Growing Basil in Your Denver Backyard Garden
One of summer’s best flavors, basil is a must have in most Colorado gardens. It’s easy to grow and should be harvested in its early stages to promote bushier plants so you get to eat the basil quickly!
Let’s dive into how to cultivate this aromatic herb for a bountiful harvest, so you can enjoy its freshness right from your backyard.
In this blog, you’ll learn:
When to Plant Basil in Denver
Preventative Care and Harvesting for Growth
Starting Basil Indoors
Basil Varieties We Love
When to Plant Basil in Denver
Though basil can be seeded directly into the garden in May, April is prime time to start your basil indoors.
Once we pass the last frost of the season (usually around mid-May), plant basil in a sunny spot in the garden in well drained soil (like in a raised bed 😉).
READ NEXT:
Why Raised Beds Are A Game-Changer for Your Colorado Backyard Garden
HOT TIP:
Basil really does not like to be watered from above so either plan to block the leaves from overhead irrigation or use soaker hoses.
Harvesting basil for Growth in Colorado
Harvesting basil is easy. You can call it pinching off, harvesting or pruning, but it's all the same thing.
It’s best not to harvest basil by the leaf because you won’t be encouraging new growth. Instead, find a leaf node (where leaves or branches are directly opposite each other) and remove the whole stem from above. Soon you’ll see two new stems branching out from where you harvested!
Fun fact:
And while I love basil in the kitchen, it’s also a workhorse in my garden.
It can repel flies, mosquitoes, and the dreaded tomato hornworm while also acting as a trap crop for slimies like slugs and snails.
We love planting it near our tomatoes and peppers, both to enhance the flavor and to shade the roots.
basil Preventative care: things to look out for in your Denver garden
As mentioned before basil doesn't like to have its leaves wet. It is susceptible to leaf spot and downy mildew which are both caused by wet leaves.
When harvesting, you can use your hands, pruners, or snips - but make sure any tool you’re using is clean so you don’t transfer diseases.
Basil Varieties We Love
Genovese - Standard and well loved Italian basil
Tulsi - Holy basil that is used in teas to help soothe and manage stress.
Thai Basil - The best for making Thai and other Asian dishes.
Purple Basil - I love using this for topping pizza and other dishes because it’s so pretty.
**Basil can also be used as a microgreen, which is really fun too!
Ready to add basil to your Denver garden? Check out the local Colorado resources we suggest and get started on your herb gardening journey today!
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Meet the Gardener
I’m Elisa Mack - a mom and Denverite who went from being a green-ish thumb to a kitchen garden fanatic simply by dedicating myself to the study of all things Colorado gardening.
Landscapers don’t design. And nurseries don’t make house calls.
We take a more full-service approach, from designing your dream garden to keeping it beautiful year-round.
And as your coach, I’ll help eliminate the guesswork through every season, no matter your level of knowledge.
