Basil Genovese
£3.00
SEEDS FOR CONTEMPORARY GARDENS
Italian brand Piccolo offers select seeds for urban gardens, designed for pot growing: compact, dwarf varieties, suitable for terrace garden spaces, all lovingly packaged in sustainable and completely recyclable materials. Choose from our selection of edible flowers and herbs.
Genovese Basil is perhaps the most famous sweet basil variety in the world. Known for its use in pesto, the best Genovese Basil is said to be grown in western Genoa, Italy. So, why is Genovese Basil so special? Its round leaves are dark green and appear more matte than those of its shinier cousin, Common Basil. The taste is also more ‘matte’, if that makes sense – the basil flavour is more concentrated and is somehow less sweet. What is certain is that Genoese people take their beloved baxaicò (as they call it) and their pesto very seriously; Genovese Basil has even gained DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) status from the Italian Government.
DETAILS
LATIN NAME: Ocimum basilicum
NAME: Basil
VARIETY: Italiano Classico (Genovese)
QUANTITY: 120 seeds
PLANT SIZE: Height 40 cm Width 20 cm
CONTAINER SIZE: Height 20 cm Width 20 cm
COMPANION PLANT: Tomatoes, peppers, oregano, parsley, garlic chives, alpine strawberries
HOW TO GROW
SOWING: Indoor Feb-Mar Outdoor Apr-June
TIMING: Germination 5-10 days Harvesting 40-60 days
SPACING: When sowing 1-3 cm; Depth 0,3 cm When thinning 3-5 cm
GROWING: Sunligth Full sun to partial shade. Soil Well-drained, light and moist soil.
Watering Regular watering, not overdone. Feeding Light feeder
CARING: Expert tip To promote a nice bushy plant with lots of scented leaves, prune this basil early and often by pinching off the upper set of leaves. Cut the flowers off to prevent the leaves from becoming bitter.
SUPPORTING: Pollinators. Attracts bees and butterflies.
PESTS: Repels aphids and mosquitoes. Improves the health of other plants (and people!).
HOW TO EAT
HARVESTING
Pinch out leaves as you need them. As fresh basil wilts and loses both its colour and fragrance soon after harvesting, it is best to keep basil in a glass of water and in a cool, dry, dark spot. Use any that is left over from your recipes for a refreshing herbal tea.
EATING
Medicinal properties Refreshing and relaxing, basil stimulates appetite and lifts the mood.
How to eat Take two cloves of garlic, a pinch of salt, one tablespoon of pine nuts, thirty leaves of Genovese Basil, six tablespoons of Parmesan cheese, two tablespoons of Pecorino cheese and half a cup of olive oil. Add them to a pestle and mortar in this order, pounding them together. Mash slowly until you are happy with the flavour and consistency. Hey presto, that’s pesto!
