An important part of my work as an educator is the testing and trialing of different plants to assess their performance in our challenging (and unpredictable) North Texas climate. I’m grateful to have relationships with the world’s leading plant breeders, and they generously send me new plants to trial before they hit the market. So, I thought it would be fun to let you in on this “behind the scenes” work, and tell you about what I’m growing.
Get to know Bonsai Basil and The Kitchen Minis™collection
One of the most exciting plants to arrive on my doorstep this year is the newest addition to the Kitchen Minis™ line from PanAmerican Seed: Bonsai Basil. The Kitchen Minis™ is a collection of vegetable plants specially bred for growing indoors on a sunny windowsill or counter top in pot sizes as small as 4 inches. Isn’t that cool?
This line is a big deal because it means that plants specifically designed for indoor growing will become more widely available at nurseries. Bonsai Basil is the first herb addition to the line, and it was developed to stay bushy and small.
Also very cool is that this Greek basil’s fine, uniform leaves don’t require chopping. You can pluck the leaves straight off the plant to sprinkle over a caprese salad or on top of a homemade pizza.
Small plants for small spaces
I recently moved into a house with lots of outdoor garden space, but my previous home was a townhouse that only had a small outdoor patio. I leased a separate garden property for my test and demonstration gardens, but I still enjoyed growing as much as possible at home, and I was always on the lookout for vegetables with space-saving, small growth habits.
Kitchen Minis™ are an exciting solution for anyone who wants to grow their own food, but doesn’t have much garden space. Though I have plenty of outdoor space now, it is still such a treat to have fresh herbs growing right in my kitchen.
How I’m growing Bonsai Basil
For best results, Bonsai Basil needs as much sun as possible. At least six hours of sun will help it stay bushy and compact and as green as possible. The window above my kitchen is western-facing and only gets a few hours of direct sun, but so far, the basil is pretty happy. The plant will get bushier once I start regularly harvesting.
I’ll continue to update this post as the plant grows, and I’ll try to capture examples of how I use it, too.)
Where to buy Kitchen Minis™
You can buy other varieties of Kitchen Minis™ as seeds from Park Seed, or as seedlings from Vego Garden. (I just ordered three seedlings from Vego to test.) Be on the lookout for Bonsai Basil to be available at nurseries and online suppliers starting in 2025.
Tips for growing Kitchen Minis™
- Overwatering is the most common mistake people make when growing plants indoors. Check soil moisture by touching the surface of the soil to see if it’s cool and damp. Wait until the soil surface is dry to the touch before
watering again. - Don’t forget to fertilize. Use a water-soluble
fertilizer at every otherwatering . Because indoor plants have different needs than outdoor plants, be sure to follow application rate instructions on thefertilizer label for indoor plants. If that isn’t specified, use the outdoor plant instructions at half-strength. (For example, use only 1 teaspoon offertilizer per gallon of water if the general instructions call for 2.) For indoor plants, I use Grow Big by Fox Farm. - Put your plants in the sunniest window in your house to give them as much direct sunlight as possible. Keep in mind that the less sunlight your plants get, the less they will produce. (In other words, manage your expectations! 😁)
To learn more about gardening in North Texas, check out the classes that we offer.
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