Ocimum basilicum
- Annual
- Heat Loving
- Frost Tender
- Summer/Fall harvest
- Classic Sweet Basil flavor with spicy undertones
- Great paired with veggies or in rice and pasta
- Great in pesto
- Container Friendly
- Pollinator friendly
This is the strain of basil our favorite Italian seed grower produces for his local home market in the Bologna region. Aurelia offers classic sweet basil flavor with especially rich spicy undertones. Plants grow vigorously and branch early into heavy sprays of big shiny green leaves with a complex aromatic fragrance. Aurelia pairs beautifully with summer veggies, pasta, rice, chicken and pork dishes. Totally terrific with tomatoes and heavenly for pesto.
Seed Count: Approx. 700 / Weight: 1.75 g
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May – June
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April – July
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Full sun
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1 inch apart
1/4 inch deep
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7 – 14 days
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1 – 1.5 feet
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Planting Instructions: Directly into the garden, when late spring weather reaches 55°F (10°C) both day and night, sow seeds 1 inch apart in well worked, fertile soil in full sun. Cover 1/4 inch deep, firm soil and keep seed bed moist. Germination takes 1 to 2 weeks. After seedlings are well established, thin or transplant 8 inches apart, which allows plants enough elbow room grow and mature.
To start early indoors, Sow seeds 1 to 2 inches apart in a container of fresh seed starting mix, 4 weeks before last expected frost. Keep warm and evenly moist, and provide a good light source. Feed with 1/2 strength liquid fertilizer every 10 days. Once weather warms outdoors, acclimate seedlings to outdoor conditions, then transplant 8 inches apart into the garden.
It is critical to sow seed or transplant basil seedlings only when late spring day and nighttime temperatures stay above 55°F (13°C). Harvest sprays of leaves by snipping stems just above two new sprouting lateral branches to encourage lush foliage. Keep flower buds pinched off to extend harvesting. Feed regularly with high nitrogen fertilizer after harvesting to promote new growth. Except in very short season areas, make a second planting three weeks after the first for a continued supply of fresh, aromatic leaves.
