Plant flowering / bolting

Heat or maturity. Pinch off flower spikes to redirect energy to leaves.

Black spots, collapse

Cold damage (below 50°F) or downy mildew. Keep warm; improve airflow; avoid wetting leaves.

Not enough pinching or light. Harvest from the top above a leaf pair to force branching.

Gardening

The essential summer herb. Loves heat and sun, and the more you pinch it, the bushier it gets.

The free tool tailors timing to your climate and lets you save this plant.

Sun

Full sun

Hardiness zones

Zones 4–11

Spacing

10–12 in apart.

Soil

Rich, moist, well-draining soil; pH 6.0–7.0.

Watering

Keep evenly moist, about 1 in/week. Water at the base in the morning.

Plant / sow (typical)

May – Jun

Harvest (typical)

Jun – Sep

Starting

Direct sow or start indoors after frost. Roots readily from cuttings in water. Pinch flower buds to keep leaves coming.

Companions

Good with Tomato, Pepper, Oregano, Marigold. Keep apart from Rue.

Plant flowering / bolting. Heat or maturity. Pinch off flower spikes to redirect energy to leaves.
Black spots, collapse. Cold damage (below 50°F) or downy mildew. Keep warm; improve airflow; avoid wetting leaves.
Leggy, sparse. Not enough pinching or light. Harvest from the top above a leaf pair to force branching.