Minette Basil Seeds

Days to Maturity: 65

Minette is one of the most eye-catching basils you will ever see. It creates perfect 10-inch spheres of bright green that stay compact and uniform all season. Minette is ideal for edging, miniature knot gardens, or in containers. Pick the flavorful leaves and use fresh or dried in tomato dishes, pasta sauces, vegetables, and soups. You can also use it in the garden as a companion plant to repel aphids, mites, and tomato hornworms.

This variety grows only 10 inches high and wide, creating a perfectly uniform sphere. The tiny medium green leaves are only 1/2-inch long. Small spikes of white flowers arise in summer; if you are growing Minette for culinary purposes, pinch off the buds. If it is an ornamental or guard plant in your garden, let the flowers open and the butterflies visit.

Begin the seeds either indoors in late winter or direct-sow in spring. To start indoors, sow about 6 to 8 weeks before last scheduled frost. The seeds will germinate in 5 to 10 days. Transplant when they have 2 sets of true leaves, spacing the plants 8 to 10 inches apart in the garden, or in your best containers.

If you are direct-sowing, wait until the soil has thoroughly warmed up in spring. Then cover the seeds with about 1/4-inch of soil, and thin the young plants to 8 to 10 inches apart when they are about 2 inches tall.

Pinch off the central stem when the young plants are about 6 weeks old, and prune back each stem when it has more than 8 sets of leaves. Cut it back to the first or second set of leaves, harvesting the rest. If you keep your plants well pinched and pruned, you should be able to harvest.

Minette loves hot weather and plenty of sunshine, but it needs consistently moist, rich soil. Mulch the plants to retain moisture, and water heavily during dry spells. Harvest the plant before the cold weather sets in, as this will affect the leaves' texture and flavor. Freeze entire stems, with the leaves still attached, for best flavor retention, or dry the leaves for seasoning.