BASIL PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS
Basil is undeniably the most useful and aromatic herb in the summer kitchen. The LMR Corral Club March Club shipment includes a seed pack with two of our favorite varieties of basil: heirloom Genovese (green) and Red Rubin (purple) basil. At Farmstead restaurant we use both varieties at full-size and as microgreens on many of our summer dishes, including our famous Heirloom Tomato Salad.
The seed pack you received contains enough seed to grow over 100 plants. If you plan to grow 100+ plants for transplanting into your garden, we recommend that you start seeds individually in nursery 6-packs, recycled egg cartons, or other repurposed containers for later transplanting. If you plan to keep your basil in the provided one-gallon grow bag all season, you should seed directly into it.
SEEDING
Fill your container(s) with rich organic potting soil, leaving about 1″ of space to the top of the container. Evenly distribute seeds onto the soil surface and then lightly sprinkle soil on top of the seeds, covering seeds no more than 1/2″. Do not bury the seed too deep! 1/4″-1/2″ depth is ideal.
The gallon container is enough space to grow 3-5 full sized basil plants. To achieve this final number of plants you may choose to plant only 10-20 seeds and then thin down to the 3-5 strongest and most well-spaced plants. This allows you to share your extra seeds or use for subsequent plantings. For microgreens, evenly distribute your entire packet on the soil surface.
CARE
Choose a sunny location (6+ hrs sunlight/day) and keep soil warm (70 degrees) and evenly moist. Basil is very frost-sensitive so keep indoors or protected until nighttime temperatures are consistently above 45 degrees.
HARVEST
Microgreens – Once your seedlings have 2-4 total leaves, use sharp scissors to snip all seedlings at the base, collecting a beautiful microgreen garnish. Be sure to leave 3-5 evenly spaced plants to reach full size.
Full-size – Basil plants thrive when regularly harvested! Use sharp scissors to snip the stem of the plants, cutting as much as half of the plant at a time. Aggressive cuts encourage aggressive growth– shy cuts encourage shy growth.
RECIPES
Once harvested, use your basil to make one of the following recipes.