Basil: An Herb Society of America Guide

Outdoor Cultivation 

Containers

Container growing for basil isn't limited to indoor cultivation. Basil can be grown outdoors in pots as well. Madalene Hill and Gwen Barclay like to start with at least an 8-inch pot (in the South) and then pot up for larger basils (45). 

Mark Langan prefers to place his tender perennial basils in the ground, pot and all, using 8-inch pots. Because the plant's roots can grow through the pot's drainage holes, basils won't become root bound. If you decide to purchase a basil that has already been started, Mark suggests buying a plant in a 2 to 4-inch pot 2 weeks before the last frost and repotting immediately in an 8-inch black plastic pot. Keep the plant on a sunny stoop until the ground is warm enough to transplant . The dark plastic helps the soil absorb heat from the sun and protects the plant from colder spring weather. When the ground has warmed up, the plant can be put into the ground. At the end of the season, plants can be cut back and easily removed for overwintering. According to Mark, this method reduces the risk of transplant shock at both the beginning and end of the season (51, 52). 

See the Indoor Cultivation section for more information on types of pots.

Next topic: Companion Planting

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