Basil
Basil, (Ocimum basilicum) in the family Lamiaceae the same family as mint. It ia a culinary herb native to tropical regions from Central Africa to Southeast Asia.
Cultivation
Grows best in rich well drained soil, in full sun. In my experience saturated soil can kill it off. It can grow indoors if in a position where it gets plenty of sunlight.
Mine is in an old laundry tub just a few metres out the back door where it can be cut and used fresh. In my experience it gets top heavy and becomes prone to falling over when it gets about 50 cm tall.
Basil is an annual which flowers, sets seeds and dies within a few months. It's life can be extended by cutting the flowers off before it sets seeds.
Propagation
Basil can be propagated from cuttings and seeds.
Seed
Seeds should be covered gently with about 1-2 mm of soil/potting mix, watered and kept moist. In the case mentioned above when my Basil was killed off, I lightly turned the top few milimetres of the soil by hand and the seeds that were there started to grow.
Cuttings
Wikipedia recommends soft (non lignified) cuttings 5-10 cm long. In my experience larger cuttings can be used. If it has lots of leaves I will remove some from the lower portion, stick it in soil and keep the soil moist.
Uses
Culinary
Leaves and flowers can be used in recipes. The most beautiful woman in the world uses leaves in spreads and salads.
Seeds can be soaked in water to become gelatinous, like gelatine.
Other
The essential oils can be used as insect repellent, insecticide, nematicide, against some bacteria and fungi. Consult your doctor before using them for any medicinal purpose.
This post may be improved in future.
Acknowledgements
I have consulted Wikipedia and a Macquarie dictionary to supplement my own experience.
This page was written using Open Office, open source software from the www.openoffice.org this software is available to download for free.
© Ken Glasgow Last edited 27 May 2026.
Basil, (Ocimum basilicum) in the family Lamiaceae the same family as mint. It ia a culinary herb native to tropical regions from Central Africa to Southeast Asia.
