Make the most of basil as season is very short

THE scent and taste of Irish grown basil conjures up summertime for me and quite frankly I’m all about this tender, sun-worshipping flavoursome herb at the minute.

Irish grown basil is only in season for a short time, so one really has to make the most of it. Best grown in a polytunnel, glasshouse or a sunny window, basil can be harvested regularly, from mid-June to October. The classic cultivar ‘Sweet Genovese’ basil (Ocimum basilicum) is consistently reliable in its bountiful yields, but beware, basil does not like to grow outdoors and it detests sitting in wet soil. Do not kill your basil with kindness by overwatering which incidentally appears to be the biggest mistake people make when trying to grow this aromatic tasty herb.

Basil can be harvested once the plants have approximately three to five sets of leaves. To harvest, pinch the top off just above the second set of leaves from the ground. The single stalk will now end here, and two new branches will now bud and grow from the set of leaves you left behind. Every couple of weeks repeat the process, cutting just above the first or second set of leaves on your newest branches. When you’re harvesting, it’s important to make your pinch directly above a set of leaves to ensure signals are sent to the tiny leaves that it is time for them to start sprouting. The more you harvest basil the more your plants will produce. Once harvested, use fresh or put the bunch of cut leaves in a vase or jar of water, pinching off leaves to use as needed.