Botanical Interests Sweet Thai Basil Seeds

Thai basil is a popular herb in Southeast Asian cuisine and is a flavorful garnish served with Vietnamese pho (a savory broth of noodles and meat). It holds it's flavor and texture better after cooking than other basil varieties and adds a kick to salads when sliced and eaten fresh. Sweet Thai's dark purple flowers and intoxicating scent make it a beautiful addition to the flower garden. A terrific container variety.

Variety

Upright, multi-branched and quite bushy plant with bright green, elliptical leaves, dark burgundy/purple flower heads and an anise-clove scent. Thai basil is called Horapha in Thailand and Hung Que in Vietnam.

• Family: Lamiaceae
• Type: Basil
• Native: Probably Africa, but in cultivation for so long that it cannot be verified
• Hardiness: Frost-Sensitive Annual
• Exposure: Full Sun
• Plant Dimensions: 12"-24" Tall and Wide
• Attributes: Frost Sensitive, Good for Containers

Sowing

When To Sow Outside

1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date and when soil temperature is at least 60°F, ideally 65°-85°F. Successive Sowings: recommend 3 or 4 successive sowings every 3 weeks after initial sowing.

When To Start Inside

Recommended. 4 to 6 weeks before transplanting outside. Transplant when your nighttime temperatures are above 50°F.

• Days To Emerge: 5-10 Days
• Seed Depth: 1/4"
• Seed Spacing: A Group of 2 Seeds Every 12"
• Row Spacing: 12"
• Thinning: When 2" Tall, Thin To 1 Every 12"

Growing

Harvesting

Basil flavor is best before the plant flowers. Harvest up to 1/3 of the plant at a time, leaving enough for the plant to be healthy and keep producing. Harvest prior to a frost; basil is very frost sensitive.

Specifications

• Type: Organic Heirloom