As the milder temperatures of spring start to approach, it’s the perfect time to think about which herbs you can grow to add to those summer dishes you plan on cooking, from salads to pasta and even freshly baked tarts. While many herbs are readily available in UK supermarkets, plenty are easily grown at home. But there’s nothing worse than a limp piece of parsley or coriander that lacks flavour and texture in a dish. Making sure you develop a technique that will produce homegrown herbs packed with flavour is essential.
Basil is one herb that has the potential to seriously elevate a dish with its rich, peppery, and clove-like taste. Used to make pesto sauce, soups, and even salad vinaigrettes, it’s a great herb to have on hand in the garden to create several yummy and freshly made meals.
Gardener and TikTok creator @gardeningwithlou has shared her tips for getting your basil to grow back bushier, ensuring a large harvest that can be used in the kitchen with one easy trick.
When grown outdoors, the leafy herb requires warmth, sunshine and shelter. But once sown, it’s easy to grow in even the smallest of gardens thanks to the plant’s compact size, making it a great addition to any free patch of space outside.
Louise begins by laying down “any basic compost” and adding chicken manure pellets, which “really help these grow”. She recommends using deep container troughs for this next part and sowing a thick layer of seeds.
“I sow the seeds very thickly using around half the seeds in an average packet and then cover with a layer of compost and water them in,” she explains in the video.
Ensuring the top layer of soil remains moist during the germination process, Louis says that “in a few weeks your seedlings should sprout.”
To harvest the basil, cut at the junction above two leaves. Louise explains that cutting it at this point will encourage the plant to “branch and become bushier.” She recommends doing this to the biggest stems every few weeks, helping the smaller stems grow stronger.
While the creator sows her seeds at the end of April, if you’re sowing them outside, the Royal Horticulture Society recommends waiting until the summer months, towards May or June. However, basil will grow best if planted in a greenhouse.
After harvesting the basil, Louise recommends making a homemade pesto. If you have any leftover carrot tops, she adds them to the sauce, reducing food waste.
