If you’re looking to buy basil, this ain’t it. We’re talking about growing basil by accident.
Last year I had a hot pepper guild — two jalapeños, two habaneros in an enormous pot, and they crushed it. I tried to overwinter the pepper plants — and I killed them. Classic.
This year I went on vacation in late June and never got around to replanting the pot. When I got back, it was overgrown — except one thing was thriving in there on its own: a Thai basil plant, self-seeded from a bucket plant I’d let go to seed the year before. Nobody planted it. It just showed up and took over.
So I ripped everything else out, left the Thai basil where it stood, and planted a store-bought basil plant I’d divided. Mulched the whole thing with dried grass clippings. Then, mostly, left it alone.
“Mostly” is doing some work in that sentence. I’ve been pinching the tops and especially the flowers off both plants the whole season. My theory — which may be complete bullshit — is that basil’s basically a weed, and weeds get eaten by wildlife and just push out more growth to compensate. So pinching it is me doing the wildlife’s job. Keeps it vegetative instead of bolting to seed and quitting on me.
Whatever the reason, it worked. The Thai basil came back harder than I expected — I’m honestly still a little shocked it’s there at all — and the divided basil filled in right alongside it. Two completely different flavor profiles sharing one pot, no drama.
I’ve been using it hard this summer — cherry Roma tomato and zucchini braise being the one my wife and I keep coming back to. I’m also trying to figure out an Asian-style pesto for ramen night, alongside a regular one. If I’m growing it, I’m going to use it.
Next year? No idea if I run it back the same way or switch it up. But I like how this went, and honestly — this an example of what “being an artist” looks like from where I sit. A pot, an accident, and something worth eating at the end of it.