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Basil and the Texas heat....
Hi, all :-) I'm new to the group, from Fort Worth and have a question. I
decided, yesterday, to plant some basil so I would have a constant supply of fresh basil that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Now I'm not sure how best to harvest it and keep the plants healthy and growing. Also, I know when that little tag says "full-sun" it doesn't usually take into account *our* full-sun. What really is the best sun condition for basil in Texas? I'm sure someone here has some good tips for me. Thanks, in advance, for any help :-) M |
Basil and the Texas heat....
"Michelle Fulton" wrote in message gy.com... Hi, all :-) I'm new to the group, from Fort Worth and have a question. I decided, yesterday, to plant some basil so I would have a constant supply of fresh basil that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Now I'm not sure how best to harvest it and keep the plants healthy and growing. Also, I know when that little tag says "full-sun" it doesn't usually take into account *our* full-sun. What really is the best sun condition for basil in Texas? I'm sure someone here has some good tips for me. Thanks, in advance, for any help :-) We had some basil growing in a planter last year on the north side of the house. It got direct sun until maybe 10:00 in the morning and did just fine. Don't know what's "best". Pinch off a stem when you need it. Pinching the end of a stem will make it get bushier, too. And wouldn't "Basil and the Texas Heat" be a good name for a band? (I gotta quit reading Dave Barry!) Dale |
Basil and the Texas heat....
Basil does perfectly well in full sun, in Texas. It is a Mediterranean native,
so does great in baking, dry heat. I grew several types of basil up in Dallas, when we lived there. Keep the flowers nipped off to encourage foliage to keep coming and harvest the morning after you've watered it. Do not water it, then harvest immediately. The flavor will not be as strong. Italian basil is the best culinary basil. Many others are available and I've grown those for ornamental value. On Thu, 15 May 2003 20:30:54 GMT, "Michelle Fulton" wrote: Hi, all :-) I'm new to the group, from Fort Worth and have a question. I decided, yesterday, to plant some basil so I would have a constant supply of fresh basil that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Now I'm not sure how best to harvest it and keep the plants healthy and growing. Also, I know when that little tag says "full-sun" it doesn't usually take into account *our* full-sun. What really is the best sun condition for basil in Texas? I'm sure someone here has some good tips for me. Thanks, in advance, for any help :-) M |
Basil and the Texas heat....
"dt" wrote in message ... And wouldn't "Basil and the Texas Heat" be a good name for a band? (I gotta quit reading Dave Barry!) Sounds good to me ;-) Thanks for the tips, everyone :-) M |
Basil and the Texas heat....
It must be a terrible responsibility to be an expert on every subject.
"animaux" wrote in message ... Basil does perfectly well in full sun, in Texas. It is a Mediterranean native, so does great in baking, dry heat. I grew several types of basil up in Dallas, when we lived there. Keep the flowers nipped off to encourage foliage to keep coming and harvest the morning after you've watered it. Do not water it, then harvest immediately. The flavor will not be as strong. Italian basil is the best culinary basil. Many others are available and I've grown those for ornamental value. On Thu, 15 May 2003 20:30:54 GMT, "Michelle Fulton" wrote: Hi, all :-) I'm new to the group, from Fort Worth and have a question. I decided, yesterday, to plant some basil so I would have a constant supply of fresh basil that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Now I'm not sure how best to harvest it and keep the plants healthy and growing. Also, I know when that little tag says "full-sun" it doesn't usually take into account *our* full-sun. What really is the best sun condition for basil in Texas? I'm sure someone here has some good tips for me. Thanks, in advance, for any help :-) M |
Basil and the Texas heat....
what were the tips on this, as i also have a basil plant and would like to know
the tips. |
Basil and the Texas heat....
On Sat, 17 May 2003 01:51:42 GMT, "Cliff" wrote:
It must be a terrible responsibility to be an expert on every subject. Jealous? |
Basil and the Texas heat....
"Gjkajal" wrote in message
... what were the tips on this, as i also have a basil plant and would like to know the tips. Well, what I got out of it was.... It does fine in full "Texas" sun, as well as , just getting morning sun. Also, we should pinch the end of the stem, when you need some, to encourage the plant to get bushier, which means more ends to pinch :-) M |
Basil and the Texas heat....
Gjkajal wrote:
what were the tips on this, as i also have a basil plant and would like to know the tips. Full sun, water only when needed, pinch flower stalks before they bloom. It's actually quite easy to grow. Does much better in the ground than in containers though. -- Victor M. Martinez http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv |
Basil and the Texas heat....
I like to plant in full or partial sun, usually between the tomato plants,
well mulched and decently watered. Dave Gardens of the Ancients Herb Emporium www.gardensoftheancients.com "dt" wrote in message ... "Michelle Fulton" wrote in message gy.com... Hi, all :-) I'm new to the group, from Fort Worth and have a question. I decided, yesterday, to plant some basil so I would have a constant supply of fresh basil that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Now I'm not sure how best to harvest it and keep the plants healthy and growing. Also, I know when that little tag says "full-sun" it doesn't usually take into account *our* full-sun. What really is the best sun condition for basil in Texas? I'm sure someone here has some good tips for me. Thanks, in advance, for any help :-) We had some basil growing in a planter last year on the north side of the house. It got direct sun until maybe 10:00 in the morning and did just fine. Don't know what's "best". Pinch off a stem when you need it. Pinching the end of a stem will make it get bushier, too. And wouldn't "Basil and the Texas Heat" be a good name for a band? (I gotta quit reading Dave Barry!) Dale |
Basil and the Texas heat....
Actually, I prefer African Blue Basil as the best culinary basil. It has an
incredible flavor that compliments any dish in which you use it. It's also a lot easier to grow here. It's heat-hardy and I end up with large bushes at the end of the season to dry or freeze. -- Elizabeth of the Tudor Tarts http://www.tudortarts.com/ "animaux" wrote in message ... Basil does perfectly well in full sun, in Texas. It is a Mediterranean native, so does great in baking, dry heat. I grew several types of basil up in Dallas, when we lived there. Keep the flowers nipped off to encourage foliage to keep coming and harvest the morning after you've watered it. Do not water it, then harvest immediately. The flavor will not be as strong. Italian basil is the best culinary basil. Many others are available and I've grown those for ornamental value. On Thu, 15 May 2003 20:30:54 GMT, "Michelle Fulton" wrote: Hi, all :-) I'm new to the group, from Fort Worth and have a question. I decided, yesterday, to plant some basil so I would have a constant supply of fresh basil that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Now I'm not sure how best to harvest it and keep the plants healthy and growing. Also, I know when that little tag says "full-sun" it doesn't usually take into account *our* full-sun. What really is the best sun condition for basil in Texas? I'm sure someone here has some good tips for me. Thanks, in advance, for any help :-) M |
Basil and the Texas heat....
Howdy folks,
A neighbor of mine planted African Blue Basil in a mass planting around an ornamental tree in a five foot diameter circle last year. Aside from cooking with it, it was great to look at with dark leaves and purple flowerheads. It had no problems with the heat and produced far more than he could use for pesto. It also didn't get that black stem rot that I always have a problem with on the standard sweet basil. I took some photos of his garden for my web site, so if anyone wants to look they can go to my article index and find ( 'The garden across the street' ) and the photo shows the tree ring planting, with the flowers up above his sitting bench in bloom. In our household I have to keep a steady supply of Basil for my wife who loves the stuff which is difficult since I can't stand the taste and am always picking leaves out of my salad. It's a trade off though, because if I lived alone and had to cook for myself, I would probably spend my life growing nothing but Kentucky Wonder and Blue Lake Beans and living off my favorite recipe of Green beans, Cambell's mushroom soup, and canned crunchy onion rings. So I guess she keeps my gardening radar up in good order. take care, Steve Coyle www.austingardencenter.com |
Basil and the Texas heat....
What does this basil taste like compared to regular italian (sweet) basil?
-- Victor M. Martinez http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv |
Basil and the Texas heat....
"Steve Coyle" wrote in message om... A neighbor of mine planted African Blue Basil in a mass planting around an ornamental tree in a five foot diameter circle last year. Aside from cooking with it, it was great to look at with dark leaves and purple flowerheads. Thanks for the info, Steve, but you call it African Blue Basil in your post, and on the website I believe it said Thai basil. Would you please confirm? Thanks, M |
Basil and the Texas heat....
"Victor M. Martinez" wrote in message ... What does this basil taste like compared to regular italian (sweet) basil? I was surfing for info on basil and came across this site that says African Blue Basil is not usually used for cooking. http://chefsgarden.com/basilafrican.htm M |
Basil and the Texas heat....
Hate to say it, but those folks have no idea what they're talking about. I
use it like crazy. It has a little more peppery taste than Sweet Basil, but is absolutely perfect for steamed veggies, Italian cooking, meatloaf, etc. It's also nowhere near as cold-sensitive as Sweet Basil, and is much more heat-tolerant. I've been growing it for ten years or better. -- Elizabeth of the Tudor Tarts http://www.tudortarts.com/ "Michelle Fulton" wrote in message . com... "Victor M. Martinez" wrote in message ... What does this basil taste like compared to regular italian (sweet) basil? I was surfing for info on basil and came across this site that says African Blue Basil is not usually used for cooking. http://chefsgarden.com/basilafrican.htm M |
Basil and the Texas heat....
Michelle Fulton wrote:
Thanks for the info, Steve, but you call it African Blue Basil in your post, and on the website I believe it said Thai basil. Would you please confirm? According to this: http://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com...anscharium.htm that's what african blue basil looks like. Thai basil is purple and edible. -- Victor M. Martinez http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv |
Basil and the Texas heat....
Other sites referring to African Blue -
http://www.romwell.com/cookbook/Herb...nbluebasil.htm http://www.petesherbs.com/basil.htm#African%20Blue http://www.sycamorefarms.com/ExperimentPesto.html http://www.quietcreekherbfarm.com/basil.htm -- Elizabeth of the Tudor Tarts http://www.tudortarts.com/ "Michelle Fulton" wrote in message . com... "Victor M. Martinez" wrote in message ... What does this basil taste like compared to regular italian (sweet) basil? I was surfing for info on basil and came across this site that says African Blue Basil is not usually used for cooking. http://chefsgarden.com/basilafrican.htm M |
Basil and the Texas heat....
The first three seem to imply that the african blue basil is too strong
to use by itself or as a substitute for italian basil. -- Victor M. Martinez http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv |
Basil and the Texas heat....
I guess it's just a matter of taste. I prefer it over Sweet Basil.
-- Elizabeth of the Tudor Tarts http://www.tudortarts.com/ "Victor M. Martinez" wrote in message ... The first three seem to imply that the african blue basil is too strong to use by itself or as a substitute for italian basil. -- Victor M. Martinez http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv |
Basil and the Texas heat....
Howdy folks,
The basils are haunting me. I will double check with the gardener, whether we are talking Thai Basil or African Blue. I let him edit the article but we could have missed that. The head chef in our household uses the milder 'sweet' Basil's to use raw in salads and anything else she can hide raw Basil in, but likes the stronger,more pungent Basils like Spicy Globe and the purpleflowering types for cooking because they hold their flavor when cooked. I'm sure someone will beat me to this but Thai basil in Thailand is called 'Hora-pa'' but be careful not to confuse it, as often happens with 'Gra-pow' according to www.learnthaicooking.com. So I'll be especially careful in that regards. Close inspection will reveal tiny hairs on the stem that distinuqishes it as "Gra-pow" as opposed to hairless 'Hora-pa" Now that I'm clear on that, I checked the sites on African Blue Basil and the best description I found of it, was on : http://www.sycamorefarms.com/2001BountifulBasil.html which described opinions of it's taste as ranging from turpentine to 'strong' If anyone out there knows the history of the plant travels, where it was native, when it was introduced I would love to hear it. I always enjoy thatst stuff. There seems to be an inedible ( not poisonious just bad tasting ) Basil called 'Camphor Basil" which I guess explains why I've never seen it for sale. What I've noticed is how often sone 'Sweet Basils" end up tasting like licorice. I've even noticed sometimes batches of sweet Basil pick up that taste which I don't know is the result of cross pollination of the breeding line, or a reaction within the plant to environmental stresses. Speaking of Basil's for a couple of winters here in Austin, I used those "Water Walls" that are marketed for tomatoes but useless since they are so small to keep Basil growing in a ten gallon pot outside all winter long. During ther periodic freezes I placed a dish on the top opening for added protection, and they survived temps into the upper twenties. take care, Steve Coyle |
Basil and the Texas heat....
Steve Coyle wrote:
I will double check with the gardener, whether we are talking Thai Basil or African Blue. I let him edit the article but we could have It should be easy to tell. Thai basil is actually purple and it has white flowers, African Blue is described as having mostly green foliage and purple flowers. I planted one thai basil plant this year, but something ate the whole thing overnight. They left the italian basil though. -- Victor M. Martinez http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv |
Basil and the Texas heat....
"Victor M. Martinez" wrote in message ... It should be easy to tell. Thai basil is actually purple and it has white flowers, African Blue is described as having mostly green foliage and purple flowers. I planted one thai basil plant this year, but something ate the whole thing overnight. They left the italian basil though. Affirmative. African Blue has a predominately green leaf with purple-ish veins. They are also a little fuzzy and not at all smooth like any of the other basils. The flowers are a light lavender color. Very pretty plant. -- Elizabeth of the Tudor Tarts http://www.tudortarts.com/ |
Basil and the Texas heat....
Howdy folks,
I checked with my neighbor and he did plant last year, African Blue Basil in the tree ring. I took the pictures of that garden in August because I was looking for a garden in Austin that looked good at the hottest time of the year ( and in my neighborhood, "North of Hyde Park", as we like to say ,there weren't many. ) He said he did cook with the African Blue Basil but it is very strong, and I'm guessing an aquired taste, so I wouldn't expect to use it as a substitute for Sweet Basil and expect the same flavor in a recipe. I did see one cooking website that suggested cooking the stronger basils with Italian flat leaf Parsley to soften the flavor. " ( ?! ) " as we say in Chess. Steve Coyle www,austingardencenter.com |
Basil and the Texas heat....
"Steve Coyle" wrote in message
om... Howdy folks, I checked with my neighbor and he did plant last year, African Blue Basil in the tree ring. I took the pictures of that garden in August because I was looking for a garden in Austin that looked good at the hottest time of the year ( and in my neighborhood, "North of Hyde Park", as we like to say ,there weren't many. ) He said he did cook with the African Blue Basil but it is very strong, and I'm guessing an aquired taste, so I wouldn't expect to use it as a substitute for Sweet Basil and expect the same flavor in a recipe. I did see one cooking website that suggested cooking the stronger basils with Italian flat leaf Parsley to soften the flavor. Thanks for the clarification, Steve :-) M |
Basil and the Texas heat....
I love the African basil as do the bees on the flowers. I use it in
roasts and stews with other "leaves" as my son calls them. Most recently, I made a chicken with a top from the African basil, a bay leaf from my bay tree, a handful oregano (sweet marjoram), a top of my sage, and a handful of lemon grass leaves. Wad it all up and stuff the chicken cavity with some chopped garlic and all those leaves I mentioned, and wowee... the teenagers came in and said, "What is that you are cooking?!":) I would probably never try to do pesto with African basil as it IS strong like that fuzzy Greek oregano. I also like the holy basil and the thai basil and use those in Pho dishes with beef broth and noodles. My son used to hate the "leaves" I put in everything, but now he loves cooking and will not eat anything without some "leaves" in it. Cooking is his favorite class in school, and who knows maybe CIA? :) African basil and Thanksgiving day turkey sage make a nice combo planting with their flowers and lots of bees come to drink the nectar. Best to All -- Gae Steve Coyle wrote: Howdy folks, I checked with my neighbor and he did plant last year, African Blue Basil in the tree ring. I took the pictures of that garden in August because I was looking for a garden in Austin that looked good at the hottest time of the year ( and in my neighborhood, "North of Hyde Park", as we like to say ,there weren't many. ) He said he did cook with the African Blue Basil but it is very strong, and I'm guessing an aquired taste, so I wouldn't expect to use it as a substitute for Sweet Basil and expect the same flavor in a recipe. I did see one cooking website that suggested cooking the stronger basils with Italian flat leaf Parsley to soften the flavor. " ( ?! ) " as we say in Chess. Steve Coyle www,austingardencenter.com |
Basil and the Texas heat....
G a e X a v i e r wrote: I would probably never try to do pesto with African basil as it IS strong like that fuzzy Greek oregano. I also like the holy basil and the thai basil and use those in Pho dishes with beef broth and noodles. Sorry, people. I misspoke. I meant to say "Cuban" oregano, not "Greek" oregano. I am sure everyone on this group knows the typical oregano (origanum majorana) is also known as sweet marjoram is an excellent antioxidant tea and is easily grown in droughtful areas but is NOT very hardy. But I think mine has managed to survive our momentary freezes. The "hardy sweet marjoram or oregano" Origanum x majoricum, is known for its sweet savory mint flavor and is great with vegetables, salads, mushrooms and fish. "Cuban" (the powerful smelling, fuzzy, fleshy one) is ok with beans or fish because it is so pungent. To me it is similar to African basil in flavor power. The "Greek" oregano has a creosote-like odor and is common in Italian food and pizza. Here is a good resource for info and has some interesting herb and Texas garden info: http://www.hortmag.com/articles/ Best -- Gae Steve Coyle wrote: Howdy folks, I checked with my neighbor and he did plant last year, African Blue Basil in the tree ring. I took the pictures of that garden in August because I was looking for a garden in Austin that looked good at the hottest time of the year ( and in my neighborhood, "North of Hyde Park", as we like to say ,there weren't many. ) He said he did cook with the African Blue Basil but it is very strong, and I'm guessing an aquired taste, so I wouldn't expect to use it as a substitute for Sweet Basil and expect the same flavor in a recipe. I did see one cooking website that suggested cooking the stronger basils with Italian flat leaf Parsley to soften the flavor. " ( ?! ) " as we say in Chess. Steve Coyle www,austingardencenter.com |
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