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LIFESTYLES 52:

13 - Friday, June 15, 1990 — North Shore News

OVER THE last few days, I have overheard many of you
talking (more like complaining) about your inability to

grow basil.

This is quite understandable;
it’s cold, wet and altogether too
nasty out there for basil to sur-
vive, let alone flourish.

My rule of thumb is not to
plant basil before the 20th of
June; and that is in a good year,
unlike the sopping wet misery
we've had to bear in June so far.

You are far better off growing
basil in six-inch pots until summer
finally decides to arrive and warm
our cold, water-logged soils. This
might happen by June 20th, but I
doubt it.

Remember, basil prefers well-
drained soils and plenty of
moisture so add extra sand and
perlite to your potting mix and
keep the soil moist, not wet.

Keep it in a sunny window and
give it one, half-strength applica-
tion of any water soluble fertilizer
such as 20-20-20.

If we do get the odd acceptable
day, move your potted basil
(sounds like Fawlty Towers) out
of doors for the day. A little fresh
air and a small amount of sun will
do him a world of good.

Do not expose your plants to
too much direct sun (that big
yellow thing that shows itself

every second leap year) initially,
as they can suffer sunburn the
same as we can. Try an hour the

over the
garden gate

Geoff Tobiasson
ee

first day, 1.5 the next and so on.
The same holds true when you

finally get a chance to plant them

in the garden. Although they

prefer full sun, too much too soon
can turn their leaves into crispy
critters.

Find a sunny, protected, well
drained spot in the garden. I have
yet to see a good sun-bloch tann-
ing lotion out there for plants, but
you can accomplish similar results
by simply placing some form of
screen between the sun and your
plants.

A nylon stocking stretched be-
tween a couple of stakes for three
or four days should do nicely.
Soils consisting of one part com-
post, one part sand and two parts
of an average guarded soil would
be just about perfect. The
nutrients provided by the compost
will be sufficient for the season.

Although the flowers of the
basil plant are a culinary treat,
you should pinch them out as they
appear. If this plant is allowed to
go to seed it will begin to die.
This pinching has the added
benefit of forming bushier plants.

The common Sweet Basil,
ocimum basilicum, is the variety
which is most often grown in the
garden. Although happy plants
can reach heights of two to three
feet, our climate will likely pro-
duce more modest growth. The

See Basil
Page 14

photo submitted

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