Basil Has Sprouted!

I was slow this year, but I finally started seeds indoors. The off and on spring weather outside has been such a tease, and I’m checking my sprouts daily to see what pops up. So far I’ve started tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos, lavender, basil, and zinnias inside. The very first to sprout were

 … drum roll, please….

My most used herb each summer is basil. I make large batches of pesto and freeze what I can’t use. This selection from Renee’s Garden, along with Basil, “Italian Genovese” Heirloom – Certified Organic Seeds have been my favorites. and are the only two varieties I will plant this year. I’ve enjoyed trying out other scents (like cinnamon and citrus basil), but don’t really have much culinary use for them other than putting a sprig in summer cocktails. I did find that the citrus basil made a really well defined imprint in clay! If you want to experiment with varieties, you can purchase the Basil Lover’s Seed Collection.

Towards the end of the season, I let some of my basil plants blossom and go to seed so I have plenty for the following year. Once the flowers are dried, I run my finger up the stem and drop the pods into a ziplock bag. However, if I’m growing several varieties, I don’t do this because I want to avoid cross-pollination. Cinnamon and citrus basil don’t taste right in pesto! This year I started with fresh pesto basil seed.

This post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through my affiliate links give me a small commission to help run this blog, but don’t cost you any extra. In the past, Renee’s Garden has provided me with trial seeds in return for sharing my results via social media.