Herb garden and kitchen · Ocimum basilicum
Basil: look, smell and learn
A tomato needs no hat, but it does enjoy an aromatic companion! Flauschi shows Puschel the basil.
The short answer
Basil usually has broad soft leaves in opposite pairs. It needs warmth and tolerates frost poorly. Keep soil moist while allowing excess water to drain.
An imagined Wusel scene
Puschel and Flauschi investigate
Puschel holds a tomato beside the pot. Puschel“Does it need a green hat?” Flauschi points to the leaves. Flauschi“Basil is lovely alongside it; the tomato does not need a hat.”
Now Puschel notices the leaf pairs on the stem. Puschel“Two neighbours together!” Flauschi smiles. Flauschi“And basil likes a warm spot.” Puschel imagines a tomato with leaf-pair ears. That stays a funny picture in his head; they leave the plant intact.
What it looks like
Broad, soft, usually oval green leaves grow in pairs on the stem.
Scent and cooking
Aromatic and savoury; good with tomatoes, pasta and finished pizza.
How it grows
Warm and bright; sensitive to frost. Water regularly without waterlogging.
Little Wusel quiz
A basil pot is cold and waterlogged. What conditions does the plant need instead?
Show answer
A warm, bright spot and regular watering without waterlogging. Basil is sensitive to frost.
Explore in more detail
Here you will find longer explanations and further details. You can explore them together.
How can basil become bushier?
A basil stem has leaf pairs separated by lengths of stem. Side shoots can grow in leaf axils, the angles between leaf stalk and stem. Harvesting a tip appropriately above a leaf pair can encourage these shoots. Picking individual leaves from a long bare stem is different.
Compare and understand
With an adult, observe a labelled kitchen pot before and after a small harvest. New growth needs time, light, warmth and suitable watering; cutting does not create it instantly. Basil is sensitive to cold, which can harm an otherwise well-tended plant.