Basil

Photo from: www.tastefulgarden.com

Right up there with garlic, I have heard a lot of great things about home-grown basil. Basil is great for Italian flavors, and a main ingredient in Pesto.

I think the best plan of attack for growing basil in the Midwest is to grow it indoors in pots. To start, make sure your pot will get good drainage. A few pebbles in the bottom of the pot should do the trick.

Once you have planted the basil, thin out weaker plants. Pinch off any flowers that bloom to preserve the flavor of the plant and stimulate more leaf growth.

When watering, try to avoid getting water on the leaves. Fertilize once a month.

Basil is a pick and come again crop. It is best to pick a few leaves off a number of plants than picking all the leaves off one plant. Harvest the top most leaves first.