Nufar Hybrid Basil Seeds

Days to Maturity: 70 from direct sow

If you have ever had your basil plants suddenly die from the Fusarium oxysporum (commonly known as fusarium wilt), then you must try Basil Nufar - it is the first ever sweet basil variety resistant to this nasty disease. In addition to its disease-fighting properties, Nufar is a delicious culinary herb, and a great guard plant for tomatoes and other vegetables in the garden.

Fusarium wilt is a fungal disease that causes sudden and unexplainable wilting, defoliation, and death of your plant. It spreads easliy through contact with other infected plants and through contaminated seeds. There is no known cure. But you can rest assured that Nufar will outlast any outbreak!

A Genovese-type basil, Nufar will provide you with months of large, flavorful leaves for cooking. Pick the leaves and use fresh or dried in tomato dishes, pasta sauces, vegetables and soups. You can also use basil in the garden as a companion plant to repel aphids, mites, and tomato hornworms.

Nufar grows 18 to 24 inches high and 12 to 15 inches wide. The dark green, shiny leaves grow up to 2 inches long on a tall, erect plant that is slow to bolt. You'll enjoy big harvests from this ultra-healthy, dependable variety. It makes a great choice for new gardeners, as well as those looking to grow without any sprays or artificial additives in the garden.

Basil is easy to grow, and Nufar is no exception. Begin the seeds either 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 in the garden, or in your best containers.

If you are direct-sowing, wait until the soil has thoroughly warmed up in spring. Then cover the seeds with about ¼-inch of soil, and thin the young plants to 12 to 15 inches apart when they are about 2 inches tall.

As your basil plants grow, pinch off the central stem when they are about 6 weeks old, and prune back each stem when it has more than 8 sets of leaves (cut it back to the first or second set of leaves, harvesting the rest). If you keep your plants well pinched and pruned, you should be able to harvest up to 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. Harvest the plant before the cold weather sets in, as this will affect the leaves' texture and flavor. Freeze entire stems, with the leaves still attached, for best flavor retention, or dry the leaves for seasoning.