ONLY AVAILABLE as Local Pickup or Local Delivery in Northern and Central New Jersey, Metro New York City, Westchester, Rockland, Southern Orange Counties.
Bonnie Plants Purple Basil has a beautiful, coppery glow & slight licorice-like, slightly spicy flavor. Use in salads or preserved in oils and vinegars. A pot of purple basil provides surprisingly, striking color in the garden.
Type warm season annual
Planting time after last spring frost
Features purple-bronze leaves, slight licorice taste
Light Full sun
Soil Fertile, well-drained but moist
Spacing 15 to 18 inches apart
Plant size 24 to 30 inches tall, 16 inches wide
Garden use Containers, herb beds, flower beds
Culinary use Italian and Asian dishes
A woody, branching plant, basil is a warm-weather annual that grows very fast in 80- to 90-degree weather. When growing basil, note that two or three plants will yield plenty of fresh leaves for a family of four — unless you plan to make pesto. (To make and freeze a winter’s supply of pesto, plant a dozen or more.) Many gardeners mix various types of basil in their flower beds, where it is ready for a quick harvest anytime. It is also great for containers.
Quick Guide to Growing Basil
Plant basil 2 weeks after the last spring frost. This flavorful herb is perfect for raised garden beds, containers, and in-ground gardens.
Space basil according to label recommendations, usually 12 to 18 inches apart. Grow in fertile, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. Consider a premium bagged potting mix for growing in containers.
Give your garden a great foundation by mixing in several inches of aged compost or other rich organic matter into your native soil.
Basil thrives in moist soil, so check moisture levels often and water deeply once the top inch becomes dry.
As basil plants grow to 4 to 6 inches tall, pinch off the topmost branches to promote more side shoots and a taller plant overall. Be sure to pinch off blooms to prevent your plant from going to seed.
Encourage excellent leaf production by keeping basil fed with a water-soluble plant food.
Once basil grows to 6 to 8 inches, harvest leaves anytime by pinching them off.
