- Botanical name: Ocimum basilicum var. minimum 'Greek'
- Common name: Basil
- Family: Lamiaceae
- Plant Type: Annual, Herb
- Key features:
- Aromatic foliage
Basil is a popular, half-hardy to tender herb used in a variety of summer dishes, and works particularly well when eaten with tomatoes. It may also be grown with tomatoes, used as a companion plant to deter whitefly.
Native to dry scrub in Africa and Asia, basil requires a lot of heat to thrive, and can be prone to downy mildew. There are many varieties to choose from, however, some of which have been bred to withstand cooler conditions.
Basil ocimum var minimum ‘Greek’ is a bush variety of basil, with a tight, compact habit. Its leaves are smaller than regular basil varieties, with a pretty, bright green colour and subtle flavour.
Sow seed indoors in a greenhouse or on a warm windowsill, and move plants outside in summer. Water plants sparingly, ideally before noon so the roots have time to dry out before temperatures decrease in the evening. Harvest leaves regularly and remove flowers to concentrate the plant’s energy on leaf production.
How to grow Ocimum 'Greek'
-
Plant size
30cm height
30cm spread
-
Aspect
South facing, west facing
- Sun exposure: Full sun
- Hardiness: Tender
- Soil type: Well drained / light / sandy
Plant calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow | ||||||||||||
| Sow |
J
Do not Sow in January |
F
Do not Sow in February |
M
Do Sow in March |
A
Do Sow in April |
M
Do Sow in May |
J
Do not Sow in June |
J
Do not Sow in July |
A
Do not Sow in August |
S
Do not Sow in September |
O
Do not Sow in October |
N
Do not Sow in November |
D
Do not Sow in December |
| Plant | ||||||||||||
| Plant |
J
Do not Plant in January |
F
Do not Plant in February |
M
Do not Plant in March |
A
Do not Plant in April |
M
Do Plant in May |
J
Do Plant in June |
J
Do Plant in July |
A
Do not Plant in August |
S
Do not Plant in September |
O
Do not Plant in October |
N
Do not Plant in November |
D
Do not Plant in December |
| Harvest | ||||||||||||
| Harvest |
J
Do not Harvest in January |
F
Do not Harvest in February |
M
Do not Harvest in March |
A
Do not Harvest in April |
M
Do not Harvest in May |
J
Do Harvest in June |
J
Do Harvest in July |
A
Do Harvest in August |
S
Do Harvest in September |
O
Do not Harvest in October |
N
Do not Harvest in November |
D
Do not Harvest in December |
Ocimum 'Greek' and wildlife
Ocimum 'Greek' has no particular known value to wildlife in the UK.
Is Ocimum 'Greek' poisonous?
Ocimum 'Greek' has no toxic effects reported.
No reported toxicity to Birds
No reported toxicity to Cats
No reported toxicity to Dogs
No reported toxicity to Horses
No reported toxicity to Livestock
No reported toxicity to People
