I love fresh basil and miss my outdoor plants once the cooler weather settles in. While the method I will discuss in this article works great year-round, I find it particularly helpful during the cooler months. So, what’s the next best thing to growing basil outdoors? Well, I have found that purchasing a healthy basil plant from the supermarket works marvelously. It’s a super-easy way to grow and harvest basil indoors.
Over a month ago, I needed fresh basil for a recipe I was cooking. My husband went shopping and came home without any fresh basil. He said the supermarket only had basil plants. To which I replied, those will work fine. Back he went and came home with a splendid basil plant in a 5-inch container.
Generally, you have options when purchasing fresh basil at the supermarket. You can purchase a small single-use container of fresh basil. In addition, many supermarkets sell hydroponically grown basil in 4-inch containers. Those aren’t bad; however, unless I plant them outdoors, they usually will not survive longer than 2 weeks.
On the other hand, a basil plant grown in soil is a different story. If you create the right conditions within your home, these plants can live much longer. Some say basil plants can live up to 6-months indoors. My experience shows that with correct care and harvesting, they can certainly thrive longer than 1 month. If you propagate your plant, then it can live indefinitely.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Check out my video for an overview of growing and harvesting basil.
Conditions to grow basil indoors
So, what are the right conditions to grow basil indoors?
- Basil is a warm season herb and thus needs warmth. An indoor temperature of approximately 70-degrees F works well.
- Place your plant on a sunny windowsill, in either a south or west facing window. The sun is strongest in these orientations. 5-6 hours of direct sunlight is best. If you do not have a sunny window, the next best alternative is grow lights.
- Keep the basil plant evenly moist. Water every 1-2 days. If you notice the plant wilting, then water. Ensure the container has adequate drainage.
- Every month, fertilize with a balanced NPK (N-Nitrogen, P-Phosphorus, K-Potassium) of 1-1-1. Follow the directions on the label for application rate. Too much fertilizer will cause the flavor of the basil leaves to decline.
- If you see flowers begin to emerge from the center of a basil leaf cluster, then pinch off those flowers. The flowers indicate that the plant is beginning to go to seed. You can prolong the life of your plant by pinching off these flowers.
How to harvest basil
This is the fun part and the reason I wrote this article. The key to keeping your basil plant thriving, besides taking proper care, is proper harvesting. First, if you just need a few leaves, it’s fine to pinch off individual leaves. Start at the top of the plant and pinch what is needed from the various stems.
When you need a larger quantity of basil, then follow these steps.
- Harvest from the top of the plant down.
- Never harvest more than 1/3 of your plant. Aim to evenly harvest the top 1/3 of the plant.
- Examine each stem on the plant. As you look down the stem, you will notice new sets of leaves growing on either side of the stem (under the main set of leaves to be harvested).
- Cut the stem right above the first set of these new leaves. Aim to leave no more than a ¼ inch of the stem from the top of these two leaves.
- If you do not plan to use the basil immediately, then store the stems you just cut in water and place on your countertop. Do not store in the refrigerator.
- If you notice roots beginning to develop on the stems, then those stems can be replanted in fresh soil.
That’s all there is to harvesting basil correctly. The amazing thing about harvesting basil is that it rewards you with new growth the more it is harvested.
Good luck with growing basil indoors. Remember, start with a healthy-looking plant that you purchase from a supermarket. Give it the right conditions and harvest away!
Additional Information
You might also be interested in the following posts about growing other herbs:
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