Zone 6A Basil Question

[clutchrider]

Since we moved into our new home last summer I have not been around or able to get much going with other new home projects and the like. Hopefully by next season I can get a nice garden built and running for a bigger crop. This year I want to focus on having some basil and other herbs and veggies in pots on the deck but since this is the herb section I'll stick to that.

My inquiry is that we live in CT and my deck gets sun all day. I want to plant some basil and maybe one or two other herbs but did not know when to start. I'd prefer to keep it outside instead of starting indoors, temps currently drop to the 40's at night and are 50-70 in the day (Farenheit). So when would be an appropriate time to plant the seeds?

A lot of words for a simple question but it's been awhile since I've posted and I'm itching to get back into gardening since the move.

[hendi_alex]

I would plant the seeds now and place them in a warm location inside the house. The seeds germinate best between 65 and 75 degrees. As soon as the seeds germinate, place them outside on sunny days. If sunny but chilly, like in the mid 50's to mid 60's, place them in a mini greenhouse like a clear sweater box or large clear plastic salad container. If you have a really bright south facing window, that should work as well, but outside conditions will give stronger plants. When the night time lows settle above 50 degrees or so, move the plants out for the season.

[clutchrider]

Great advice! I'll probably pickup some small pots today as well then. My kitchen window gets flooded with sun so it will be nice and toasty (but not too) all day on the ledge.

[Susan W]

To back up what hendi said, you can start some basil inside now. I have found the plants don't do at all under 40, prefer 50+ nights. It will be awhile before you have leaves to pick for use. I suggest picking up some various starts at the garden centers for the herbs you like, including basil. Have a couple already started, and hope your home grown kick in by The 4th. When it warms up, you may want to move you basil pots to get a break from afternoon sun.

[hendi_alex]

To quickly increase stock, take cuttings from an existing plant. I snip about 3-4 inches of tip growth and strip all leaves except for very small ones at the top. Place about 2/3 of the length of these cuttings into loose potting soil. Place in a semi shade area and keep constantly moist. During the mild temperatures of spring, the cuttings will root in less than two weeks and will be producing leaves in less than a month. As an alternative cuttings can be placed in a glass of water until roots form. For me this seems to give slower results than the previous method gives.