How to Grow Unlimited Basil All Year Round:

Here’s a quick easy way to effortlessly grow basil fast with very little hassle. The initial cost is higher than container & outdoor growing but the yield will be much greater as well as this method being the best for cold climates. No whys, ifs ands or buts… and no epic essay about my life not related to growing basil; this is the info so let’s just get to it.

Step 1: Obtain a cheap hydroponic grow system… don’t ask me how you’re a big big/girl (that or go nag your mommy/daddy). I got a Root Farm version for under $80 CAD (<$60 USD) but you can prolly make your own if you’re handy enough. Optional are the LED grow lights, you can purchase a decent set for around $50 USD on Amazon, just make sure they use 40watts (output ratting would be much greater). Still, there’s nothing more cost effective than sunlight. Hydroponic plant food is abundant and quite cost effective but if you wanna stay organic you can prolly get away with fish emulsion. How much to use… well, do the math (it’s different for food varieties & system setups)

Step 2: Buy some Genovese & Thai basil seeds then sprout them in a seed starter tray. It’s 100% guaranteed vs starting them in the hydroponic system itself. I don’t know why this is the case because the seed pods that come with most hydroponic systems will sprout seeds with 1 or 2 weeks yet when I use my own seeds on them, they don’t seem to work. Anyhow, once your seedlings are about an inch high you can take them out of the tray, wash out the dirt and pop them into your hydroponic grow system of choice. You don’t need any fancy grow medium… normal sponges will do just fine.

Step 3: Wait with amazement as your basil plants grow into bush sized marvels. It’s here where I tell you that you should have bought/built a larger hydroponic setup… those tiny Aerogardens won’t do. During the warm seasons you can have this setup outdoors provided you use an extension cord for the air/water pumps of the hydroponic grow system. It’s growth on steroids if you put them inside a greenhouse. By the end of the growth cycle, I made enough jars of pesto for friends, fam, neighbours & coworkers. It’s a good idea to restart with new basil seedlings every 6 months to keep the basil fresh because the older ones will bolt without constant maintenance.

I find this method of growing basil to be super simple and hands off because after the initial setup, there’s nothing else to do besides topping of water & nutrients. The growth & production is many multiples greater than that of growing in dirt… and you can do this indoors every day of the year if you are in cold/freezing environments. Goodluck with this and remember… Google’s your friend.