Lime Basil Seeds

If you like the clean, citrus zing of Lemon Basil, then you'll definitely want to try this rare and hard-to-find Lime Basil! Its tangy lime flavor and fragrance is strong and finishes with a pleasing spicy-herbal bite. Use it to impart a unique gourmet flavor to fish and chicken dishes, vinegars, dressings, sauces, and herb oils. Add it to fruit salsas or chutneys as a fresh accompaniment to broiled or grilled fish or shellfish, or use it in traditional Thai dishes when Lemongrass or Kaffir Lime isn't readily available. You'll be amazed by the complex flavor it lends to desserts and herb teas!

Forming compact, mounding plants with small bright green lance-shaped leaves, Lime Basil is a snappy addition to mixed borders, and its 12- to 24-inch height is a perfect size for containers. Try growing it along garden paths so that contact with passing foot traffic will release its zesty aroma, especially on warm summer days. Just one brush of the leaves releases an invigorating lime scent that will permeate an entire room in seconds!

You can begin the seeds indoors in late winter or direct-sow in spring. To start indoors, sow about 6 to 8 weeks before last scheduled frost. The seeds will germinate in 5 to 10 days. Transplant when they have 2 sets of true leaves, spacing the plants 12 to 15 inches apart.

To direct-sow, wait until the soil temperature is about 70 degrees in spring. Cover the seeds with about ¼-inch of soil, and thin when the seedlings are about 2 inches tall to 12 to 15 inches apart.

Whether the seeds are started indoors or direct-sown outdoors, pinch the central stem off the plant when the seedlings are about 6 weeks old. This will encourage the production of side shoots and keep it from budding too soon. As the leaves develop, prune back (or harvest) the stems when they have more than 8 sets of leaves, cutting them back to the first set. If you keep your plants well pinched and pruned, you should be able to harvest about half a cup of fresh leaves every week during the growing season!

Basil loves hot weather and plenty of sunshine, but it needs consistently moist, rich soil. Mulch the plants to retain moisture, and water heavily during dry spells. Be sure to harvest the leaves before cold weather arrives; it will destroy the flavor.

To store your basil, freezing is best. Freeze entire stems with the leaves still attached for best flavor retention. Drying is also useful, though there will be some flavor loss. Pkt is 100 seeds.

Basil is a sun-loving annual herb that is among the most popular in the world for flavoring food. Native to Asia, it was carried from India to Egypt to Greece in the ancient world, and remains a mainstay of cuisine in many cultures. In the garden, it is often grown alongside tomatoes, and is considered a guard plant protecting veggies and flowering plants from some predators.

Choosing a Basil Variety

Selecting which basil to grow is the most difficult part of gardening with this scrumptious herb! Most have green leaves and either pink or purple blooms, though some sport purple-toned foliage. We recommend that for growing indoors, you select dwarf varieties. There are many delectable choices:

Sweet Basil - Used in French, Italian, Greek, and other Mediterranean cuisines, these varieties are mildly flavored yet strongly aromatic, an irresistible combination! Nufar Hybrid is a Genovese type that resists fusarium wilt, making it one of the easiest to grow. Large Leaf Italian is among the most popular for fresh or dried use. And Pistou is a very compact French variety with a sweet, mild bite.

Spicy Basil - A mainstay of Oriental cuisine, these varieties pack a stronger, spicier bite than their sweet cousins. AAS winner Thai Siam Queen delivers zingy flavor on extra-large plants that produce very heavily, while unusual Cinnamon uniquely combines the sweet with the spicy!

Citrus Basil - Combining lemon or lime flavors with traditional basil flavor makes a superb addition to drinks and desserts! One of our favorites is Mrs. Burns' Lemon, an heirloom variety from New Mexico with lip-puckering intensity. Lime is indispensable for Thai cuisine, and its dwarf habit makes it a must-have in the indoor kitchen garden.

Can't decide where to begin? We recommend that you save money with our sampler platter -- the Culinary Collection! You'll get a packet each of 4 of our very best: one Genovese, one French, one lemon, and one purple-leaf!

When to Start Basil Seeds

To grow basil indoors, sow the seeds at any time of year. To grow in the garden, begin seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before anticipated transplant date. Transplant the seedlings or sow seeds directly into the soil only when daytime temperatures are in the 70's and nighttime temps remain above 50°F.

How to Start Basil Seeds

Drop one seed into each bio sponge of your Bio Dome, or sow on top of a seed flat and lightly cover with vermiculite. Germination occurs in 5 to 15 days at any temperature between 65 and 85°F. Transplant the seedlings anytime after they have 2 sets of true leaves.

Special Considerations

• Harvest basil as you need it, taking leaves from the top of the plant first. Try not to harvest more often than once a week.
  
• To dry the leaves for seasoning, cut the entire plant at soil level, turn it upsidedown, and hang it in a warm, dry room for about a week. Then strip the leaves from the stems and store them in an airtight container for up to a year. Do not crumble them until ready to use.
  
• When adding basil to cooked dishes, wait until just before serving for the strongest flavor and best texture.

Growing Tips for Basil Plants

• Basil loves hot weather and needs consistently moist, rich soil for best growth. Give it 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day outdoors, and a good dose of fluorescents or plant lights every day indoors.
  
• As flower buds arise, pinch them off. Flowering will stop the foliage growth and dilute the flavor of the leaves.

Pests and Problems to Watch For

Outdoors, slugs and beetles can nibble the leaves. Using a sharp mulch will discourage their approach.

Indoors, aphids can become a problem. Check the undersides of new leaves very carefully for signs of these tiny white creatures, and spray leaves on both sides to keep them clean.

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Superior Germination Through Superior Science

First of all, we have humidity- and temperature-controlled storage, and we never treat any of our seeds with chemicals or pesticides. Nor do we ever sell GMO's (genetically modified seeds), so you always know the products you're buying from us are natural as well as safe for you and the environment.

Superior Standards - University Inspected

Hand Packed By Experienced Technicians

When packing our seeds, the majority are actually done by hand (with extreme care!), and we often over-pack them, so you're receiving more than the stated quantity.

The Park Seed Gold Standard

Heirloom Seeds are open-pollinated -- they are not hybrids. You can gather and save heirloom seed from year to year and they will grow true to type every year, so they can be passed down through generations. To be considered an heirloom, a variety would have to be at least from the 1940's and 3 generations old (many varieties are much older -- some 100 years or more!).

Hybrid seed are the product of cross-pollination between 2 different parent plants, resulting in a new plant/seed that is different from the parents. Unlike Heirloom seed, hybrid seed need to be re-purchased new every year (and not saved). They usually will not grow true to type if you save them, but will revert to one of the parents they were crossed with and most likely look/taste different in some way.