Crop guide
How to grow basil
How to grow basil means matching cited annual and light notes to your bed, keeping sources separate by geography. There is no single trick.
Growing guidance is general information. Timing, spacing, and care depend on cultivar, weather, soil, and local conditions. Check the sources and adjust the plan for your garden.
Steps (range, not a promise)
- 01Read cited annual notes — tender annual and Ocimum stay source-specific.
- 02Match container and light notes to the sheet for your geography.
- 03Log the bed so next season is not a guess.
Basil plants in a home garden bed.
The season, on your ground
Save this bed — freeWhen to plantWhen to harvestGarden pests
What the sources say — at a glance
One source per card. Facts are not averaged.
Illinois Extension (Illinois)
Tender annual. Patio or balcony containers.
Details and limits (3)
Types
Illinois Extension (Illinois): basil is a tender annual. It grows 12 to 18 inches tall. Identification.
Placement
Illinois Extension (Illinois): basil in patio or balcony containers or in the garden. Container note.
Limit
Illinois herbs basil page. Identification and container notes only — not a start calendar.
Maryland Extension (Maryland)
Annual herb. Full sun, six or more hours.
Details and limits (3)
Types
Maryland Extension (Maryland): basil (Ocimum species) is an annual herb that matures about 18 inches tall. Identification.
Sun
Maryland Extension (Maryland): plant basil in a full sun location, where it receives 6 or more hours of direct sun daily in summer. The soil should be moist but well-drained. Light and soil note — not a ranking of sites.
Limit
Maryland growing-basil page. Identification and light only — not harvest.
Clemson HGIC (South Carolina)
Warm-season herb. Full sun or part-sun six hours.
Details and limits (3)
Types
Clemson HGIC (South Carolina): warm-season, sun-loving herbs. Identification.
Sun
Clemson HGIC (South Carolina): although basil prefers full sun, it grows reasonably well in part-sun (six hours of sun per day). Light note — not a ranking of sites.
Limit
South Carolina basil factsheet. Identification and light only — not harvest.
Make it yours
Save the bed in the Field Book so next season is not a guess.
Sources differ
Verified suppliers only
No supplier on this page
When a partner is listed, it will be outbound and disclosed. Nothing to buy here. Fertilizer, soils, and pesticides stay off this slot.
What to record in the Field Book
Save the bed with the crop and the date. You may add a photo and notes. Compare entries you have recorded with each other — not with a diagnosis from this page. If you want an identification, bring the record to local Extension.
How we know — methodology. Ranges and assertions are cited per source, not blended.