Is it Christmas already? This spicy basil variety brings the seductively sweet scent of cinnamon into our herb gardens and is used in exotic dishes, desserts, and herbal teas. Cinnamon basil is also a real eye-catcher with its pink flowers and dark green leaves. For everyone who appreciates tried-and-tested classics but doesn't want to miss out on something special.
Properties
| Plant information | |
|---|---|
| July until the first frost | |
| Medium feeder | |
| Ocimum basilicum | |
| approx. 30 cm | |
| Annual | |
| Green / Purple | |
| Exotic blend of cinnamon and basil flavor. The leaves are suitable for herbal teas, seasoning exotic dishes, salads, soups, meat dishes, and as a pizza topping. | |
Planting instructions on the envelope
Basil is a so-called light germinator and is pre-cultivated in trays on the windowsill between March and May. From the end of May, the seeds can also be sown directly outdoors. Cinnamon basil loves it warm and humid, although waterlogging must be avoided at all costs. To achieve a bountiful harvest, it is important to always cut off the entire shoot tip and not just pluck the individual leaves.
Detailed planting instructions: Cinnamon basil
A synonym for basil is "king's herb," which is derived from its Greek meaning. And king's herb is a quite fitting term. Generally, basil is a herb that can be used for so much, starting as a seasoning for tomato sauces (for pasta!) by simply cutting a fresh leaf into small pieces and adding it to the sauce. But fresh basil also pairs simply wonderfully with salad, pizza, meat, fish, and so on. It is also used today as a flavor carrier in cocktails or lemonades or—more modernly—in ice cream.
So, we have carefully worked our way up to sweet dishes or desserts, which provides a great transition to cinnamon basil. It is significantly sweeter than conventional varieties and therefore makes the mouths of those with a sweet tooth water in particular. Of course, you can also dry cinnamon basil and use it later, although a little bit of the aroma is lost in the process. If you have already worked up an appetite, then let's get started with the planting, and as you will see below, that is generally not too much of a problem.
Sun and plenty of nutrients
Cinnamon basil grows up to 40 centimeters tall if everything goes normally during planting and cultivation. You can't do a lot wrong, but let's take it one step at a time. When spring has moved beyond its first tentative attempts in April, you sow the cinnamon basil seeds. First of all, it is sensible to use seed trays—you only move the herb outdoors to the bed when it is guaranteed that there are no nasty frosts around the corner. Every two months, treat the cinnamon basil with a vegetable fertilizer and ensure, firstly, that the soil is always loose and slightly moist and, secondly, that the herb gets as much sun as possible. When you harvest, it is best to pick the tips of the shoots as well; they will then sprout again.
Be careful when watering
Because cinnamon basil is a special case when it comes to watering, we want to mention it again specifically. To ensure the plant feels comfortable from the start, fertilize when placing the herb in the pot so that there are approximately ten grams of fertilizer per liter of soil. At the same time, you must ensure that the soil remains slightly moist at all times. It is essential to prevent it from drying out completely, just as it is to avoid too much moisture or even waterlogging. Cinnamon basil doesn't like either of those things at all and will quickly let its leaves wilt in both unfortunate scenarios. If everything is right, then you will enjoy the spicy herb for a long time—and with a little luck and patience, you can even harvest the cinnamon basil in winter, as you can read in the following section.
Bringing basil through the winter
When it slowly gets colder than ten degrees Celsius in the autumn, it is time to bring the cinnamon basil back indoors. After all, it will hold out for a while if you look after it well. You should now reduce the intervals between fertilizing to about two weeks; a room temperature of 16, 17, or 18 degrees is appropriate if you place the basil on a bright windowsill (south side is best). The living room is likely not an option if you have to turn on the heating, as temperatures will quickly climb to 20 degrees and more. So, the kitchen or bedroom would be more suitable. If you keep harvesting the shoot tips—and they can be eaten, after all—the branching will not diminish, and you will have something from the cinnamon basil for quite a while. But no matter how hard you try—eventually, the time comes to say goodbye. Cinnamon basil is annual and will inevitably die one sad day.
