to use in your dishes when the plant is about 6-8 inches in height.
Enjoy!!