Basil 'Classic Italian'

With its distinctive flavour and strong scented foliage, Classic Italian is one of the most popular varieties of Basil. And not without good reason. It is easy to grow and produces plenty of flavoursome leaves.

Basil is a mainstay of Italian cuisine and is used to flavour all sorts of dishes from pasta and pizza to stews, soups, and sauces. It is an excellent source for vitamins A and K, as well as providing iron and calcium. Basil can be used fresh or dried for future use. It also freezes well for easy storage.

Classic Italian are the perfect Basil seeds for growing indoors. They are tender outdoor plants and while they can be successfully grown outside in more southern parts of the country, you can’t go far wrong growing them on a kitchen windowsill. Plant in well-drained soil and place in a sunny, sheltered spot. In summer, spikes of small white flowers can bloom - try to catch these early and snip them off, otherwise the leaves will lose flavour and become bitter.

Sow indoors from April to May or outdoors from mid-June. Plant seedlings out from mid-June, allowing 10cm between plants and 60cm between rows. Harvest from June to September.

Please Note: The image(s) shown are for illustrative purposes only. The listed number of seeds is an approximate value and packet size may vary slightly.