Washburn's Community Seed Bank
@ the Washburn Public Library
Sponsored by: the Seed Savers Alliance
The plants are frequently aromatic in all parts and include many widely used culinary herbs, such as basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savory, marjoram, oregano, hyssop, thyme, lavender, and perilla.
Some are shrubs; trees, such as teak; or, rarely, vines. Many members of the family are widely cultivated, owing not only to their aromatic qualities but also their ease of cultivation: these plants are among the easiest plants to propagate by stem cuttings.
Besides those grown for their edible leaves, some are grown for decorative foliage, such ascoleus. Others are grown for food purposes, but seeds are utilized instead of leaves, such as with chia.
Some General Information on the Mint Family:
Organic Genovese Basil
Pesto lovers unanimously recommend Genovese as the best variety for pesto due to its distinctively sweet flavor. Plants are strong producers of dark-green, glossy leaves with a characteristic spoon shape. (Ocimum basilicum var genovese)
Seed Planting Depth: 1/4 inch
Seed Spacing: 1 inch
Days to Germination: 6-12
Plant Spacing After Thinning: 8 inches
Plant Height: 12-18 inches
Days to Maturity: 65
Seed Saving Difficulty: Easy
Organic Rosie Basil
Intense dark purple-red color with very uniform germination and stand. An improved strain of Rubin with no green off-types and stronger stems that do not sprawl as much. Plants are compact and upright. A favorite for its unique color and its mild and aromatic basil flavor. The flowers, with tall pale -purple spikes, can be used ornamentally. Keep flowering buds pinched for better leaf production. (Ocimum basilicum var purpurascens)
Seed Planting Depth: 1/4 inch
Seed Spacing: 1 inch
Days to Germination: 6-12
Plant Spacing After Thinning: 8 inches
Plant Height: 12-18 inches
Days to Maturity: 65
Seed Saving Difficulty: Easy
Basil
Basil relies on insects for pollination, but can be reliably isolated by as little as 150 feet since most of the pollinating insects are small and don't travel far. Different basil varieties will cross each other.
Harvest seed heads as they dry and allow to finish drying in a warm, dry spot. Seeds are easily removed by crumbling the dried flower heads and then blowing away the chaff. You can practice over a plastic sheet at first until you get the hang of it.
Plants cut back after harvest will grow another set of leaves for harvest—and even produce seeds again—if your season is long and hot. A branch or two of each plant can easily be left to go to seed while collecting leaves for cooking with from the rest of the plant.
Basil seeds will last up to 5 years if properly stored.