Sweet Basil

Nancy W. Callan, Mal P. Westcott, Susan Wall-MacLane, and James B. Miller

Western Agricultural Research Center

Montana State University

     Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is one of the most popular culinary herbs.  It is used as a fresh or dried whole herb and may be steam-distilled to produce an essential oil.  Basil oil has perfume and pharmaceutical use as well as use as a flavoring ingredient. Many types of sweet basil, with a diversity of flavors and aromas, are available for cultivation. In 1999, 3,574 tons of dried basil leaf were imported into the US, primarily from Egypt and Mexico, with a value of $5.1 million (4).

     The annual plant is grown from seed or transplants.  Basil is very sensitive to frost, so the length of the growing season restricts production in Montana.  The plant grows rapidly, and several cuttings may be obtained.  Plants should be cut 4-6" from the ground to permit regrowth.  Harvest for fresh or dried leaves is done before bloom, while harvest for oil is done at full bloom (3).  Commercially, basil is cut and allowed to wilt before distillation. 

     Sweet basil will not be a highly productive crop in many locations in Montana, but the many types of basil may provide an opportunity for specialized markets.

Western Agricultural Research Center

1998 

'Italian Large Leaf' basil was sown in the greenhouse on May 5, 1998, and transplanted to the field on June 17.  Six-row plots were 8 ft long with rows 18" apart and 8.7" between plants, with four replications.  Plants were harvested three times during the season: on July 22 the stalk was clipped above the first branch and on August 4 the top 2/3 of the plant was clipped, both at the early bloom stage.  The final harvest was on September 18.   Border rows were not included.  Plant material was air-dried before distillation on October 7. 

Table 1.  Yield of 'Italian Large Leaf' sweet basil at the Western Agricultural Research Center, 1998

* Weight includes stems

1999 

Three cultivars of basil were grown in 1999.  Sweet Dani and Cinnamon basil were from Johnny's Selected Seeds, Albion, ME, and Italian Large Leaf was from Garden City Seeds, Victor, MT.  Plants were sown in the greenhouse on April 16 and transplanted to the field June 11.  Plot size was as in 1998.  Sweet Dani and Cinnamon basil were harvested on July 20 and August 10 at 6" from the ground, and the entire plants cut on September 9, while Italian Large Leaf was harvested only on the last two dates.  Plant material was air-dried before distillation on September 18.

Table 2.  Yield of three cultivars of sweet basil at the Western Agricultural Research Center, 1999  

* Weight includes stems

 Acknowledgments

Seed of Sweet Dani and Cinnamon basil was provided by Johnny's Selected Seeds, Albion, ME.

Additional Information about Sweet Basil

Books and Publications:

1. Guenther, E. 1948. The Essential Oils. Robert E. Krieger Pub. Co., Inc. 

2. Hay, R. and Waterman, P. 1993. Volatile Oil Crops: their Biology, Biochemistry, and Production. Longman Scientific and Technical, Essex, England. 

3. Hornok, L. 1992. Cultivation and Processing of Medicinal Plants. John Wiley and Sons, Chichester, UK. 

4. USDA, 2000. Tropical Products: World Markets and Trade.  Foreign Agricultural Service, Circular Series FTROP 1-00, March 2000.    

Web Pages:

5. Simon, J. 1990. Essential Oils and Culinary Herbs. In: Janick, J. and Simon, J. E. (eds), Advances in New Crops. Timber Press, Portland, OR.  

6. Simon, J., J. Quinn, and R. Murray. 1990. Basil: A source of essential oils. p. 484-489. In: J. Janick and J.E. Simon (eds.), Advances in new crops. Timber Press, Portland, OR.  

7.  Basil. Purdue New Crop Center.  

8.  Growing Basil. University of Minnesota Extension.

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