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Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is fussy about moisture. If you want the most flavorful leaves on a robust plant that lives for a good long while, you’re going to have to nail the watering.
Herbs growing in soil that is too wet are prone to diseases and root rot, while those that are kept in overly dry conditions tend to bolt or have stunted growth.
All plants need the right amount of water to thrive, but some have a broader range of what’s acceptable than others. Basil is on the less tolerant end of the spectrum.
You probably want to be able to enjoy the biggest, most flavorful leaves you can, right?
Before we get stuck in, you can find our guide to growing basil here, if you need a refresher.
In this guide, here’s what we’ll discuss to ensure your herbs are receiving the right amount of moisture at the right time!
You probably have a good idea about why the right moisture level matters, but the specifics might surprise you. Let’s chat about that first:
The Importance of Moisture
I know that I’ve been guilty of assuming that so long as my plant isn’t droopy or the roots aren’t rotting away, that I’m doing a fantastic job at taking care of it, and I am probably doing well enough.
But the amount of moisture you provide to your basil directly impacts the concentration of essential oils which give the herb its flavor, the height of the specimen, and the size of the leaves.
A slight amount of water stress or underwatering will result in a smaller specimen with smaller leaves, but it will concentrate more essential oils in the foliage.
There will be a higher concentration of linalool, estragole, eugenol, and methyl cinnamate, which are the components that give basil its characteristic flavor.
Which raises the question, is there a perfect, right amount of water? It all depends on your goals.
If you want the most pungent flavor or you’re processing the leaves for the oils, a little water stress is ideal. If you want big, bushy plants with the largest leaves, you want to avoid any drought.
There’s actually a happy medium where you can stress the herb just slightly to increase the concentration of essential oils, but still allow it to grow as big and bushy as it should.
How Often to Water
I wish I could tell you that you should add exactly one inch of moisture per week, but there’s no way to be that precise. I’m sorry! The soil in everyone’s garden is different, as is the climate.
On top of that, conditions change from month to month and even day to day.
The quality of light and the amount of wind impacts how quickly moisture evaporates from the soil. How much it rains, obviously, affects the moisture level of the soil.
You might have a neighbor with the exact same plant and you’ll have to water more often because your herb is in a smaller pot or growing in sandier soil, or exposed to more direct sunlight than that of your neighbor.
In other words, every single plant is different and will need a different amount of water.
In a perfect world with humus-rich, loamy, well-draining soil with a good amount of peat, which is the perfect soil for basil, anything between six to 20 inches of moisture per year is about right.
That’s a pretty wide range!
Sandier soil will need more water than heavy clay. Plants growing in hot regions will require more than those in damp, temperate areas.
It’s enough to have you throwing up your hands and just hoping for the best!
Unless you’re measuring the oil content of your basil plants, you have lots of latitude.
The bottom line is that you’ll want to keep the soil consistently moist to produce a large, bushy plant with big leaves.
If you want to concentrate the flavor a little without compromising size, you can allow the top inch of soil to dry out between waterings. Allowing the soil to dry to two or three inches down is also fine.
You don’t need fancy tools to figure out when it’s time to water, just stick your finger in the soil. If it’s dry to the first knuckle, that’s about one inch. Dry to the second knuckle is about two inches.
If you really want, you can use a moisture meter to help you out.
When the plant starts to droop, you’ve allowed it to become too dry. You want to water before the leaves start drooping.
When you feel the soil, it should feel like a well-wrung-out sponge. That’s what you’re aiming for.
How to Water
There are two ways to water your basil plants: bottom watering and watering on the soil.
Notice that there isn’t a third option of watering on the foliage.
Yes, you can water from overhead so it lands on the foliage, but don’t do it, as consistently moist foliage can create ideal conditions for the growth of pathogens like those that cause downy mildew and leaf spot.
So make sure that the water only goes onto the soil.
Bottom watering involves placing the container in a bowl of water so that the moisture is soaked up from below. We talk about the benefits and process of bottom watering here.
Of course, you can’t bottom-water plants in the ground, so just stick to watering the soil and not on the foliage in that case.
Grow Big, Flavorful Basil
If you provide the appropriate amount of moisture, you’ll keep your basil plants happy, healthy, and productive.
After reading this guide I hope you’ve got the confidence to keep your plants properly watered!
What kind of basil are you growing? Are you raising a gorgeous purple type like ‘Dark Opal?’ Or a classic ‘Genovese?’ Let us know in the comments section below!
Now that you’ve got the moisture situation under control, you might want some more information about growing basil. Check out these guides next:
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