Sweet basil: the cutest seedling ever!

in gardening •  8 years ago 

I'm not a pesto fan... But I'm mesmerized by the cuteness of this seedling. That's why I planted it.. :p

Basil is called the "king of herbs" or "royal herb". The name "basil" comes from Greek βασιλικόν φυτόν (basilikón phutón), "royal/kingly plant". Basil is most commonly used fresh in cooked recipes. Basil pesto pasta, anyone??

This particular basil that I grew from seed is called "sweet basil " or "Genovese Basil". Follow my journey..

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It took 5 days before the seeds sprouted.

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2 days after.

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Another 4 days have passed and it became like this.. Sooo cute!!

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They're coming along nicely..

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I need to set up a netting to prevent snails from eating the leaves..

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Looks like they're outgrowing the net.

Time to remove!

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Here they are now! One month old..

Aside from snails, I also have a fair share of other pests like worms and leaf miners. I deter them by spraying neem.

You too can plant basil! :)

Where salt is good, so is basil. –Italian saying

Cheers,
melai

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Did you know that there are an estimated 150 (give or take) varieties of basil? Nearly all of them are cultivars of sweet basil.

I am not a huge pesto fan either. However, when I started trying several other varieties, I couldn't help but be hooked. I really like the zing of a fresh leaf of lemon basil.

Magnifico!

I'm looking to sow lemon basil seeds soon!

Love, love, love basil! The smell is so fresh and the taste so grounding to my Italian taste buds!

I can almost smell its fragrance here. I have these in my garden before. Fresh leaves should be cut in the morning when the oil is at its highest peak. We used this in pasta and barbecue marinade. Very delicious and healthy.

Thanks @gracehope kababayan! :) Will try it in barbeque marinade :D

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Very nice, couple friends and I are getting into permaculture.