Be sure to check out our Holy Basil Growing Guide for more tips & tricks on successfully growing holy basil in your garden.
Holy Basil is one of the most popular and often used medicinal herbs that you'll find, also known as Tulsi or Tulasi. This variety is said to be both calming and energizing. While not used as often as sweet basil in culinary dishes, Holy Basil is a common ingredient in Thai cuisine. It has a slightly peppery taste similar to cloves or licorice; for medicinal uses it to often used in teas. Ocimum Sanctum. 75-80 days to maturity. 1 gram (approx. 2,150 Seeds per gram)
Try succession planting to keep freshly grown plants, start every two weeks. Holy Basil requires full sun and prefers moderately rich and moist soils. You should always remove the flower buds quickly, if allowed to flower the leaves can become bitter. Growing Holy Basil is similar to growing regular basil or other varieties of the herb, the soil must be warm before planting outside.
Basil may be direct-seeded or transplanted, although we recommend transplanting. If direct seeding, use a walk-behind seeder and plant densely along the row. We suggest using a modified #1 or #2 plate for direct seeding basil. As always, seed plate holes should be modified to fit the size of the seed being used. For large, full-sized plants, thin to one plant every 4″ along the row. Transplanting is our preferred method of planting basil. We recommend starting transplants 3-4 weeks before the desired outdoor planting date. Basil transplants grow great in our heavy-duty seed starting trays, where they develop a solid root ball with roots that are trained to grow downward. Plants are ready to go in the ground when they can be easily pulled from the cells in the seed starting tray.
For more growing information, check out our Growing Guide!
Holy Basil Planting Information
Planting Method: direct seed or transplant
When to Plant: early spring/fall
Planting Depth: 1/8"
Seed Spacing: 12-18"
Row Spacing: 18-24"
Days to Maturity: 75- 80
Disease Resistance: None
