Basil 'Genovese' Seeds Seeds Piccolo Seeds
Basil 'Genovese' Seeds — Default Title
Basil 'Genovese' Seeds Seeds Piccolo Seeds
Piccolo Seeds

Basil 'Genovese' Seeds

The classic pesto basil, with a clove-edged flavour

£2.99

Sold out. FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

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Description

Key benefits

  • The classic pesto basil, with a clove-edged flavour
  • Large, rounded, deep green leaves for pasta and pizza
  • Bushy plant about 40 cm tall, happy in a pot
  • Pick leaves from June to September
  • Packet of about 120 seeds with growing instructions

Genovese is the basil Italian cooks reach for when they make pesto, and one pot on a sunny windowsill shows why. The leaves are large, rounded and slightly cupped, a deep matte green with a concentrated, clove-edged flavour that is less sugary than ordinary sweet basil. Ocimum basilicum 'Genovese' makes a bushy plant about 40 cm tall, happy in a pot by the kitchen door or in a warm bed beside tomatoes, and its leaves go into pesto, tomato salads, pizza and pasta sauces.

Sowing and growing

  • Sow indoors March to June on a warm windowsill or in a propagator; sow outdoors only in June, in a warm, sheltered spot.
  • Sow thinly and barely cover, about 3 mm deep.
  • Germination takes 5 to 10 days at around 20°C.
  • Grow in full sun and shelter, in light, free-draining compost; water in the morning rather than the evening.
  • Grows to about 40 cm tall and 20 cm wide.
  • Pick leaves from 6 to 8 weeks after sowing, June to September. Pinch out the tips and remove flower buds to keep it leafy.
  • Tender annual: frost kills it, so sow fresh each spring.

What you receive: a packet of about 120 seeds from Piccolo Seeds, with growing instructions on the back.

Find more herb, flower and vegetable seeds in our range, sow a pot of Thai basil seeds alongside it, or start a whole windowsill with the Kitchen Herbs seed collection.

How to use
  1. Sow indoors March to June on a warm windowsill or in a propagator.
  2. Sow thinly and barely cover, about 3 mm deep.
  3. Grow in full sun in light, free-draining compost and water in the morning.
  4. Pinch out the tips and remove flower buds to keep it leafy.
Delivery and returns

Every order is hand-packed and sent with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? You can return unused items within 14 days of delivery. See our returns policy.

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14-day returns on unused items
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Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I sow Genovese basil seeds?

Start indoors from March, when there is enough light for sturdy seedlings, and keep sowing a small pot every three or four weeks until June for a steady supply. Basil hates cold, so only move plants outside in June once nights are reliably mild.

Can I grow Genovese basil in a pot?

Yes, and in most UK summers a pot is the best way to grow it. A 20 cm pot on a sunny windowsill, greenhouse shelf or sheltered patio will hold one bushy plant. Use free-draining compost and let the surface dry slightly between waterings.

Is Genovese basil perennial?

No. It is a tender annual that flowers, sets seed and dies within a season, and it will not survive frost. A plant brought indoors in autumn may last a few more weeks, but fresh sowings each spring give the best leaves.

What is your returns policy?

Changed your mind? You can return pots, gifts, accessories and other non-plant items. Email hello@growtropicals.com with your order number within 14 days of delivery, then send the item back within 14 days of telling us. You pay the return postage.

Items must come back unused and in their original condition. If an item has been used, we may reduce your refund by the value it has lost, and for used items this can be the full price.

Live plants cannot be returned because you have changed your mind, but they are covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

If something arrives damaged, faulty or wrong, email us with your order number and photos and we will put it right at no cost to you. Full details are in our returns policy.

When will my order arrive and how much is shipping?

Choose your delivery speed at checkout. Express orders placed before 1pm are dispatched the same day, otherwise the next working day. Standard orders are dispatched within 2 to 3 working days and Economy orders within 4 to 5 working days. Once dispatched, every order travels by 24 hour tracked courier.

Delivery is free on orders over £60 with Economy, over £100 with Standard and over £150 with Express. Below that, the charge depends on your basket total and is always shown at checkout before you pay. The full price list is in our shipping policy.

Orders without plants are dispatched Monday to Friday. If your order also includes plants, it goes out Monday to Thursday so the plants are not left in the courier network over the weekend. Delivery can take longer at busy times such as Black Friday and Christmas.

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Why Grow Tropicals

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Packed with care

Packed with care

Every order is hand-packed in protective packaging and sent with tracked delivery, so it reaches you in one piece.

Free tracked delivery on orders over £60.

Ready to give

Ready to give

Add a gift message at checkout and we will handwrite it and pack it with your order.

Pair it with a plant for a complete gift.

Easy returns

Easy returns

Changed your mind? Send unused items back within 14 days of delivery and we will refund you.

Full details in our returns policy.

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Basil 'Genovese' Seeds
£2.99