Anyone tried Greek Columnar basil?

[nctomatoman]

A few years ago, we were at a B&B and the owner had a huge garden. She had a basil that was tall and narrow, about 3 feet tall - she called it Greek Columnar. It does not flower under most conditions, so is available only from cuttings. This makes it particularly useful, since it does not bolt - just grows and grows till frost...it is great for pesto as well. We managed to let ours die off...need to find myself a cutting and start it again.

if anyone comes across this basil, be sure to grow it!

[Catntree]

Sounds like a great variety. Basil is one of my favorite herbs to grow...nothing like growing your own. Even dried, homegrown basil is much nicer.

[gardenmama]

Craig-

I adore Greek columnar basil. It can be tricky to find, but I have 4 nicely rooted sprigs on my kitchen windowsill just waiting for potting up this spring.
If you'd like one of these cuttings, I can arrange to get one down to Raleigh any Wed-Fri when my DH is there working. Let me know.

[JohnF]

I get it a local nursery. It is very easy to root cuttings and grows fast so one plant gets me several. I have had luck in the past keeping it growing inside for fresh winter basil.

[chilhuacle]

Thanks for the idea, I'll definitely look for some and try it.

[akgardengirl]

Nichols Garden Nursery on the west coast sells the columnar Greek basil plants for the folks on this side.
Sue

[Tomstrees]

first Greek oregano ...
now Basil !!!??? ~
That plant looks awesome !

Tom

[chilhuacle]

Anyone tried to buy Greek Columnar Basil?

Even at the best Nurseries locally I just get a blank stare.

Originally Posted by Sue

Nichols Garden Nursery on the west coast sells the columnar Greek basil plants for the folks on this side.
Sue

I checked Nichols and it worked out to $15.50 for a plant with S&H . Has anyone spotted it in the S.F. Bay Area or Sacramento? (Morningsun Herb Farm doesn’t list it.)

[akgardengirl]

I just received my order from Nichols for their "Aussie Sweetie" columnar basil and it was 21.05 including s/h for 2 plants. They are very healthy and full in 3" pots. It must cost less to ship to CA than to AK. They are perennials so if you winter them over indoors this year, you won't have the $$ output next.
Sue

[coronabarb]

This sounds like something I need to get for my garden. Morningsun doesn't carry it? Maybe they'd get it for you if you asked.

Time to get out my Nichols catalog.

[Sorellina]

Bummer that it doesn't produce flowers or seeds, though! For those of us in the tundra, I'm not sure we'd be able to over-winter it inside without a white fly infestation. I've tried uprooting herbs from the garden, potting them up and putting them inside, but they always do poorly once the heater is turned on during the cooler season. I'm wondering if any of you zone 5-ers has the answer to this problemo.

[JohnF]

I'm in zone 5 and overwinter, Bay, Rosemary,Lemon Grass, and Mexican Oregano. I grow them in pots and just move them outside in the spring and back inside in the fall.They seem to do fine for me. The Columnar Basil, though a perennial,tends to get woody main stems over time and I do better rooting cuttings ( they root very easily and grow quickly) and replacing the older plants with newer.

[gardenpaws_VA]

If you're looking for sources locally, besides asking any local growers you're acquainted with, find out if your local garden centers get stock from Gilbertie's. If they do, they can order the basil (because it's definitely in G's wholesale list), and may already have it on order.

Around here, though, it's just starting to come in - places that don't have a full greenhouse are loath to stock up on basils until it's guaranteed warm enough to keep them outdoors. I found a couple of pots this week at the nursery where I used to work, but they'll have way more by mid-May here (zone 7)..

[Delora]

Originally Posted by Sorellina

Bummer that it doesn't produce flowers or seeds, though! For those of us in the tundra, I'm not sure we'd be able to over-winter it inside without a white fly infestation. I've tried uprooting herbs from the garden, potting them up and putting them inside, but they always do poorly once the heater is turned on during the cooler season. I'm wondering if any of you zone 5-ers has the answer to this problemo.

I had fungus gnat issues this year with my over-wintered herbs (rosemary and thyme), and found a product from Garden's Alive called Knock-Out Gnats that truly did help.

http://www.gardensalive.com/product.asp?pn=1962

I don't know if it would work for white flies, and it is a bit pricey (but with GA's coupons it comes into the reasonable range), but I had been trying other methods for the gnats for 2 months, and this cleared them up in a week.


-Delora

[Delora]

Originally Posted by gardenpaws_VA

Around here, though, it's just starting to come in - places that don't have a full greenhouse are loath to stock up on basils until it's guaranteed warm enough to keep them outdoors. I found a couple of pots this week at the nursery where I used to work, but they'll have way more by mid-May here (zone 7)..

Hi Gardenpaws! Where in NoVA are you, and what nursery did you used to work at?


-Delora (in Fairfax)