PlotChallenge
Basil

Home › Crops › Basil

When to plant basil

Hates cold: leaves blacken below about 10 °C. Pinch out the flower spikes to keep it leafy.

Photo: Castielli, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The rules we use

Frost
Tender: killed by frost. Goes out 2–3 weeks after the average last frost.
Start indoors
5–6 weeks before planting out
Soil warm enough
Weekly mean around 17°C63°F or more
Days to harvest
About 30 days from planting out in warm weather; longer when it is cool
Picking
About 10 weeks from one planting

General guidance, kept on the cautious side. Varieties differ: check the seed packet. How the dates are worked out.

At a glance

Grows outdoors in
83 of 89 cities
Earliest start (north)
Miami, January 1
Latest start (north)
San Francisco, August 15
Can go in this week
11 cities
No outdoor window
Anchorage, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast, Dublin, Hobart

Basil: city by city

Sorted from the earliest start after midwinter to the latest. Southern-hemisphere cities follow, with their seasons six months on.

Sow indoorsSow or plant outdoorsHarvestFrost seasonToday

Northern hemisphere
MiamiFlorida
HonoluluHawaii
TampaFlorida
OrlandoFlorida
PhoenixArizona
HoustonTexas
JacksonvilleFlorida
San AntonioTexas
New OrleansLouisiana
AustinTexas
TucsonArizona
Las VegasNevada
DallasTexas
CharlestonSouth Carolina
Los AngelesCalifornia
El PasoTexas
Little RockArkansas
BirminghamAlabama
FresnoCalifornia
AtlantaGeorgia
MemphisTennessee
San DiegoCalifornia
Oklahoma CityOklahoma
CharlotteNorth Carolina
TulsaOklahoma
NashvilleTennessee
RaleighNorth Carolina
SacramentoCalifornia
RichmondVirginia
St. LouisMissouri
LouisvilleKentucky
BaltimoreMaryland
WashingtonDistrict of Columbia
Kansas CityMissouri
AlbuquerqueNew Mexico
San JoseCalifornia
CincinnatiOhio
PhiladelphiaPennsylvania
IndianapolisIndiana
ColumbusOhio
PittsburghPennsylvania
OmahaNebraska
Des MoinesIowa
New YorkNew York
ClevelandOhio
MinneapolisMinnesota
Salt Lake CityUtah
DetroitMichigan
ChicagoIllinois
BostonMassachusetts
DenverColorado
MadisonWisconsin
FargoNorth Dakota
BoiseIdaho
MilwaukeeWisconsin
MontrealQuebec
TorontoOntario
OttawaOntario
BuffaloNew York
BurlingtonVermont
PortlandMaine
BillingsMontana
WinnipegManitoba
PortlandOregon
SpokaneWashington
LondonEngland
VancouverBritish Columbia
SeattleWashington
HalifaxNova Scotia
EdmontonAlberta
CardiffWales
BristolEngland
ManchesterEngland
CalgaryAlberta
BirminghamEngland
San FranciscoCalifornia
Southern hemisphere
BrisbaneQueensland
SydneyNew South Wales
PerthWestern Australia
AdelaideSouth Australia
MelbourneVictoria
AucklandNew Zealand
CanberraAustralian Capital Territory

Swipe sideways to see the whole year →

Dates

CitySow indoorsPlant outHarvest
Miami FloridaNov 20 – Dec 18Jan 1 – Dec 31Jan 1 – Dec 31
Honolulu HawaiiNov 20 – Dec 18Jan 1 – Dec 31Jan 1 – Dec 31
Tampa FloridaDec 28 – Jan 25Feb 8 – Dec 27Jan 1 – Dec 31
Orlando FloridaJan 2 – Jan 30Feb 13 – Dec 19Jan 1 – Dec 31
Phoenix ArizonaJan 25 – Feb 22, Aug 11 – Sep 8Mar 8 – May 27, Sep 22 – Oct 30Oct 13 – Feb 16, Apr 7 – Aug 25
Houston TexasJan 27 – Feb 24Mar 10 – Nov 1Apr 10 – Dec 27
Jacksonville FloridaJan 29 – Feb 26Mar 12 – Nov 7Apr 12 – Mar 1
San Antonio TexasJan 31 – Feb 28Mar 14 – Oct 19Apr 13 – Dec 2
New Orleans LouisianaFeb 1 – Mar 1Mar 15 – Oct 30Apr 14 – Jan 7
Austin TexasFeb 8 – Mar 8Mar 22 – Oct 16Apr 20 – Dec 2
Tucson ArizonaFeb 8 – Mar 8, Jun 22 – Jul 20Mar 22 – Jun 8, Aug 3 – Oct 21Apr 21 – Dec 8
Las Vegas NevadaFeb 18 – Mar 18, Jul 23 – Aug 20Apr 1 – Jun 13, Sep 3 – Oct 8Apr 30 – Sep 11, Sep 24 – Nov 21
Dallas TexasFeb 19 – Mar 19Apr 2 – Oct 10May 1 – Nov 26
Charleston South CarolinaFeb 24 – Mar 24Apr 7 – Oct 14May 6 – Dec 6
Los Angeles CaliforniaFeb 25 – Mar 25Apr 8 – Nov 7May 11 – Mar 2
El Paso TexasFeb 26 – Mar 26Apr 9 – Oct 4May 7 – Nov 18
Little Rock ArkansasMar 3 – Mar 31Apr 14 – Sep 26May 12 – Nov 9
Birmingham AlabamaMar 5 – Apr 2Apr 16 – Sep 27May 15 – Nov 10
Fresno CaliforniaMar 5 – Apr 2, Jul 1 – Jul 29Apr 16 – Jul 14, Aug 12 – Oct 4May 15 – Nov 19
Atlanta GeorgiaMar 7 – Apr 4Apr 18 – Sep 24May 17 – Nov 7
Memphis TennesseeMar 8 – Apr 5Apr 19 – Sep 26May 17 – Nov 11
San Diego CaliforniaMar 8 – Apr 5Apr 19 – Nov 2May 23 – Feb 24
Oklahoma City OklahomaMar 9 – Apr 6Apr 20 – Sep 21May 18 – Nov 1
Charlotte North CarolinaMar 11 – Apr 8Apr 22 – Sep 20May 20 – Nov 2
Tulsa OklahomaMar 13 – Apr 10Apr 24 – Sep 21May 22 – Nov 3
Nashville TennesseeMar 14 – Apr 11Apr 25 – Sep 20May 23 – Nov 2
Raleigh North CarolinaMar 15 – Apr 12Apr 26 – Sep 20May 24 – Nov 3
Sacramento CaliforniaMar 17 – Apr 14Apr 28 – Oct 2May 27 – Nov 18
Richmond VirginiaMar 19 – Apr 16Apr 30 – Sep 18May 28 – Nov 3
St. Louis MissouriMar 22 – Apr 19May 3 – Sep 12May 30 – Oct 25
Louisville KentuckyMar 22 – Apr 19May 3 – Sep 15May 31 – Oct 30
Baltimore MarylandMar 26 – Apr 23May 7 – Sep 15Jun 3 – Oct 31
Washington District of ColumbiaMar 26 – Apr 23May 7 – Sep 15Jun 3 – Oct 31
Kansas City MissouriMar 26 – Apr 23May 7 – Sep 11Jun 3 – Oct 25
Albuquerque New MexicoMar 27 – Apr 24May 8 – Sep 12Jun 4 – Oct 27
San Jose CaliforniaMar 27 – Apr 24May 8 – Oct 8Jun 8 – Dec 2
Cincinnati OhioMar 29 – Apr 26May 10 – Sep 9Jun 6 – Oct 24
Philadelphia PennsylvaniaApr 1 – Apr 29May 13 – Sep 12Jun 9 – Oct 28
Indianapolis IndianaApr 2 – Apr 30May 14 – Sep 7Jun 10 – Oct 22
Columbus OhioApr 3 – May 1May 15 – Sep 6Jun 11 – Oct 21
Pittsburgh PennsylvaniaApr 5 – May 3May 17 – Sep 4Jun 14 – Oct 20
Omaha NebraskaApr 5 – May 3May 17 – Sep 3Jun 13 – Oct 17
Des Moines IowaApr 7 – May 5May 19 – Sep 1Jun 15 – Oct 16
New York New YorkApr 9 – May 7May 21 – Sep 9Jun 17 – Oct 27
Cleveland OhioApr 11 – May 9May 23 – Sep 3Jun 20 – Oct 19
Minneapolis MinnesotaApr 14 – May 12May 26 – Aug 24Jun 22 – Oct 9
Salt Lake City UtahApr 14 – May 12May 26 – Sep 4Jun 21 – Oct 17
Detroit MichiganApr 15 – May 13May 27 – Aug 30Jun 24 – Oct 15
Chicago IllinoisApr 16 – May 14May 28 – Aug 31Jun 25 – Oct 16
Boston MassachusettsApr 18 – May 16May 30 – Aug 31Jun 27 – Oct 17
Denver ColoradoApr 19 – May 17May 31 – Aug 25Jun 27 – Oct 7
Madison WisconsinApr 21 – May 19Jun 2 – Aug 23Jun 30 – Oct 9
Fargo North DakotaApr 21 – May 19Jun 2 – Aug 16Jun 29 – Sep 29
Boise IdahoApr 23 – May 21Jun 4 – Aug 30Jul 2 – Oct 14
Milwaukee WisconsinApr 24 – May 22Jun 5 – Aug 25Jul 3 – Oct 11
Montreal QuebecApr 24 – May 22Jun 5 – Aug 20Jul 4 – Oct 5
Toronto OntarioApr 25 – May 23Jun 6 – Aug 23Jul 4 – Oct 8
Ottawa OntarioApr 25 – May 23Jun 6 – Aug 17Jul 5 – Oct 1
Buffalo New YorkApr 26 – May 24Jun 7 – Aug 26Jul 6 – Oct 13
Burlington VermontApr 29 – May 27Jun 10 – Aug 22Jul 9 – Oct 8
Portland MaineApr 30 – May 28Jun 11 – Aug 20Jul 10 – Oct 7
Billings MontanaApr 30 – May 28Jun 11 – Aug 18Jul 8 – Oct 2
Winnipeg ManitobaMay 3 – May 31Jun 14 – Aug 7Jul 12 – Sep 21
Portland OregonMay 6 – Jun 3Jun 17 – Aug 27Jul 18 – Oct 17
Spokane WashingtonMay 6 – Jun 3Jun 17 – Aug 16Jul 16 – Oct 1
London EnglandMay 12 – Jun 9Jun 23 – Aug 18Jul 25 – Oct 15
Vancouver British ColumbiaMay 14 – Jun 11Jun 25 – Aug 16Jul 27 – Oct 7
Seattle WashingtonMay 18 – Jun 15Jun 29 – Aug 19Jul 31 – Oct 12
Halifax Nova ScotiaMay 21 – Jun 18Jul 2 – Aug 17Aug 1 – Oct 6
Edmonton AlbertaMay 22 – Jun 19Jul 3 – Jul 25Aug 5 – Sep 13
Cardiff WalesMay 25 – Jun 22Jul 6 – Aug 10Aug 11 – Oct 14
Bristol EnglandMay 26 – Jun 23Jul 7 – Aug 10Aug 12 – Oct 13
Manchester EnglandMay 28 – Jun 25Jul 9 – Aug 5Aug 15 – Oct 7
Calgary AlbertaJun 1 – Jun 15Jul 13 – Jul 20Aug 18 – Sep 9
Birmingham EnglandJun 7 – Jun 25Jul 19 – Jul 30Aug 29 – Oct 3
San Francisco CaliforniaJul 4 – Aug 1Aug 15 – Sep 29Sep 20 – Nov 30
Brisbane QueenslandJul 24 – Aug 21Sep 4 – May 25Oct 5 – Sep 16
Sydney New South WalesAug 24 – Sep 21Oct 5 – Apr 25Nov 7 – Aug 17
Perth Western AustraliaAug 31 – Sep 28Oct 12 – May 10Nov 13 – Sep 1
Adelaide South AustraliaSep 13 – Oct 11Oct 25 – Apr 4Nov 26 – Jun 12
Melbourne VictoriaOct 6 – Nov 3Nov 17 – Mar 23Dec 20 – May 29
Auckland New ZealandOct 16 – Nov 13Nov 27 – Mar 27Dec 30 – Jun 10
Canberra Australian Capital TerritoryOct 17 – Nov 14Nov 28 – Mar 6Dec 29 – Apr 30
Anchorage AlaskaSummers are too cool for a reliable outdoor crop. Grow it in a greenhouse or polytunnel.
Edinburgh ScotlandSummers are too cool for a reliable outdoor crop. Grow it in a greenhouse or polytunnel.
Glasgow ScotlandSummers are too cool for a reliable outdoor crop. Grow it in a greenhouse or polytunnel.
Belfast Northern IrelandSummers are too cool for a reliable outdoor crop. Grow it in a greenhouse or polytunnel.
Dublin IrelandSummers are too cool for a reliable outdoor crop. Grow it in a greenhouse or polytunnel.
Hobart TasmaniaSummers are too cool for a reliable outdoor crop. Grow it in a greenhouse or polytunnel.

Other crops

TomatoesPeppersEggplantCucumbersZucchiniPumpkinsWatermelonsSweet cornGreen beansPeasLettuceSpinachKaleCabbageBroccoliCarrotsBeetsRadishesOnionsGarlicPotatoesSwiss chardCilantroParsley