Black Basil: Cultivation, Care & Use

In addition to the well-known green-leaved basil, there are also black and red-leaved varieties. We will show you everything about the variety of basil.

basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) belongs to the mint family of plants (Lamiaceae). Most species of this genus thrive in the tropical climates of Asia, Africa, Central and South America. Basil probably comes from India. However, the popular leaf herb has enjoyed great attention for several thousand years in the form of targeted cultivation for cultural purposes and for cooking. Basil relics have been found in Egyptian pyramids during excavations. In the Hindu faith, the red-leaved varieties in particular are traditionally important.

Here in Central Europe, basil has only been known as a cultivated plant since the Middle Ages. In this country it is also referred to as king's herb, derived from the Greek basileus, which means 'king'. But red and dark-leaved varieties are also becoming increasingly popular. Incidentally, the intensive coloring is caused by a high content of the pigment anthocyanin in the cells. We will show you everything you need to know about this tasty miracle of colour.
Synonyms: basil, basil herb, royal herb

Grow black basil in your own garden or on the balcony

Just like its famous big brother, black basil prefers well-drained soil. This should be as sunny as possible so that the dark-leaved basil varieties can develop their conspicuous foliage color vigorously. As long as the temperature does not drop below 10 °C, it does not matter whether it is kept in a pot or in a bed. In any case, if the temperature is too low, the basil must always be brought into a warm place to avoid cold damage. Basil is usually cultivated as an annual herb, but can also be brought over the winter in a warm location with a constant temperature of at least 10 °C. Slightly more robust varieties are particularly suitable for this.

propagation

In order to grow basil in your own garden, on the balcony or on the windowsill, it is advisable to bring the seeds indoors from March. For this purpose, growing pots are filled with a suitable substrate (e.g. B. an earth-sand mixture). Also the Plantura Organic Herb & Seed Soil is ideal for propagating your basil plants. Since basil needs light to germinate, the sowing should not be covered with substrate. However, since this would protect the swelling seeds from drying out, greater care must be taken to ensure that the seeds are sufficiently supplied with water during the germination process and do not become dry. At a temperature of 18-25 °C, the basil seeds germinate within 7 to 14 days, depending on the variety. With a seedling size of about 5 cm, the small plants should be transplanted into larger pots. Depending on the pot size, several basil seedlings should be planted together in one pot - for example, five to ten plants in a pot that has a diameter of 13 cm. Due to the cold sensitivity of black basil, care should be taken when planting out. Even after the Ice Saints in mid-May, night temperatures can still fall below the critical 10 °C mark.

Water and fertilize black basil

The same applies to black basil as to its green-leaved relatives when it comes to watering and fertilizing. It is very thirsty and hungry. Therefore, daily watering may be necessary even in the bed on hot, sunny days. Since basil is one of the heavy consumers, it should be planted out in nutrient-rich, humus-rich soil if possible. The substrate, which is used for the culture in the pot, must of course have a correspondingly high nutrient content. The plant bed can be wonderfully fertilized by digging in compost or manure in early spring. Potted basilicas must be fertilized with a complete nutrient fertilizer via irrigation - weekly during the main growing season. To fertilize your basil plants, for example, the is suitable Plantura organic universal fertilizer ideal. As soon as the basil stops growing in autumn, a four to six-week additional supply of nutrients to the potted herbs is sufficient.
Gets along well in the bed ocimum excellent with tomatoes, Kohlrabi or cucumbers and drives away the white fly there. Bad neighbors, on the other hand, are lemon balm or savory.

Caring for Black Basil

In your own garden, damage can be caused to basil snail damage, aphids or the whitefly occur. Lucerne mosaic virus produces mosaic-like patterns on the leaves. Plant viral pathogens are not supposed to be seriously harmful to human health, but it just doesn't look pretty. There are now even vague studies that the consumption of virally infected herbal products can promote migraine and diarrhea symptoms.

Direct contact of the leaves with water promotes infection with fungal diseases. To prevent this, a location that is as sheltered as possible from the rain should be selected in the garden during the warm season. In addition, it should always be watered in such a way that the leaves of the basil do not get wet. Should the leaf spots caused by the fungal pathogen nevertheless occur, the affected parts of the plant should be removed and destroyed.

Black basil varieties: This is where color comes into play

For the variety of flavors of the different basil varieties are essential oils responsible. Some types smell sweetly of aniseed or liquorice, others of lemon or camphor and even cinnamon aromas are represented.

We have put together our favorite varieties for you here:

• opal: Popular variety with cherry-colored, edible flowers and red leaves.
• Red Ruffles: Dark red leaf color and deeply dissected leaf margins with rose-purple flowers, which are also edible; the aroma contains notes of anise, cinnamon, some citrus and pepper.
• Red Ruby: This black-leaved variety offers a peppery aroma and a slight spiciness;. Red Rubin was an All America Selection Winner in 1992, primarily for its visual appeal.
• Genovese basil red: The well-known Genovese basil with red leaves has a high ornamental value, but the same taste as its green counterpart.
• Bush Basil Purple Ball: The leaves of this variety are significantly smaller and very flavorful. The growth is low and bushy.
• Wild Purple: A hardy variety with intense purple colored foliage, well suited to outdoor cultivation.

Harvesting and storing black basil

In the basil harvest care should be taken not to remove too much of the leaf mass. The plant recovers very poorly from this. Rather, whole shoots should be removed, which promotes compact growth. But the shoots must not be cut off too deeply. Leave the bottom leaves. They aren't as aromatic as the younger, higher leaves anyway, and the plant can continue to gather strength for the branching sprout of side buds.

The essential oils of basil evaporate very quickly and the variety of aromas can only be preserved to a limited extent. That is why it is best to use black basil freshly harvested. Both by drying and by freezing the colored aromatic leaves, most of the aromatic oils are lost and the basil tastes like almost nothing. Just like the green-leaved basil, pickling it in oil or processing it into pesto is very good for preserving the aroma of the black basil for a few months.

You can find more information in our article Harvest and store basil correctly.

Black basil: ingredients and uses in the kitchen

We know basil mainly from Italian cuisine in pasta dishes or in a classic way with Caprese. But it is also often used in Asian cuisine.

In order to get as much of the spicy aroma as possible, basil should always be added to the dishes at the end of the cooking process. If basil is cooked with it, it is quickly overcooked and the flavoring essential oils quickly disappear into thin air.

In addition, the spice plant is said to have some healing properties. For example, basil is said to strengthen the digestive organs and stimulate the appetite. The component eugenol has an anti-inflammatory effect. Methyleugenol, on the other hand – also a component of basil – can be carcinogenic if taken in high concentrations. That is why basil is not used as a medicinal herb, although an unattainably high number of Basil leaves would have to be consumed in order to reach the critical level of methyleugenol by consuming the spicy foliage exceed.

In any case, the black basil impresses with its high ornamental value. And since the herb can also bring various taste experiences into the kitchen, it deserves a place in every garden or on every balcony as a colorful exotic.

Also in ours Plantura herb growing set contains seeds for dark-leaved basil. The set also includes everything you need to sow basil and three other herbs.