How to Grow Basil in the City: A Beginner’s Guide
Why Grow Basil in the City?
Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is one of the easiest herbs to grow in small urban spaces. Whether you have a balcony, rooftop, sunny window, fire escape, or backyard, you can grow fresh basil right at home.
This flavorful herb is a staple in many cuisines—Italian, Thai, and Mediterranean, to name a few—and makes everything from homemade pesto to fresh summer salads taste amazing. Plus, basil thrives in containers, requires little maintenance, and grows quickly from seed or cuttings.
In this guide, we’ll go over everything you need to know to grow an endless supply of fresh basil in the city, including the best varieties, common pests, and step-by-step growing instructions.
Getting to Know Basil
Basil is part of the Lamiaceae (mint) family, which includes other aromatic herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano, and, of course, mint. Its distinct flavor comes from essential oils like eugenol, methyl chavicol, and linalool, which also help repel pests.
Basil is a warm-season herb that thrives in full sun and well-draining soil. It’s a fast-growing annual, meaning it completes its life cycle in one season. However, with regular pruning, you can extend its productivity for months before it flowers and declines.
Basil is highly sensitive to cold and will not survive below 50°F (10°C), so keep it indoors during cooler months. Frequent harvesting makes the plant bushier and more productive.
Best Basil Varieties for Small Spaces
There are many types of basil, but some are better suited for urban gardens than others. Here are a few great choices:
1. ‘Genovese’ Basil (Classic Italian Basil)
Why it’s great: The most common basil in pesto and Italian dishes. Sweet, aromatic, and easy to grow. There are even different types of Genovese, like Eleonora, bred to be downy mildew resistant, and Amethyst with deep purple leaves.
Growth habit: Bushy, fast-growing. Grows well in pots or raised beds and usually grows to 2 feet.
Days to Harvest: 21-30 days
Days to maturity: 60–70 days
2. ‘Thai Basil’ (Ocimum basilicum var. thyrsiflora)
Why it’s great: Essential in Southeast Asian cuisine, with a slightly spicy, anise-like flavor. This variety is more resistant to heat, making it a great choice for urban areas with hotter temperatures.
Growth habit: Compact, upright growth. It is great for container gardens and usually grows between 8”-12” (25-30 cm).
Days to Harvest:
Days to maturity: 50–60 days
3. ‘Spicy Globe’ Basil (Dwarf Variety)
Why it’s great: A tiny, bushy basil that fits perfectly on small windowsills. Its rounded cute leaves make it great as an edible ornamental plant for compact urban gardens.
Growth habit: Round-shaped plant that grows 8”-12” (25-30 cm) and does not require pruning.
Days to Harvest:
Days to maturity: 45–55 days
4. Greek COLUMNAR
Why it’s great: This unique variety is tall and narrow, making it perfect for smaller spaces.
Growth Habit: Grows upright up to 3 feet (about 90 cm) and has smaller leaves than other basils like Genovese. It is also slow to bolt (when the plant begins to produce flowers), which means you will have more time to enjoy the tasty leaves.
Days to Harvest: 21-30 days
Days to maturity: 60–70 days
Tip: Days to harvest and days to maturity are estimations. There are many factors, like the amount of sun the plant constantly receives or soil quality, that can speed up or slow down these time frames.
Common Pests and Diseases
Basil is relatively pest-resistant, but it can still face some challenges.
Common Pests
Aphids – Small green or black insects that suck sap from new growth. These tiny insects can do some real damage, so it is best to handle the problem early.
Solution: Spray with a strong shot of water on top and under the leaves consistently for a few days, and they should go away. If that doesn’t work, spray them with neem oil or a mild soap solution. Do this before the sun comes out so you don’t burn your plants.
Japanese Beetles – Metallic green beetles that chew holes in leaves and lay eggs that produce large grubs that can feed on the roots of your basil and other plants.
Solution: Hand-pick them off or use row covers if your plants are in the ground. You can also incorporate nematodes into your garden, which will control the beetle population by feeding on the grubs while they are in the soil.
Spider Mites – Tiny, sap-sucking pests that cause yellow speckling.
Solution: Start by washing leaves regularly with water as suggested for the aphids above. If that doesn’t work, prune out the most affected areas and apply neem oil.
Common Diseases
Downy Mildew – Produces yellowing leaves with fuzzy gray spores underneath.
Solution: Improve air circulation and avoid overhead watering during the noon and afternoon hours. The idea is to allow your basil good airflow so that when it is wet, it can dry quickly. You can also practice crop rotation, planting different plants in the same spots season after season.
Fusarium Wilt – A fungal disease that causes wilting and stunted growth, and unfortunately, there is no cure for it.
Solution: The best way to manage this disease is through prevention. To achieve this, rotate your crops, ensure good airflow, water your basil early in the day so the sun can adequately dry it, and choose disease-resistant varieties.
Root Rot – Caused by overwatering and poor drainage.
Solution: Use well-draining soil and pots with drainage holes. Check the soil before you water to prevent over-watering.
How to Grow Basil Successfully
1. Choosing the Right Container, variety, and Setup
Variety: Select your basil variety with your growing environment and space in mind. All the basil varieties listed above are great for urban gardens, especially small ones.
Container size: While a 6–8 inch pot is typically sufficient for growing a single basil plant, opting for larger pots, such as 10–12 inches in diameter, can accommodate multiple plants or encourage a single plant to become bushier and more productive.
Soil: Use light, well-draining potting mix with compost for nutrients.
Sunlight: Basil needs 6–8 hours of direct sunlight daily. A south-facing window or balcony is ideal.
Watering: Keep soil consistently moist but not soggy. Water when the top inch of soil feels dry. Avoid watering the plant itself and aim to water the soil. This will help keep the plant dry and free from disease.
2. Growing From Seed
Start seeds indoors 4–6 weeks before the last frost or in their final home.
Sow seeds ¼ inch deep, covering lightly with soil.
Keep soil warm (70°F or higher). Basil seeds germinate in 5–10 days.
Once seedlings have two sets of true leaves, thin them out, leaving the strongest plant per pot.
3. Growing From a Transplant
Buy healthy seedlings from a nursery or propagate basil from cuttings. Growing your basil this way is more expensive than starting from seed, but it will cut down the time to harvest, which is a plus for busy gardeners.
Transplant outdoors after all frost risk has passed. This is very important because basil can not survive in cold weather.
Once you’ve transplanted your basil, cut off the top leaves with clean, sharp scissors to encourage bushy growth.
4. growing from cuttings
Choose healthy cuttings from steams that are about 4 inches long. The cutting is a piece of the basil plant that is cut from the parent plant in order to make a new plant.
Use clean, sharp scissors and cut just below the leaf node (the place on the stem where the leaves grow from).
Remove the lower leaves so the cutting can give it energy to growing roots and not to keep the leaves alive. Removing the lower leaves also helps prevent rot.
Water Method
Fill a small glass with water and place the cutting inside. Put the glass in a warm place with indirect sunlight. Be sure to change the water often, every 1-2 days, to prevent bacterial growth. In about a week, you will see tiny roots growing from the end of your cutting, and when they are about an inch long, transplant them to the soil.
Soil Method
Start with a small pot filled with light, well-draining, high-quality potting mix.
Plant your cutting 1-2 inches deep and gently firm the soil around it to create a good support.
Keep the soil consistently moist and place the pot in a warm location, away from direct sunlight. It is crucial to maintain a balance where the soil is moist but not soggy, as the basil is in a delicate state and cannot survive if it dries out or becomes waterlogged. Both conditions can kill the plant.
After about two to three weeks, gently tug the plant to check if the roots are developing properly. If you feel resistance when pulling, you have roots!
After the roots are well-developed, transplant the plant into a larger pot or directly into the garden. If you are planting it in the garden, be sure to harden the plant first. Hardening off involves gradually exposing the plant to outdoor conditions over a period of 5 to 7 days before planting it in the garden.
5. Caring for Your Basil Plant
Fertilizing: Feed with a balanced organic fertilizer every 2–3 weeks. The leaves of your basil plant start to turn yellow, which could be a sign of nitrogen deficiency. If this is the case, select a fertilizer that will give your basil a nitrogen boost.
Pruning: Regularly pinch the cluster of leaves above the node off the top leaves to prevent flowering and encourage more leaf growth.
Flower Removal: If basil starts flowering, remove the flowers to keep the plant producing leaves longer.
6. Troubleshooting common care problems
Yellowing Leaves:
Cause: Often a sign of overwatering or underfeeding, especially if the yellowing occurs in older leaves.
Solution: Ensure the soil is well-draining and not waterlogged. Adjust watering practices, allowing the soil to dry slightly between watering. Consider applying a balanced liquid fertilizer every few weeks to address nutrient deficiencies.
Wilting Plants:
Cause: Wilting can be caused by both underwatering and overwatering. It may also be due to extremely hot conditions.
Solution: Check the soil moisture level to determine if the plant needs more water or if it's too wet. Improve soil drainage if necessary, and during very hot weather, provide some shade during the hottest part of the day or increase watering slightly.
Slow Growth:
Cause: Insufficient light, low temperatures, or inadequate nutrients.
Solution: Ensure basil is getting at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. If growing indoors, consider using a grow light. Increase feeding with a balanced fertilizer, and make sure the plant is not in a drafty area or exposed to temperatures below 50°F (10°C).
Leaf Drop:
Cause: Often a result of drastic temperature changes, particularly cold drafts or environments that are too hot.
Solution: Position plants in an area with stable temperatures and protect them from sudden temperature changes. Avoid placing basil near air conditioning vents, heaters, or excessively drafty windows.
Pale Leaves:
Cause: Typically a sign of nutrient deficiency, particularly nitrogen.
Solution: Feed the plant with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer to help restore leaf color. Ensure that the soil is not too acidic or alkaline, which can affect nutrient availability.
Bolting (Flowering Early):
Cause: Usually triggered by high temperatures or long day lengths.
Solution: Pinch off any flower buds as soon as they appear to encourage more leaf growth. If possible, provide some shade to reduce the impact of high temperatures and consider planting in a spot that gets some afternoon shade.
Curled or Cupped Leaves:
Cause: Often due to dry air, lack of water, or excessive fertilizer.
Solution: Increase humidity around the plants, adjust watering to ensure the soil is evenly moist, and avoid over-fertilizing. If using tap water high in salts, try switching to distilled or rainwater.
Leggy Growth:
Cause: Insufficient light is usually the culprit for spindly plants that stretch toward the light source.
Solution: Move plants to a sunnier location or supplement with artificial light. Regularly pinching back the growing tips can also help the plant to become bushier and less leggy.
Harvesting Basil
When to harvest:
Start harvesting once the plant has at least 6–8 leaves on each stem and the plant has reached at least 6 inches.
How to harvest:
Always pinch off the top sets of leaves rather than plucking individual leaves.
If you need a lot of basil at once, use clean, sharp scissors to cut whole stems, but never remove more than ⅓ of the plant at a time to allow it to continue growing.
Storing basil:
Use fresh or store basil in a glass of water on the counter for a few days.
For more extended storage, freeze basil leaves or make pesto to keep in the fridge.
Dry basil for even longer storage
Conclusion: Start Growing Basil Today!
Basil is one of the most rewarding herbs for urban gardeners. It grows fast, thrives in containers, and adds fresh flavor to countless dishes.
By choosing the right variety, pruning regularly, and keeping up with watering, you’ll have an endless supply of basil for your favorite meals all season long.
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Happy growing!
With love and gratitude,
Jennifer & Janet
