Basil 'Finissimo'

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

Enjoys a full sun position in your garden and remember to water moderately. Keep in mind when planting that Finissimo is thought of as half hardy, so remember to protect this plant from frosts and low temperatures. Planting Finissimo in loamy, sandy and silty soil with a ph of between 6.0 and 7.5 is ideal for as it does best in weakly acidic soil to weakly alkaline soil.

Cover with finely sieved compost.

Try to aim for a seed spacing of at least 0.5 inches (1.27 cm) and sow at a depth of around 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 Finissimo about 20 days before your last frost date.

Plant out when frost risk has passed.

As Finissimo is half hardy, ensure temperatures are mild enough to plant out - wait until after your last frost date to be on the safe side.

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

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

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.

Jewish folklore says that basil adds strength while fasting.