When to plant basil
In zone 8, most of the UK: plant out from May to June. First harvest about 35 days later.
Growing stages
Basil: calendar by hardiness zone
| Zone | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 6 | Sowing or planting | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | ||||||
| Zone 7 | Sowing or planting | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | ||||||
| Zone 8reference | Sowing or planting | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | ||||||
| Zone 9 | Sowing or planting | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | |||||
| Zone 10 | Sowing or planting | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest |
- Zone 6
- −23 to −18 °C (−10 to 0 °F): high mountains
- Zone 7
- −18 to −12 °C (0 to 10 °F): upland Britain, eastern France, the Alps
- Zone 8
- −12 to −7 °C (10 to 20 °F): most of the UK and France
- Zone 9
- −7 to −1 °C (20 to 30 °F): south-west England, Brittany, Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts
- Zone 10
- −1 to 4 °C (30 to 40 °F): Isles of Scilly, the French Riviera, coastal Corsica
Indicative months. A cold year or a garden at altitude shifts everything by a month; watch the frosts too.
Basil in practice
- Spacing
- 25 cm along the row, 30 cm between rows
- Sun
- full sun
- Watering
- moderate
- Difficulty
- moderate
- In a pot
- yes
- Support
- none
- Family
- Mint family (Lamiaceae)
- Watch for
- slugs
Good companions for basil
Keep apart
none noted
Questions about basil
When to plant basil?
In zone 8: plant out from May to June. The four other zones are in the calendar above; at altitude or after a long winter, aim for the end of the window.
How long until harvest?
About 35 days after planting in zone 8, then the harvest lasts about 60 days.
How far apart?
25 cm between plants along the row and 30 cm between rows.
Can you grow basil in a pot?
Yes, in a deep enough pot, in the sun shown above. Soil dries fast in a pot: watch the watering more than in the ground.
What to plant nearby?
Good companions: aubergine, cherry tomato, sweet pepper and tomato. Keep apart: none noted.
Updated 20 October 2026, Hortipix catalogue version 1. Windows still being checked against Le Guide Clause, Vilmorin and Terre vivante (RHS and Cornell for the UK and the US), compared with OpenFarm (CC0). They remain indicative.