ProEasy Basil Seeds

This large-leafed Italian basil is part of the ProEasy Herb series found exclusively here at Park Seed. A premier variety originally developed for professional growers, ProEasy Basil is also uniquely suited to home gardeners who want to harvest big, exceptionally flavorful crops in a minimum of space. Compact enough for containers, it is superbly disease-resistant and vigorous, bringing you generous yields every time.

This open-pollinated, untreated seed has none of the chemicals found in some commercially grown hybrids. All-natural, it's simply the best for your home garden. Like all the ProEasy Herbs, it was selected according to very specific criteria:

* Strong, rich flavor

* Ease of growth in the home garden

* Ease of harvest

* High germination rate

* Superb disease tolerance/resistance

* Great color

* Uniform plant size

* Open-pollinated, untreated seed.

ProEasy Basil is a Genovese variety with large, glossy leaves packed with rich flavor. The best for pesto, it has the ability to hold its flavor and texture longer than most others after harvest. And there is always a bumper crop, thanks to natural resistance to fusarium and botrytis, two scourges of many other basil varieties.

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 two-thirds to three-fourths of a cup of fresh leaves every week during the growing season! ProEasy is serious about its production!

Basil loves hot weather and plenty of sunshine, but it needs consistently moist, rich soil. Mulch the plants to retain moisture, water heavily during dry spells, and harvest the plant before the cold weather sets in. Freeze entire stems, with the leaves still attached, for best flavor retention, or dry the leaves for seasoning.

In this packet you get 1,000 seeds, enough for your vegetable patch, herb garden, parterre, and kitchen flowerpots! When you're serious about growing a big basil crop of the absolute highest quality, rely on ProEasy!

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 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

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

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

• 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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Basil Germination Information

• Best sown indoors, 6-8 weeks before last frost, at a temperature of 68-70°
• Sow at a depth of 4 times the size of the seeds and expect germination in 7-10 days
• Seeds can also be sown outdoors after all danger of frost is past and when the ground is warm
• When sowing seed outdoors, we recommend a maximum planting depth of 4X the width of the seed

This culinary herb is grown in ground in the garden, but also transitions well to container culture. The purple-leaved types are highly ornamental. Plants grow 15-24 inches tall and wide and produce ornamentally unimportant, white or purplish flowers in the summer. It is grown for the broad, dark green or dark purple, aromatic foliage. Depending on the variety, the foliage will be redolent of clove, anise, cinnamon, lemon, rose, or orange. Harvest the leaves at any time for fresh use. To dry them for storage, harvest the leaves as the flowers begin to open

Note: These seed counts are estimates. The actual number of seeds per ounce/pound may vary slightly.

* A few varieties may have a different (P) Pkt seed count than the quantity listed; check the specific variety's description for the number of seeds per pkt.