Photo: Photo by David J. Stang / CC BY-SA 4.0

Basil Care

Ocimum basilicum · Lamiaceae

🐾 Pet-safe 🎯 Easy ☀️ Full sun 💧 Every 2–4 days

🕮 7 min read 🕓 Last reviewed: 2026-08-23

Care at a glance

Watering

Every 2–4 days

Light

Full sun

Temperature

15–30 °C (59–86 °F)

Humidity

Average

Soil

rich, moisture-retentive but well-draining mix

Difficulty

Easy

Mature size

20–60 cm (8–24 in)

Pet safety

Pet-safe

Care effort Medium

The short version

Beginner-friendly and forgiving.
Give it Full sun.
Water every 2–4 days.
Safe around cats and dogs.

The Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is a popular houseplant from the Lamiaceae family, native to Tropical Asia. It is rated Easy to grow and typically reaches 20–60 cm indoors. Here is everything you need to keep it healthy — watering, light, humidity, feeding, propagation, and pet safety. It is a Fast grower, putting on most of its growth in the warm, bright months of spring and summer.

Also known asOcimum basilicumバジル罗勒AlbahacaBasilic

📋Quick facts

Growth rate	Fast
Mature size	20–60 cm (8–24 in)
Native region	Tropical Asia
Plant family	Lamiaceae
Toxicity	Non-toxic
Air-purifying	No
Ideal for	beginners, homes with pets

⚖️Pros & cons

Pros

Non-toxic to cats and dogs
Hard to kill; great for beginners
Fast, rewarding growth

Cons

Needs frequent watering
Needs a bright, sunny spot

💧Watering

Water your Basil roughly every 2–4 days, letting the top few centimetres of soil dry out between waterings. Always empty the saucer so the roots never sit in water — overwatering is the most common way this plant is lost.

Not sure when to water? Push a finger 2–3 cm into the soil and water only when it feels dry at that depth — a cheap moisture meter or the weight of the pot works too. Water thoroughly until it runs from the drainage holes, then tip away anything left in the saucer. Soft, yellowing lower leaves usually mean too much water; crispy, curling leaves usually mean too little. Always ease off in the darker months, when the plant drinks far less.

Never forget to water

Adds a repeating event to Google Calendar every 3 days.

📅 Add a watering reminder

☀️Light & placement

The Basil thrives in full sun and needs as much direct light as you can give it indoors.

Give it your sunniest south-facing sill — the more direct light indoors, the better the colour and shape. Too little light makes it stretch and lose its compact form. Move plants outside for summer only after hardening them off gradually.

🌡️Temperature & humidity

Keep it between 15–30 °C and away from cold draughts and heating vents. It prefers Average humidity; if your air is dry, group it with other plants or use a humidifier.

🪴Soil & feeding

Plant it in rich, moisture-retentive but well-draining mix. Feed with a balanced liquid feed monthly in spring and summer, and stop feeding in autumn and winter when growth slows.

🗓️Season-by-season care

Season	Watering	What to do
Spring (Mar–May)	Resume regular watering as growth restarts.	The main growing season begins — start feeding again, repot if it is pot-bound, and take cuttings now for the best success.
Summer (Jun–Aug)	This is the thirstiest season; check the soil more often.	Keep feeding on schedule, watch for pests in the warmth, and shield the leaves from scorching midday glass. Higher humidity is welcome.
Autumn (Sep–Nov)	Let the soil dry a little longer between waterings.	Taper off feeding as growth slows, and move the plant away from cold windows and doorways before the first chills.
Winter (Dec–Feb)	Water sparingly — overwatering now is the number-one killer.	Stop feeding, give it the brightest spot you have, and keep it away from radiators, heat vents, and cold draughts.

🪟Repotting

Repot roughly every 1–2 years, ideally in spring as growth picks up. Move up just one pot size (2–3 cm wider) with drainage holes — too big a pot holds water and invites root rot. Signs it is time: roots creeping from the drainage holes or circling the surface, water running straight through, or growth that has stalled. In the years you do not repot, scrape off and replace the top few centimetres of soil.

✂️How to propagate, step by step

Spring and early summer, during active growth, give the best success. Here is how to do it, step by step:

seed

Sow fresh seed onto the surface of moist, fine seed-starting mix.
Cover lightly only if the seed needs darkness; most need warmth of 20–25 °C.
Keep humid under a clear cover in bright, indirect light.
Germination ranges from days to months depending on the species — be patient.
Prick seedlings out into their own small pots once they have a few true leaves.

stem cuttings in water

Choose a healthy stem and cut a 10–15 cm piece just below a leaf node with clean, sharp scissors.
Strip the leaves off the lower third so no foliage will sit under water.
Stand the cutting in a glass of room-temperature water with at least one node submerged.
Keep it in bright, indirect light and refresh the water every few days.
When the roots are 3–5 cm long (usually 2–4 weeks), pot it into moist mix and keep it a little humid while it settles in.

🔬Classification

Plant type	Culinary herb
Genus	Ocimum
Family	Lamiaceae · Lamiaceae
Native to	Tropical Asia

🩺Common problems

Symptom	Likely cause	What to do
Drooping or wilting	Too little (or too much) water	Check the soil: water if dry, ease off if soggy.
Pests (mites, mealybugs)	Dry conditions or a new infected plant	Wipe the leaves, rinse, and treat with insecticidal soap or neem.
Yellowing leaves	Usually overwatering or poor drainage	Let the soil dry more between waterings and make sure the pot drains.

🩺 Plant Doctor →

🐛Pests & prevention

The usual indoor pests are spider mites (fine webbing, speckled leaves), mealybugs (white cotton-wool tufts), scale (small brown bumps), and fungus gnats (tiny flies from soggy soil). Inspect any new plant before it joins the others, wipe the leaves now and then, and let the topsoil dry to keep gnats away. At the first sign, isolate the plant, wipe or rinse off what you can, and treat with insecticidal soap or neem oil every week until it is clear.

🐾Is it safe for pets?

Good news for pet owners: the Basil is considered non-toxic to both cats and dogs by the ASPCA. It is one of the safer choices for homes with animals, though eating any plant can still cause mild stomach upset.

Toxicity information is a general guide based on ASPCA data. If your pet or child may have eaten any part of a plant, contact a vet or poison control right away.