Episode: 8
Title: Herb Highlight – Basil
Broadcast: April 20, 2019
Presenter: Bonne-Marie Hibbs

Basil – one of the most popular herbs to have around the garden. It’s robust, tastes fantastic in so many dishes, and best of all, it’s incredibly easy to grow.

• There’s a large variety of basil available to grow these days, including Bush Basil, Thai basil, Lemon Basil, Holy Basil and the common Sweet Basil.
• The best time to plant is in spring as it’s a summer growing annual plant. It thrives in the sun and the warmth and will die back once the winter cold starts to hit. It will tolerate part shade, but ideally make sure it is getting at least 4 hours of sunlight a day.
• Basil likes a rich and fertile soil, with plenty of organic matter. It will grow just as well in pots as it does in the ground. Make sure the soil stays moist but is well draining.
• Basil will match well in a huge variety of culinary dishes, and the trick is if you pick the leaves often the plant won’t go to seed too early and you’ll have a longer supply of basil.
• Basil makes a great companion plant for tomatoes, also grown when the warmer months start to set in. Not only do they grow well together, but they taste fantastic as a paired combination!