There is nothing like the aroma of basil in the summer! Genovese has the traditional fragrance and flavor, making it excellent for almost any basil dish, especially pesto. One of the most useful herbs, it also has beautiful, edible flowers. In a warm, sunny window, basil can grow indoors in the winter! A good container variety.

Variety Info

• Family: Laminaceae
• Native: Probably Africa, but in cultivation for so long that it cannot be verified.
• Hardiness: Frost-sensitive annual
• Exposure: Full sun to part shade
• Plant Dimensions: 18"–24" tall, 10" wide
• Variety Info: Large, dark green almond-shaped leaves. This is the true Italian pesto basil from the Genoa area of Italy, pesto capital of the world.
• Attributes: Good for Containers

Sowing Info

• When to Sow Outside: 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date, and when soil temperature is at least 60°F, ideally 65°–85°F. Successive Sowings: We recommend 3 or 4 successive sowings every 3 weeks after initial sowing.
• When to Start Inside: RECOMMENDED. 4 to 6 weeks before transplanting outside. Transplant when your nighttime temperatures are above 50°F.
• Days to Emerge: 5 – 10 Days
• Seed Depth: ¼"
• Seed Spacing: A group of 2 seeds every 12"
• Row Spacing: 12"
• Thinning: When 2" tall, thin to 1 every 12"

Growing Info

• Harvesting: Basil flavor is best before the plant flowers. Harvest up to 1/3 of the plant at a time, leaving enough for the plant to be healthy and keep producing. Harvest prior to a frost; basil is very frost sensitive.