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Botanical Interests

Lemon Basil Seeds

Lemon Basil Seeds

Regular price $2.69
Sale price $2.69 Regular price
~0.3 g (~144 seeds)
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Product Details

There are dozens of ways to use lemon basil in the kitchen! It makes a great pesto or chiffonade to top fish or shrimp, adds an extra kick to flavored vinegars, is an excellent accompaniment to light pastas like capelli D'Angelo (angel hair) or farfalle (bow tie), and adds a tangy note to citrus or blueberry desserts. More compact than many other basil varieties, so it's perfect in small spaces. Can be grown indoors in a warm, south window! Recipe for basil herb oil inside packet.
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  • Variety Info
  • Sowing Info
  • Growing Info

Variety Info

Family: Laminaceae

Type: Basil (Learn more)

Native: Probably Africa, but in cultivation for so long that it cannot be verified.

Hardiness: Frost-sensitive annual

Exposure: Full sun to part shade

Plant Dimensions: 8"–16" tall, 20" wide. Low, spreading habit.

Variety Info: 1 ½"–2" long, lime green, narrow, elliptical leaves with a strong, lemony scent and flavor. White flowers (if allowed to bloom). Lemon basil, also called Thai lemon basil or Lao basil, is used in traditional Indonesian, Laotian, and Thai cuisine.

Attributes: Good for Containers, Frost Sensitive

Sowing Info

When to Sow Outside: 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date, and when soil temperature is at least 60°F, ideally 65°–85°F. Successive Sowings: We recommend 3 or 4 successive sowings every 3 weeks after initial sowing.

When to Start Inside: RECOMMENDED. 4 to 6 weeks before transplanting outside. Transplant when your nighttime temperatures are above 50°F.

Days to Emerge: 5 – 10 Days

Seed Depth: ¼"

Seed Spacing: A group of 2 seeds every 12"

Row Spacing: 12"

Thinning: When 2" tall, thin to 1 every 12"

Growing Info

Harvesting: Basil flavor is best before the plant flowers. Harvest up to 1/3 of the plant at a time, leaving enough for the plant to be healthy and keep producing. Harvest prior to a frost; basil is very frost sensitive.

4.4
Rated 4.4 out of 5 stars
Based on 9 reviews
Total 5 star reviews: 7 Total 4 star reviews: 1 Total 3 star reviews: 0 Total 2 star reviews: 0 Total 1 star reviews: 1
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9 reviews
  • Monique M.
    Verified Buyer
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    May 29, 2024
    5 Stars

    Lemon basil seeds sprouted in less than a week to my surprise! Love the herby aroma, and excited to see them fully mature.

    Which best describes you as a gardener? Beginner
  • Melody O.
    Verified Buyer
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    May 22, 2024
    5 Stars

    I can only say good things about my experience with Botanical Interests! Good prices, lovely packaging.

    Which best describes you as a gardener? Beginner
  • Valerie O.
    Verified Buyer
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Dec 10, 2024
    5 Stars

    I love BI seeds. I get really great germination and the packaging is lovely.

  • Cynthia W.
    Verified Buyer
    Rated 4 out of 5 stars
    Jun 11, 2024
    4 Stars

    I planted my seeds in my hydroponic grow machine and they sprouted with a week and a couple or three weeks later, I was able to snip a few leaves! Everything that grows in the hydroponic grower grows really well. My cilantro seeds, however, did not germinate in it. I have successfully grown thyme, parsley, dill, lettuce, and of course, my lemon basil in it. To preserve the lemon basil I cut, I put the stems in a tiny glass of water, and in about a week, it had grown long, silky, white roots, so I planted each stem in Epsom Organic Potting Soil and set them outside in a predominately shady spot and they are doing well. Growing up so that I need to snip some more off the top. I have them in only a hour or so of full sun a day, because they're on a concrete patio on 100+ degrees all day! I water them through every other day. Hoping to keep them alive through the summer, but I don't expect them to flourish. They really do smell and taste lemony, by the way.

    Which best describes you as a gardener? Beginner
    EG Profile picture for Epic Gardening
    Epic Gardening
    Jun 13, 2024

    Hey Cynthia, Thanks for leaving your feedback. cilantro is a cool-weather-loving plant; it might have been too warm in the hydroponic system for the plant. But if it didn't germinate at all, I'd assume the conditions were just too wet for cilantro to thrive there. It's great that you're experimenting with different growing mediums. That's the fun of gardening. Keep on growing 🌻️

  • samantha o.
    Verified Buyer
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Apr 23, 2024
    5 Stars

    all germinated and very excited to watch them grow!