Overview of Purple Basil

More to love in Purple Basil: 

• Purple Basil varieties with a stronger clove taste have a less sweet flavour than others
• Purple basil is highly aromatic and can be combined with vinegar or oil to give dishes a beautiful colour
• Super easy to grow and harvest indoor or outdoor
• Purple basil also contains Vitamin K, which plays a role in blood clotting and bone health

Benefits of Purple Basil 

Boosting the immune system and preventing ageing and skin problems, basil oil has powerful antioxidant and antibacterial properties. You can use this spice to flavour beans, cheeses, chicken, eggs, fish, marinades, marrow, mushrooms, pasta, pasta sauces, and salads.

There is no green in this type of basil, like most herbs. It has thick purple leaves that are more noticeable than usual. The flavour is strongly flavoured with cloves, and it is not as sweet as other basil varieties.

How to sow and care for Purple Basil Seeds

During temperatures of 18 degrees C or higher, seeds should be started indoors or planted outdoors. It prefers light, well-draining soils that have been amended with well-composted materials. Approximately seven weeks before the last frost in your area, start seedlings in peat pots, newspaper pots, or seed starting trays.

Ensure the seedling starting medium is sterile. Each cell or pot should have a few sweet basil seeds planted one centimetre deep. The soil should be firmed over the top. During germination, conditions should be warm and moist. A week or so should suffice for germination to occur under ideal conditions.

The seedlings should be thinned to one per cell after several sets of true leaves. When the leaves begin to develop, they move into partial sunlight. Plants need moist soil to germinate, but it shouldn't be soggy, as young plants may damp off and die. Eventually, mature plants should be placed in a location that gets full sun.

You should pinch off the top set of leaves after the seedlings have six true leaves. The plants will grow strong and bushy. You can pot your basil plants into larger containers as they grow—plant solid basil plants by burying the stems. Give them as much light as possible. Basil needs full sun to thrive.

Give them a warm environment and let them grow. Basil cannot withstand cold temperatures. 

Note: This Overview is intended as a guide only since cultural practices and climatic conditions may vary.

Specifications:

• Product: Purple Basil Seeds
• Season: Summer
• USDA Zones: 4-10
• Days to Harvest: 60 days
• Soil Type: Loamy
• Temperature: 18° degrees Celsius
• Scientific Name: Ocimum basilicum var. purpurascens
• Kingdom: Plantae 
• Clade: Tracheophytes, Angiosperms, Eudicots, Asterids 
• Order: Lamiales 
• Family: Ocimum - Basils
• Genus: Ocimum 
• Species: Ocimum basilicum