African blue basilgrow and care – shrub type of basil of the genus Ocimum also known as Blue basil or African basil, African blue basil perennial evergreen in warm climate and annual in colder climate, used for the edible leaves and also used as ornamental plant and attract pollinators, can grow in tropic, mediterranean, subtropical or temperate climate and growing in hardiness zone: 10b+ (perennial), 5-10 (as annual).
How to grow African blue basil growing condition and care:
Warm weather, rich soil, mulch on the soil especially in the winter
How to care: Add more water in hot summer days, fertilizer 2-4 year, put organic matter, prune once a year and consider to prune the bloom stems
What is the best way to start growing?
Plant / Vegetative Reproduction – cutting (explanation of care bellow) / Seeds not possible to find the flowers don’t produce seeds
Is it necessary use vegetative reproduction? Necessary, vegetative reproduction, seeds are not exist because the seeds not in exist
Difficulties or problems when growing: In full sun there is too much flower what that makes the trim of the leaves hard work
Recommended planting season? Spring in hardiness zone 5-10 as annual, as perennial spring to summer in hardiness zone 10b, spring to autumn in hardiness zone 11 and hardiness zone 12+ all year.
Pests and diseases: Aphids, mealy bug
Pruning season: Autumn / beginning of the winter
How to prune:
Recommend to thinning the inner branches, don’t let the plant bloom prune the bloom stems if need to harvest,
Size of the plant: 0.6-1.2 m, 1-4 feet, and can be smaller
Growth speed in optimal condition: Medium growing
Water requirement: Average amount of water
Light conditions in optimal condition for growing: Full Sun / Half shade / Full shade – won’t produce flowers
Is it possible to grow indoor as houseplant? Yes, but with a lot of light
Growing is also possible in a planter /flowerpot / containers: Yes, when grow in container, size 5-12 liter (1.5-3 gallon) amount of water that needed, it’s to keep the soil moist and the water go out of the pot, better not to use bottom of pot, when it’s grow as perianal every two years to switch soil in the pot or just part of it, soil need to be well ventilated with good drainage, rich with organic matter, can us in potting mix or peat soil with perlite or vermiculite.
Blooming information
Bloom season: Spring / Summer
General information about the flower Small purple flower that grow on inflorescence
Thinning the bloom: Recommend to thinning the flower
Pollination is done by: None it’s sterile
Vegetative Reproduction
How to start Vegetative Reproduction? Cutting, bending a branch over and covering it with soil
The best time for vegetative reproduction: Spring / Summer, in the house you can all the year, need to take care that it’s not too much cold and better not dry
How much time does it take to grow roots in cutting? 1-3 weeks
What is the treatment and care for vegetative reproduction? When use soil: keep moist, better peat soil and better with root growth hormone also possible to put the stem in glass of water and switch the water every few days, cutting result better in warm season with high humidity, shade with light.
Edible leaves
Leaves harvesting season: All year in hardiness zone 11+, spring to autumn in hardiness zone 10, end of the spring to autumn as annual
How to harvest the leaves? Prune the entire branch, take care not to prune too much, except leave few buds and also leaves on the plant
Information about leaves: The leaves are green, blue, purple the shape is oval
Uses of African blue basil leaves: Pesto, spices, eaten raw
