Genovese Basil is a great beginner herb, because it grows quick and easily. In this guide I will provide you with tips and tricks on growing the basil and provide recommendations on products and methods.

Basil Facts

• Optimal pH: 5.8-6.2
• Temp: 65 – 75 degrees
• Enjoys: space between other plants.

Grows Well in an Aeroponic System

• Tomatoes
• Thyme
• Mint
• Parsley

Grows Well with in Soil

• Potatoes
• Cilantro
• Asparagus
• Borage
• Marigold
• Chives
• Radishes
• Chamomile

Grows Well With Hydroponically

• Tomatoes
• Chamomile
• Oregano
• Peppers
• Chives
• Radishes

Hydroponic Basil

Did you know that there are over 150 varieties of basil? Even in soil basil needs a lot of water and light, which is why it is perfect to grow hydroponically. When you plant the basil seeds into your hydroponic garden, you want to maintain the pH levels between 5.8-6.2. Basil is known to have a strong health value such as strengthening antibiotic, anti-inflammatory agent, and even helps with digestive aid. People love growing basil hydroponically because it develops quickly, and is full of nutrients.

Hydroponic Basil

Aeroponic Basil

There are a few herbs that are perfect for Aeroponic systems. Basil is one of them! The best temperature range for the basil seedling process is 20°C/68°F to 25°C/75°F. However, it is important to check the care facts that come with your seeds, because they can grow in temperature above 75°F as well. Growing basil aeroponically will take longer than hydroponically. It will take around three months from germination to harvest. If you have always been interested in aeroponics, but you never knew which herb to start out with, I would recommend basil. Here is a link about aeroponic basil for further reading!

How To Grow Indoor Basil

Growing basil indoors works just as well as growing it outdoors. As long as you provide nutrients (if you are using an AeroGarden, you can find the AeroGarden Nutrients solutions here.

If you are using an AeroGarden Harvest or any of the AeroGarden systems, all you have to do is fill it up with water, add the nutrient solution (as mentioned above), and pop in the seed kits. It’s that easy! However, if you are doing a more DIY hydroponic basil, here are a few YouTube links to get you started on the process of building your hydroponic system!

I personally love to use my AeroGarden system because: 1) I love the color of it! 2) It fits on my kitchen counter, which then inspires me to cook and eat healthier because I don’t want my fresh herbs and veggies to go to waste. 3) It is really easy to clean and maintain. I don’t have a lot of time to garden and build my own DIY hydroponic system, so it’s perfect for anyone else with a busy schedule.

Also, the AeroGardens have an automatic light turn on! I never have to worry if I’m on vacation, or away for a few days. My plants will always get the correct amount of light, even if I’m not home to manually turn it on!

Pruning Basil

When you prune your basil, you are prolonging its life and preventing flowers from blooming. I know flowers are pretty and I love to have them in my house, but not on my basil. Flowers budding on your basil is a bad sign, because the plant will start to put its energy into the flowers and not onto the leaves you want to harvest. For the first time, try to prune the basil when your plant has 3-4 branches of leaves coming off of the main stem and is around 6″ tall.  Then you can start to prune your plant every couple of weeks.

Pest Control

Growing plants indoors allows you to keep them cleaner without the use of pesticides and minimizing the amount of pests on your plants. If you do run into this issue, you can try using insecticidal soap.

Inside Scoop

Basil is really easy to germinate and begin growing. It takes around three months until you can harvest, if you start from a seed.

Light is crucial for basil! Give your plant around 14 hours of light if possible.

When starting basil in your AeroGarden, keep your light on the lowest setting until they start to thrive and grow like crazy.

Recommended Seeds:

• AeroGarden Gourmet Herb 3-Pod: Has Genovese Basil, Curly Parsley, and Dill.
• AeroGarden Gourmet Herb 6-Pod: Has Genovese Basil, Thai Basil, Curly Parsley, Thyme, Mint, and Dill.
• AeroGarden Gourmet Herb 9-Pod: Has Genovese Basil (2), Thai Basil, Curly Parsley, Thyme, Chive, Mint, Dill, and Italian Parsley.
• Genovese Basil Seeds: These work great if you don’t have an AeroGarden, or you are using their AeroGarden Grow Anything Seed Pod Kit.

You can read more hydroponic basil information here!