The Best Basil Seeds of 2024

The Best Basil Seed Buying Guide

Basil seeds are easy to plant, germinate quickly, and are edible, making them one of the best beginner plants to practice with. However, you can’t just grow the ideal basil plants through skill and practice alone. Some basil variants are better than others, and you may want something specific out of what you’re growing. Here’s a brief guide on how to pick the best basil seeds for you to purchase.

What is a Basil Seed?

A basil seed refers to the seed of the basil plant. Basil seeds are small and hard to spot in soil, and can even be eaten on their own, making it a somewhat popular addition to smoothies and the like. Basil seeds are often sold in packets of hundreds of seeds to maximize the chances of germination.

Why do you need Basil Seed?

Here’s why you’d want to buy basil seeds.

To grow basil

Many people buy basil seeds for one reason, and one reason only – to grow basil. Whether it be in small pots beside your room’s window, or in a small patch by your backyard, basil is great for both urban and rural spaces and can be eaten once it’s fully grown. The fact that basil can also be used as both a food and medicine makes it all the more special for individuals living alone or families with mouths to feed.

To eat them

You don’t even need to wait for the plants to grow to enjoy basil. Basil seeds are perfectly edible on their own, and if you’ve ever tried healthy smoothies in restaurants before, there’s a chance that basil was used in the recipe. Basil seeds are commonly found in smoothies as they’re easy to ingest with them, but you can also enjoy them in other ways – you can even eat them raw if you fancy that.

As a hobby

Gardening has always been a hobby for homeowners for decades, and it’s still a fairly popular pastime. Not only is it rewarding to literally see the fruits of your labor, but it also provides a good source of oxygen in your household, which is vital in this day and age. You also get to save a bit on money if you’re growing plants that you can make food from, which is always a plus.

Things to consider when buying Basil Seed

Here’s what you need to remember when getting basil seeds.

Variety

Variety is one of the key features of basil, and it’s what you first want to consider when getting them. Depending on what you want to use the basil seeds for, some varieties may be better than others, hence the importance of deciding the type of basil seed immediately. We can classify the seeds based on their likely uses – as an ingredient, as medicine, or as edible seeds.

Basil is used in many recipes such as pesto. Varieties such as Genovese basil are made for these purposes. While you can use other types of basil, Genovese is probably one of the better choices out there. This is a great example of why you should worry about variety more than anything else. If you already have a purpose in mind, it’ll be much easier to narrow down your search, making the buying process much simpler.

Germination rate

Another important factor any home gardener should consider is the germination rate. Germination rate refers to the rate at which a seed germinates and grows into a plant. The rate isn’t 100% for most plants, as there are some that are just bound to not grow, but many basil seeds sold these days have more than 80% germination rate, so more likely than not, they’ll grow.

That isn’t to say, however, that germination rate doesn’t matter. In fact, while some seeds offer an 80% germination rate, others boast as high as 95%. This can be important if you want to grow your seeds as soon as possible and want to maximize the possibility of your first batch of seeds growing. If you’re taking your time, though, pretty much any seed packet will do, so long as the germination rate is good enough.

Space

Even if this isn’t directly related to the basil seeds that you’re buying, you should definitely consider where you plan on planting your seeds. After all, not everybody owns a yard that they can plant their seeds in. Some live in smaller homes, while others live in apartments and have to use pots instead to grow their own plants and food.

Luckily, there are many different types of seed packets available to cater to just about anybody. Some packets are good for a few potted plants, making them ideal for indoor planting. Others come in larger packs, which are more ideal for outdoor gardens. Be sure to check the package to see how many plants you can expect to grow from the seeds so you can plan ahead accordingly.

If you’re pressed for space, you may want to consider the height of where you’re placing your plant, too. Basil plants are relatively short, but they do grow up to 24 inches in height. Two feet may not sound like a lot, but if you’re living in a small apartment where every inch of space matters, it may be too much. There are some basil varieties that grow a bit shorter, so you may want to consider looking for those instead if you don’t have that much room for two feet.

Environment

A good environment is vital if you want your plant to grow. Basil plants usually thrive in warm weather, so it’s best not to plant them when winter’s starting to come in. And even though they do love warm weather, you probably shouldn’t let it bake over a hot summer sun. If the temperature’s a little too hot, providing it some shade will keep it in good condition.

Another thing worth pointing out is that plants such as basil love moist soil. It has to have enough moisture to absorb at all times. Note that this does not mean you should keep the soil wet and drenched – too much water would be bad for the plant. Instead, keeping the soil mildly damp whenever possible is the better option. Your plant will grow more healthily and happily with the right amount of moisture found in the soil.

Basil Seed price range

Basil seeds are very cheap, and you can use them both as an ingredient for food or as planting seeds for your garden. Packets can cost $5 or more each, with around 500 to 600mg worth of seeds. The variety of the seed can affect the seeds’ price, though not as much as the brand of the seller itself.

How we choose the best Best Basil Seed

We choose our basil seeds based on their germination rate, variety, price, and customer reviews.