Basil Lemon - Approx. 300 Seeds

Basil Lemon (Ocimum basilicum var. citriodora) is an aromatic annual herb with a bright, citrus-flavoured scent and flavour. Ideal for salads, pasta, fish, and a wide range of culinary dishes, it provides fresh leaves throughout the growing season.

Basil Lemon prefers the warm conditions of a greenhouse or a sunny windowsill, but it can also be sown outdoors in full sun during the warmer months.

Growing Instructions

• Sow seeds indoors from late February, or in an unheated greenhouse from late March to June.

• Fill small pots with multi-purpose compost and sow the seeds thinly.

• Cover lightly with compost and keep the soil moist until seedlings emerge, but avoid waterlogging.

• Once seedlings develop their first true leaves, transplant into 20 cm deep pots, taking care not to disturb the root ball.

• Alternatively, sow outdoors from mid May to June in a fine, free-draining, cultivated seedbed.

• Keep the soil moist until seedlings are established, watering afterwards only if the root zone becomes dry.

• Pinch or prune the main stems regularly to encourage bushy growth and delay flowering.

• Harvest the young leaves as required between May and October.

• For a longer harvest, make successional sowings every few weeks.