Sweet basil
Ocimum basilicum
A vegetable, sown March to July.
In September: protect the sweet basil over winter.
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Sweet basil, month by month
Bar: the usual months. Sprout: this month.
| Sowing, planting or job | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | 2027Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow under cover. | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | none |
| Plant out. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | none | none |
| Sow another batch of sweet basil. | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | none |
| Pick a few sweet basil leaves at a time. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual |
| Pinch out the tips of the sweet basil. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual |
| Cut the flower stems off the sweet basil. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual |
| Protect the sweet basil over winter. | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none |
What to do, and when
The usual months for a UK garden. Your own plan gives the week.
Sowing and planting
Sow under cover March to July, 1mm deep. Strong sources: RHS and Garden Organic.
Plant out in June, 30cm apart, rows 30cm apart. Strong sources: RHS, Garden Organic and Gardeners’ World.
Sow another batch of sweet basil
Gardeners call this successional sowing.
Sow several small batches a few weeks apart to spread the harvest.
Usually March to July. Strong source: RHS.
Pick a few sweet basil leaves at a time
Gardeners call this cut-and-come-again harvesting.
Usually June to August. Strong source: RHS.
Pinch out the tips of the sweet basil
Take a few shoot tips from each plant as you pick the leaves, to keep it bushy.
Usually June to August. Strong source: RHS.
Cut the flower stems off the sweet basil
Gardeners call this flower-stem and scape removal.
Remove them as soon as you spot them, to delay flowering and keep the leaves at their best.
Usually July to August. Strong source: RHS.
Protect the sweet basil over winter
Bring a few plants indoors as temperatures dip, for fresh leaves over winter.
Usually September to November. Moderate source: Gardeners’ World.
What the source words mean
Strong: the RHS page for this plant is among them.Moderate: another trusted UK source, or the RHS on its group.
Every line above names the page it comes from. Where we found no good source for a job, we left it out. Where the name “Sweet basil” comes from.