How to grow endless basil forever

Carol Pope comes up with a solution so she can gather fresh basil from her kitchen garden all year-round

As we talk this time of year about extending the season, what we are really wanting is to prolong the sunshine. At our house, nothing says summer more vividly than sweet basil fresh from the garden. Pizza Margherita (see my blog for the recipe!), homemade pesto sauce, and fresh tomato and mozzarella salads topped with basil – these Mediterranean tastes are what we are yearning for by the end of each long and dreary winter.

Building a heated 'basil bed'

This year, we challenged ourselves to see just how long we can keep gathering this fresh herb from our kitchen garden. In early spring our family built a heated “basil bed” that now resides permanently inside our small greenhouse. Warmed by a heating cable through the cool seasons and then unplugged over the summer, our basil has been growing like a weed.

The question we’ll be trying to answer this fall and winter is just how far into the year we can keep it coming. We’ll also be adding some overhead growing lamps if needed.

HOW-TO SLIDESHOW: 

I’ll be sure to keep you posted on our progress – please just check into my blog on occasion for updates!