Indoor Plants
Outdoor Plants
Basil
An aromatic kitchen herb for your balcony or garden – pick fresh leaves for salads and cooking right through the warm season.
- Light: Direct sun
- Water: Moist, not soggy
- Temperature: Loves warmth, dislikes cold
Description
Basil is one of the best-known kitchen herbs. Grow it on a balcony or in the garden and enjoy fresh leaves for salads and cooking all through the warm season.
Why basil?
- Fresh leaves for the kitchen, straight from your plant.
- A fragrant scent whenever you brush the leaves.
- Safe for cats and dogs (ASPCA).
Where to plant it
A sunny spot: a balcony or rooftop pot, a herb bed in the garden, or by the entrance. It needs direct sun and well-drained soil.
Care in the Saudi climate
- Light: direct sun – basil loves warmth and strong light.
- Water: keep the soil moist but not soggy. Basil doesn't cope with long dry spells, needs more water in peak summer, and is best watered at the soil rather than over the leaves.
- Soil: light and well-drained, in a pot with drainage holes.
- Harvest: pinch the growing tips often so it branches and flowers later – leaves lose flavour once it blooms.
- Cold: sensitive to cold, so protect it on chilly nights.
Sizes
- 20–30 cm: a young plant for a balcony pot.
- 50–60 cm: a bigger, fuller plant, ready to harvest.
Three things to get right.
Lighting
Needs direct sun and strong light to grow bushy with fragrant leaves.
Watering
Keep the soil moist but not soggy, and water at the soil, not over the leaves. In peak summer a pot may need daily watering.
Temperature & humidity
Loves warmth and grows well in hot weather with enough water; dislikes cold.
More aromatic plants.Pairs well with
It's best in a sunny outdoor spot like a balcony, rooftop or garden, as it needs direct sun.
Keep the soil moist but not soggy. In peak summer a pot may need water daily – make sure it has drainage holes.
Flowering is natural but lowers leaf flavour. Pinch the tips regularly to delay flowers and encourage branching.
Yes. It's non-toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA).
It's usually treated as a seasonal plant – it loves warmth and dislikes cold, and can last longer in warm weather with regular picking.