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Basil growers

bugbite
13 years ago

Hi,

I am trying to pick some basil seeds to order. Which would you pick? Thanks. I copied a list from a company I like to use:

Aristotle 200sd 3.25

Blue Spice 2M 4.30

Cinnamon 5M 3.00

Floral Spires Series 500sd 5.20

Genovese 5M 3.75

Greek 5M 3.75

Lemon 5M 3.00

Licorice 2M 3.00

Lime 5M 4.95

Marseilles 1M 3.65

Minette 2M 3.00

Oriental Breeze 500sd 4.25

Purple Ruffles 1M 3.15

Queen of Sheba pvp 500sd 3.20

Red Rubin 1M 3.15

Spicy Globe 2M 3.15

Sweet Dani 2M 4.15

Thai Siam Queen 2M 4.15

Comments (11)

  • fatamorgana2121
    13 years ago

    Siam Queen is a staple in my garden.

    FataMorgana

  • tkhooper
    13 years ago

    Cinnamon Basil - I love it.
    Purple Ruffles - I love the look of this one on a basil tomato salad.

  • bugbite
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks.
    Do these reseed each year or do you have to buy new seeds each year?
    Bob

  • fatamorgana2121
    13 years ago

    Reseed, no. But you can save seeds from open-pollinated varieties like Siam Queen to plant the next year.

    FataMorgana

  • ghoghunter
    13 years ago

    My girlfriend has Purple Ruffles and hers does reseed every year.
    Joann

  • bugbite
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks Joann,
    I have lemon basil and it also reseeds. As a matter of fact in my garden there are some volunteer seedlings that just came up. Freezes will probably do them in but more should come in the spring.
    Bob

  • harleygirlmars
    13 years ago

    Hiya BugBite,

    Also consider what you want to do with the basil. Each has a different flavor. Genovese is super easy for me to grow and a perfect Italian type pesto basil, for example.

    For Southeast Asian cuisines, Thai Siam Queen is easy and prolific. It taste like a mix of basil and licorice. Use it to top Vietnamese soup (pho).

    Hope that helps : )

    Mars

  • bugbite
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Hi Mars,
    A little crazy I know, but I like smelling basil leaves in the garden. I am also interested in flower types like the new Floral Spires.
    Thanks for the info you shared,
    Bob

  • ykerzner
    13 years ago

    Lemon and Cinnamon are awesome for teas, Genovese Basil for pesto. Have you seen/tried Sacred Basil (Ocimum sanctum/tenuiflorum)? The leaves are even slightly numbing to taste, but Italian-style basils pale in comparison to it in pesto form.

  • bugbite
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks ykerzner,
    Just reasearched Sacred Basil. One site says,"Ocimum Sanctum: Sacred basil (Holy basil, Tulsi) This plant is known as Tulsi in Sanskrit, which means âÂÂthe incomparable oneâÂÂ. As an important symbol in Hindu religious traditions it is worshiped and used in various religious rituals. Similar in looks and growth habit to the culinary basil, Sacred Basil has a more pungent aroma...."
    Regarding the "pungent" part, if you crush it in your hands is it overpowering or just a nice strong fragrance?
    Thanks,
    Bob

  • fatamorgana2121
    13 years ago

    Holy basil is nice. It is in my gardens every year. As far as fragrance, it is pungent in the way catnip and bee balm are pungent - a strongly herbal fragrance but not one that is unpleasant. It is very simple to grow from seed. I direct sow it in my garden when I'm sowing sweet basil and planting out my tomatoes and peppers.

    In the Frozen North, you can bring it indoors for the winter. Like most herbs, it resents indoor conditions but it unlike many others will make it to summer to be planted outdoors again.

    FataMorgana