32″ Basil Plant in our PatioPonics Portable Farm

Oh! Be still my beating heart!

Is there anything more beautiful than the rich deep color of GREEN in regard to lettuces, vegetables or herbs?

Below is a photo of a 32″ basil plant in our own PatioPonics Portable Farm we took yesterday. Younger sprouts of basil are to the right of the large plant. This weekend, I’ll cut back the basil plant to regrow and make fresh pesto from the basil leaves and invite people over for pasta and fresh, homemade bread. Wish you were here! We can always set another place!

Basil is considered the most valued ’cash crop’ grown in aquaponics because it can be grown year round (out of season in most locations) and it’s organic. 

• The basil plant usually grows to a height of 18 to 24 inches and produces many offshoots for harvest per plant.
• You can cut back basil two-thirds of the entire basil plant, once per month on four separate occasions before replanting the basil to begin the process again. This extends the harvest of the basil leaves and provides more cash-value crops instead of a one-time ‘grow and harvest cycle’ like lettuce. Basil can also be raised in batches and sold to customers as entire plants.
• Since one plant will produce for four months (after a two-month initial growth), you would only replant new basil plants every six months and be continually harvesting during each four-month harvest cycle.

Portable Farms™ Aquaponics Systems are ideal for growing green leafy herbs and vegetables because:

• The normal pH of the water in Portable Farms™ Aquaponics Systems ranges from 6.5 to 7.2 for ideal growing.
• Basil enjoys a very wide pH range between 5.1 (strongly acidic) and 8.5 (alkaline) with a preferred range of 5.5 (strongly acidic) to 6.5 (mildly acidic).
• The roots of herbs enjoy being well-drained between watering cycles.
• Portable Farms™ Aquaponics Systems allow for full sun or the option of grow lights so herbs and vegetables can be grown year round which is ‘out of season’ in many areas and owners may collect top dollar for crops from local customers.
• Since Portable Farms™ Aquaponics Systems is capable of organic growing; owners can also charge ‘organic prices’ for any plants grown in the systems.
• Basil seeds grow well in rockwool or Oasis Horticubes.
• Basil plants may be placed on 8” centers and planted off-set in each row within a grow tray allowing for ample room for lush growth for each plant.
• The root systems for basil do not spread out and are not complex root systems which makes for consistent and easy water flow throughout the grow bed during watering cycles.
• Each 40’ tray will grow 450 basil plants (on 8” centers) which allows for 900 basil plants per year grown in a single tray. These 900 plants allow four cuttings each which can be sold to local consumers at wholesale or retail prices in your area.