I sow Basil 2 weeks apart all summer so that I always have fresh leaves, but I grow the tiny Greek Basil because it is so much easier to just pull the little leaves off with no chopping. It goes to seed quickly and is an Heirloom, so I've gotten 4 generations in the last 2 years from 1 seed packet.

I discovered what turned out to be a single potted Greek Columnar basil plant in a big tray of Genovese basil at a nursery 3 or 4 years ago. I never had heard of that cultivar at the time, and anyway, it was labeled as Genovese. I bought it just because the leaves did not look like Genovese - a bit more kinky, sort-of - so I assumed it was a sport and I like to give underdogs a chance and see what happens. LOL As it grew and had a markedly different growth habit than Genovese, I did some research on basil cultivars. As fall came on and this plant had become almost a shrub about 3’ tall and yet never had produced even a flower stalk even though I had not been pinching it back, I realized GCBasil was what I had. Since that basil is a perennial that rarely flowers (though I have had some flower for me as the last couple of summers have been long & hot), when it does, those are sterile so it never sets seed. (I am in central OH.) I took a half-dozen or so cuttings from that first plant, and they rooted in a glass of water even easier than holy basil. As an experiment, a couple of winters ago I left one young potted plant (that I'd started from a cutting in late summer) in my SE facing bay window. I wouldn’t say it was the happiest of plants, but it lived and did grow enough for me to use a few leaves now & then. Come warm weather, I put it back outdoors & it adjusted just fine. I have lost count of how many plants since then I have started and shared (and also sold to help fund our Senior Center garden!). Right now, under lights in my basement I have 6 bushy potted plants started from cuttings taken last fall, and recently I struck another 8 from cuttings made from those that were getting so big & bushy! The larger 6 have kept me in fresh basil all winter. :-) CK

g'day hedwig, if you don't get real heavy frost it will go for a couple of years or so, last year in gympie with very mild winter very light frost ours just kept on keeping on hey? len Here is a link that might be useful: lens garden page

I'm afraid I've gone a little overboard with basil this season. I have two varieties of lemon basil (Sweet Danni & Mrs Burns), Fino Verde and Genovese, Yiotis and Blue Spice (both from Kings), a purple leafed variety (no idea of the name as it was part of the Gourmet Blend of Yates), Thai basil, also various basils from the aforementioned Gourmet Blends of Yates and Kings. As well I also have the East Indian basil and the one called Fever Plant or West Indian Basil (O. viride gratissum).