Basil, Heirloom (Genovese)

Lake Valley Genovese Basil Seeds

There is nothing like the aroma of basil in the summer! Widely grown in the Genoa area of Italy–the pesto capital of the world. Genovese has the traditional fragrance and flavor, making it excellent for almost any basil dish, especially pesto. One of the most useful herbs, it also has beautiful, edible flowers. In a warm, sunny window, basil can grow indoors in the winter! A good container variety.

Sowing Information:

• Light: Full sun to part shade
• When to Start Inside: RECOMMENDED. 4 to 6 weeks before transplanting outside. Transplant when your nighttime temperatures are above 50°F.
• When to Sow Outside: 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date, and when the soil temperature is at least 60°F, ideally 65°–85°F. Successive Sowings: We recommend 3 or 4 successive sowings every 3 weeks after initial sowing.
• Seed Depth: Plant seeds ¼ inch deep
• Seed Spacing: A group of 2 seeds every 12 inches
• Row Spacing: 12"
• Thinning: When 2" tall, thin to 1 every 12 inches
• Days to Germinate: 5-10 days
• Days to Maturity: 80-90 days

Growing Notes:

• Harvesting: Basil flavor is best before the plant flowers. Harvest up to 1/3 of the plant at a time, leaving enough for the plant to be healthy and keep producing. Harvest prior to a frost; basil is very frost-sensitive.
• Attributes: Good for containers