Basil 'Ararat'

Ocimum basilicum

How to grow Basil 'Ararat'

  • Full Sun

  • Medium

Pinch terminal shoots to encourage branching.
Harvest leaves before flowering occurs, or they will be bitter.

A full sun position will ensure your plant thrives and remember to water moderately. Keep in mind when planting that Ararat is thought of as half hardy, so remember to watch your frost dates and ensure you have this plant protected when the temperature dips. Ararat needs a loamy, sandy and silty soil with a ph of 6.0 to 7.5 (weakly acidic soil to weakly alkaline soil).

Growing Ararat from seed

Cover with finely sieved compost.

Ensure a distance of 0.5 inches (1.27 cm) between seeds when sowing - look to sow at a depth of approximately 0.12 inches (0.3 cm). Soil temperature should be kept higher than 10°C / 50°F to ensure good germination.

By our calculations, you should look at sowing Ararat about 20 days before your last frost date.

Transplanting Ararat

Plant out when frost risk has passed.

Ensure that temperatures are mild and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Ararat is a half hardy plant.

By our calculations, you should look at planting out Ararat about 21 days after your last frost date.

Harvesting Ararat

This variety tends to be ready for harvesting by mid summer.

Basil Ararat Etymology

The word basil means “king” in Greek – it is believed to have grown above the spot where St. Constantine and Helen discovered the Holy Cross.

Ararat folklore & trivia

Jewish folklore says that basil adds strength while fasting.

Other Names for Basil 'Ararat'

Sweet Basil