A must have herb planted with your tomatoes so you have all the making for pesto and bruschetta growing in your garden!  Also good companion plant with tomatoes to keep pests at bay.  

$4 each or 3 for $10 (save $2!)

Type:  Annual Herb

Height: 12-24"

Light: Full sun to light shade

Soil: Rich, moist, well drained.  Amend with compost

Watering: Keep well watered. Basil is not a drought tolerant plant. 

Planting: Space them 8-12 inches apart to give them room to grow nice and bushy.  Harden off* before planting outdoors. 

* Hardening off refers to the process of gently and gradually acclimatizing indoor grown seedlings to the great outdoors!  Don't throw your new babies straight into the elements!  Over the course of a week, take them outside for a few hours at a time, bringing them back indoors afterwards.  First sit them in the shade and then slowly introduce them to the sun.  Increase the length of time they are outside and are exposed to the sun, until you feel they are ready to face the big outside world!

Harvest/ Care: Pinch out flowers and harvest outside and top leaves regularly to keep the plant bushy. 

$6 each or 3 for $15

Produces prolific pretty orange, heart shaped fruit.  Sweet and meaty, great on sandwiches, salads and for sauce. 

Type: Indeterminate, vining plants that will need staking. Plants will keep growing and producing until frost. You can read about the difference between Determinate and Indeterminate tomatoes here: Determinate vs. Indeterminate Tomatoes

Height: Indeterminate height. 

Light: Full sun

Soil: Rich soil. Use good quality compost around plants and mulch well.  

Water: Consistently keeping soil moist, but not wet, will result in good growth and happy tomatoes. Inconsistent moisture can lead to "Blossom End Rot".  Always water tomatoes at the base of the plant never getting water on the leaves.  

Planting: 

• Harden off* and then transplant to the garden after all frost danger is gone. 
• Bury them deep!  Plant the whole stem into the ground, not just the roots leaving only a few top leaves showing.  The plant will put out roots from the buried stem, making your plant grow nice and strong!
• Space plants 60-90 cm, 2-3' apart; space rows 3-4' apart. They will grow nicely in containers but will need some kind of support. 
• DO NOT crowd plants.  This leads to poor circulation and disease

Harvest: 65-70 days to maturity (from the day they are planted outside)

* Hardening off refers to the process of gently and gradually acclimatizing indoor grown seedlings to the great outdoors!  Don't throw your new babies straight into the elements!  Over the course of a week, take them outside for a few hours at a time, bringing them back indoors afterwards.  First sit them in the shade and then slowly introduce them to the sun.  Increase the length of time they are outside and are exposed to the sun, until you feel they are ready to face the big outside world!

Other tips:

Pruning out suckers on your plant will help it put more of its energy into fruit production.  Suckers appear between the main stem and the branches and can be easily taken out with your fingers. 

Parsley is a wonderful herb to have on hand to flavour dishes.  Leaves can be added to soups, rice dishes etc. 

Scientific Name: Petroselinum crispum

Growth: 6" tall
Light: Full sun (6+ hours)
Watering:  Keep soil moist
Pet Safe: Yes
Care: Easy
Harvesting: Cut leaves from the outer stems