Plant Database / American basil plant care

American basil

Ocimum americanum

62 plantings
17 for swap
7 wanted
75 stashed

Add to my plant list wish list seed list

American basil is part of the Ocimum genus. Its scientific name is Ocimum americanum. A type of herb, it mainly grows as an annual/perennial plant - which means it can have a varying lifetime - from 1 year to several. Normally reaching to a mature height of 2.17 feet (66.66 cm).

This plant info is provided by the myfolia gardener's wiki. All details about American basil have been kindly provided by our members.

How to grow American basil

Full Sun
+
Medium

American basil likes a position of full sun and remember to water moderately. Use Zone 4 - Zone 10 as your guideline for the appropriate climate for this plant. American basil tends to grow best in a soil ph of between 5.5 and 7.0 meaning it does best in weakly acidic soil - neutral soil. Keep in mind when planting that American basil is thought of as half hardy, so protect with a row cover whenever the temperatures drop.

Growing American basil from seed

Try to aim for a seed spacing of at least 1.0 inches (2.57 cm) and sow at a depth of around 0.25 inches (0.64 cm). Soil temperature should be kept higher than 10°C / 50°F to ensure good germination.

By our calculations*, you should look at sowing American basil about 42 days before your last frost date .

Transplanting American basil

Companion plants for American basil

These plants have been known to grow well alongside American basil so consider planting:

Repellent plants for American basil

These plants will not grow well with American basil so avoid planting these within close proximity:

Common American basil problems

These problems, diseases and pests are known to affect American basil plants:

Other names for American basil

Lime basil, Basilic, Hoary basil, Hairy basil, Lemon basil, Spice basil

Ocimum canum

American basil care instructions

Category The lifecycle that this American basil exhibits. Annual/Perennial Difficulty How easy is American basil to grow? Help build our wiki!
Lifecycle The lifecycle that this American basil exhibits. Annual/Perennial Growth Habit What shape or habit does American basil grow into? Forb
Hardiness How frost hardy is American basil? Half Hardy Country of Origin Where did American basil come from? Help build our wiki!
Mature Height How tall does American basil grow? 66.66 cm / 2.17 feet Mature Spread How wide does American basil grow? 30.0 cm / 11.7 inches
USDA Zone Range Which zones does American basil grow best in? Zone 4 to Zone 10 pH Range The level of acidity for American basil. 5.5 - 7.0
Water Requirements How much water does American basil require? Medium Nitrogen Requirements How much nitrogen fertilizer does American basil need? Help build our wiki!
Soil What sort of soil should I plant American basil in? Help build our wiki! Sun How much sunlight does American basil need to grow? Full Sun
Can Sow Direct? Can American basil be sown directly? No Sowing Depth How deep to plant American basil? 0.64 cm / 0.25 inches
Sowing Distance Apart How far apart to plant American basil? 2.57 cm / 1.0 inches Sowing Row Distance Apart How far apart to plant rows of American basil? Help build our wiki!
Ideal Germination Temperature Range What temperatures does American basil need in order to germinate? 10°C / 50°F to 15°C / 59°F Growing Temperatures What temperatures are best to grow American basil in? Help build our wiki! to Help build our wiki!
Planting Distance Apart How far apart to plant American basil seedlings. Help build our wiki! Planting Row Distance Apart How far apart to plant rows of American basil seedlings. Help build our wiki!
Bloom Time When will American basil bloom? Help build our wiki! Harvest Time When is American basil ready for harvest? Help build our wiki!
Pruning Time When should I prune American basil? Help build our wiki!

How long does American basil take to grow?

These estimates for how long American basil takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world. Start logging and journaling your observations to participate!

Days to Germination How long does it take American basil to germinate? 10 days Average 10 days | Min 5 days | Max 24 days (10)
Days to Transplant How long until I can plant out American basil? + 10 days Average 10 days | Min days | Max days (0)
Days to Maturity How long until American basil is ready for harvest / bloom? + 42 days Average 42 days | Min 4 days | Max 118 days (3)
Total Growing Days How long does it take to grow American basil? = 62 days

When should I plant American basil?

Our when to plant American basil estimates are relative to your last frost date. Enter your frost dates and we'll calculate your sowing and planting dates for you!

Footnotes

Popular varieties of American basil

View the complete variety list for American basil »

American basil Tags

americanum More...

American basil Forums

No groups yet - why not start a new one?

American basil