Basil Amazel

* Common name: Basil Amazel

* Botanical name: Ocimum hybrid Amazel

* What it is: Italian sweet basil is a popular cooking herb, but it often dies an early death due to a fungal disease called downy mildew. Amazel is a 2019 introduction that’s very resistant to mildew as well as being slow to flower, dense in habit, and fragrant.

   Available only in plant form, not from seed.

* Size: Bushy habit, two to three feet tall.

* Where to use: A must for any herb garden and also fits well in any vegetable garden or container. Best in full sun but will tolerate part shade.

* Care: Plant young transplants in mid-May after all danger of frost has passed. (Basil is very cold-sensitive.) Plants grow best in loose, rich, manure- or compost-enriched soil and with regular moisture. Excess heat and lack of water can affect the flavor. In-season fertilizer usually not needed.

   Harvest continually to encourage ongoing new growth. Snip off any flower spikes as soon as you see them.

* Great partner: Works well surrounded by lower-growing cooking herbs, such as thyme, oregano, and chamomile. Or pair with a good flavor companion, tomatoes.