Basil Heirloom Genovese Seeds are perfect for pesto, pasta, and tomato dishes, producing abundant, fragrant, glossy green leaves on branching plants. Sow seeds directly in the garden after late spring when temperatures have warmed, spacing them 1 inch apart in fertile soil with full sun. Cover with 1/4 inch of soil and keep moist; germination takes 1 to 2 weeks. Thin or transplant seedlings to 8 inches apart once established. For an early start, sow indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost, keeping seeds warm with good light. Pinch off growing tips when plants are 6 to 8 inches tall to encourage branching. Harvest by cutting stems just above new growth for continuous regrowth and keep flowers pinched off to extend harvest.