🌿 If you love cooking with fresh herbs, Italian Large Leaf Basil deserves a spot in your garden. Sweeter and milder than Genovese, this variety is a go-to for homemade pesto, pasta, and anything that calls for generous, fragrant leaves. It's a crowd-pleaser in the kitchen — and a beautiful, bee-friendly plant in the garden. Makes a thoughtful gift for any home cook or gardening enthusiast.
🌱 Features
- 🍃 Variety: Italian Large Leaf Basil (Ocimum basilicum) — medium-dark green leaves up to 4" long
- 😌 Flavour Profile: Sweeter and less clove-like than Genovese — ideal for pesto and culinary use
- 📦 Generous Seed Count: Packets contain far more seeds than you'll need, accounting for basil's ~60% germination rate
- 📏 Plant Size: Grows 24–30" tall; space plants 12–18" apart
- 🌞 Sun Requirements: Full sun; water frequently
- 🪴 Container-Friendly: Grows well in pots and self-seeds easily
- 🐝 Pollinator-Friendly: Popular with bees and butterflies
- 🌱 Companion Planting: A great neighbour for tomatoes — tolerates light shade as tomato plants mature
- 🛡️ Pest & Disease Resistance: Fairly resistant to common pests and disease
✅ Benefits
- 🍝 Grow your own fresh basil for cooking — nothing beats the flavour of leaves picked straight from the garden
- 💰 More seeds per packet means better value and room to experiment with germination
- 🌿 High-yield plant that keeps producing all season when harvested and pinched back regularly
- 🎁 A lovely, practical gift for gardeners, foodies, or anyone who enjoys growing their own food
- 🌍 Sourced locally through Seattle Seed Company — supporting Washington-grown, community-focused gardening
🌿 How to Grow
- Starting Indoors: Sow seeds 3–4 weeks before last frost. Plant 4–6 seeds per pot, 1/4" deep. Once seedlings have their first true leaves, thin to 1–2 plants per pot.
- Transplanting: Move outdoors only when soil has reached 65–70°F and temperatures are settled. Protect from wind and direct sun for the first few days.
- Soil: Lightly moist, slightly acidic, well-drained loamy soil with plenty of organic matter (compost works perfectly). No fertiliser needed.
- Watering: Water frequently, keeping soil evenly moist but not waterlogged.
- Harvesting & Pinching: When plants reach 6", begin pinching back branch tips and removing any flowers. This keeps leaves tender and flavourful right up to frost. Once the plant flowers, the taste becomes more bitter — so keep those blooms pinched off!
- Frost Warning: Basil is very frost-sensitive. Even a 50°F night can slow growth significantly. Keep plants protected until warm weather is consistent.
📋 Product Specifications
- Variety: Italian Large Leaf Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
- Days to Harvest: 60–90 days
- Planting Depth: 1/4"
- Spacing: 12–18" apart
- Mature Height: 24–30"
- Germination Rate: ~60% (packets include extra seeds)
- Sun: Full sun
- Soil Temperature for Planting: 65–70°F
- Vendor: Seattle Seed Company
- Origin: Washington, USA
- Price: Under $20
🛒 Add Italian Large Leaf Basil seeds to your cart today and grow a season's worth of sweet, flavourful basil — right from your own garden or windowsill.