Plant Guide

Description:

A culinary variety that produces large leaves with a rich, sweet flavor, on a rounded bushy plant; will produce white flowers in summer; pinch flower stems to promote leaf growth; great for mixed containers, herb gardens, and annual beds

Edible Qualities

Presto Genovese Basil is an annual herb that is commonly grown for its edible qualities, although it does have ornamental merits as well. The fragrant oval green leaves are usually harvested from early summer to early fall. The leaves have a pleasant taste and a pleasant fragrance.

The leaves are most often used in the following ways:

• Fresh Eating
• Cooking
• Seasoning

Planting & Growing

Presto Genovese Basil will grow to be about 14 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 14 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 12 inches apart. This fast-growing annual will normally live for one full growing season, needing replacement the following year.

This plant can be integrated into a landscape or flower garden by creative gardeners, but is usually grown in a designated herb garden. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by cuttings; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Presto Genovese Basil is a good choice for the edible garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.