Other Years

2022
April 9: My purple leaved variety seeds have sprouted in their cells.
June 10: Ben set out about 24 plants.
August 20: They have done well and make a good show. I collected some leaves from them last week.
 

2021
May 19: I bought some Dark Opal seeds and planted half of them in a bed.
June 7: No sprouts.
 
2020
April 2: I started 12 cells with about 40 Mammoth and 2 Dark Opal seeds. The Dark Opal seeds are from OSC and say sow by 2017. Mammoth is a large leaved mild flavoured variety from Burpee. The seeds are new.
11: Transferred seedlings to occupy 18 cells. There is no aroma to the leaves, unlike other years when they had a distinctive odour right away.
May 25: I set out 6 plants. The others died, I don't know of what. Most of the survivors are sun-scalded. Apparently the east side of the house is no longer as good for hardening off plants as it used to be now that the neighbour's trees are gone.
June 4: I bought some Opal basil seeds yesterday and planted them today.
July 1: Two days ago there were a few plants but today there is only one.
August 11: There are 3 plants now but they are small. It has been dry for them.
August 29: Still 3 plants, still small, but very nice pink flowers.
 
2017
July: I bought a package of purple basil and sprinkled the seeds in a garden bed.
July 13: No sprouts visible yet.
 
2013
May 7: I scattered some seeds in vermiculite.
June 22: I planted 5 plants in the raised bed.
September 23: They grew well enough and their leaves are presently drying for eventual kitchen use.
 
2012
March 28: I started 9 cells.
September 15: Some large plants in the raised bed and some small ones in the main garden.
 
2011
April 2: I seeded 6 cells.
May 29: I set my 6 seedlings out.
September 27:3 died and the other 3 yielded a small crop.
 
2010
March 29: I started 12 cells.
December 31: A good harvest.
 
2009
April 2: I started 9 cells, with a few seeds in each cell from 2 packages.
9: Sprouts in half of the cells.
July 4: About 9 plants are coming along.
August 3: Doing fine. I’ve snipped tips and leaves twice for recipes.
September 16: Harvested about 10 days ago and ready now to be packed.
 
2008
March 31: I started 9 cells with several seeds per cell.
April 6: 1 sprout.
8: 7 cells have sprouts.
May 22: I set out my 9 plants.
June 24: Coming along fine, although a cutworm got one. I mulched them with grass clippings.
 
2007
May 5: I sowed a row in the south perennial bed.
June 16: There were 5 sprouts in one spot and 1 separate. I separated them today.
 
2006
March 24: I started 18 cells with many seeds per cell. I intend to transplant into more than 18 cups.
April 1: As I got no sprouts from the earlier sowing, I started a tub of seeds in vermiculite.
8: Many sprouts in the tub.
April 12: One sprout has survived from the original sowing, and it is smaller than the ones in the tub. I transferred 5 sprouts from the tub into the original cells. I suspect there is something wrong with the soil. Much of it may have come from the pot in which my sedums would not root. I checked the pH; it was 7, so it's not the pH. I also transferred 9 sprouts into other cells, which too may have some of that suspected bad soil.
May 28: I set out my 5 plants.
August 1: All but one died, probably from lack of water. The survivor lasted until the new irrigation system reached it, and is now doing well.
 
2005
March 30:  I started 24 cells, with about 4 seeds per cell.
April 2:  Sprouts just peeking through.
19:  Thinned.
28:  Now all are transferred to styrofoam cups for the garage sale, except 4 for myself.
May 26:  I set out 6 plants.
June 18:  The weather has been cloudy and rainy so the plants are stunted, small but with flower buds, which I pinched off.
~August 24:  I cut off most of the stems and harvested the leaves.
September 28:  I harvested the new leaves. They did only fair this year.
 
2004
March 22:  I bought a 2g package of seeds at Rona for $1.99.   They are McKenzie seeds, Gusto Italia brand, variety Genovese o comune.   I started 40 seeds in a tub, intended for donation to the garage sale.
26:  Sprouts are pushing through.
30:  I sowed 6 cells, for my own garden, with a few seeds per cell.
April 4:  I finished transplanting 28 plants from the tub into foam cups for the garage sale.   There were 3 extras, which I discarded.
May 24:  I set my 6 plants out.
28:  Although the weather has been cool and mostly cloudy, they seem badly sunburned.   I guess they needed more hardening off.
June 29:  After a month of coolness and rain, we had had some sun and they are finally growing again.
July 31:  Medium size, with many flower stems, which I have been clipping.
August 15:  I harvested the leaves and left the stalks to see if leaves regrow.
September 18:  Some regrowth, long since frozen now.
 
2003
March 20:  I sowed 2 9-paks, using seed from the McKenzie seed package.
24:  Some seedlings are just poking through.
25:  14 sprouts, almost all in one pak.   I guess it was a little warmer in that one.
26:  15 sprouts in the second pak, irregularly distributed.
April 6:  I moved 3 seedlings into Styrofoam cups and put them under the sodium light.
10:  I thinned the other 9-pak to also get a 6-pak and some cups.
20:  I put 4 into a 4-pak, for my own garden, and the rest into Styrofoam cups for the garage sale, giving about 21 cups.
May 9:  I took the plants in the cups to the resource centre garage sale.
May 22:  I set out my 4 plants.
July 5:  They are not doing particularly well.   At first they suffered from the wind and going outside, and then they flowered without getting very large.   They are still growing, but are not as big or well-formed as I am used to.
August 27:  I harvested them.   I got 3 medium-sized plants.
 
2002
March 18:  I sowed one 9-pak, using about 50 seeds from the McKenzie seed package, which has no date.
23:  Sprouts, just when I expected them! 5 of them this morning.
24:  13 sprouts this morning.
April 2:  I divided the plants, giving 18 plants in 18 cells.
12:  I transplanted into Styrofoam cups, giving 20 cups. (2 late seedlings)
May 28:  I set out my 4 plants.   The others went to the Resource Centre garage sale.
July 24:  Doing well.   One is in flower.
~August 15:  Harvested.   I left the central stalks.
September 7:  More leaves have grown.
 
2001
May 19: I sowed some seeds in the garden.
June 18: Although there seemed to be a few sprouts earlier, there is nothing there now.
 
2000
March 19: I planted one 9-pak using about 5 seeds per cell, and covered the seeds with about 6 mm of seed soil mix.
24: 28 sprouts.
May 1: The seedlings are doing well. There are 32 of them. They are each in a Styrofoam cup or a white square pot, mostly for the upcoming garage sale. They are a little lanky. I have been putting them out to stiffen them up.
12: They were picked up for the sale. They are still lanky, but are not floppy.
19: I set out 2 plants.
20: Mulched with grass clippings.
June 15: Quite yellow, from chlorosis, and I don't know why.
August 7: Not too large, but they look ok. I clipped the flowers before they opened. The plants were looking quite dry, but recent showers have restored the leaves.
16: I harvested my 3 plants.
 
1998
April 14: I seeded one 9-pak, thickly.
19: sprouts.
26: thinned.
June 1: outside, still in shock.
~September 30: A satisfactory harvest.
 
1997
~April 25: I started some.
May 3: Repotted.
24: All but 4 donated to sale.
26: 4 set out.
June 11: Doing ok, but the leaves have often been limp or twisted.
December 18: Harvest was fine.
 
1995
May 14: I bought 5 plugs of purple basil at the Conservatory plant sale. They look rather dried out.
17: The plants are now in 6-paks.
25: Planted them.
June 17: 4 still alive.
July 7: Doing well.
 
1994
April 13: Started some seeds, 7 seeds divided among 6 cells.
16: Some basil sprouts.
17: More today.
19: 4 seedlings.
June 20: Outside, doing well.
August 17: It has been harvested twice.