Makes Great Pesto Perfect for Italian Dishes Great Fresh or Dried Basil Grows well in Containers and indoors Loaded with Nutrients Basil Italian Large Leaf, ‘Ocimum basilicum’, is a sweet basil that is particularly good for pesto and is also excellent for fresh use. There is nothing like the smell of basil, it is the smell of summer. There is no more useful herb. The Italian Large Leaf Basil has just that, a larger leaf than other basils. ALL SEED LOTS ARE TESTED FOR GERMINATION. LAST GERMINATION TEST 85 PERCENT. It is a good all “around basil” and it has very few pests. Italian Large Leaf Basil can be used in most Italian foods such as pesto and pasta sauces. Fresh Italian Large Leaf Basil makes a nice tea, an excellent vinegar, and tastes great fresh with fish, poultry, rice, mild vegetables, eggplant and many others. Basil requires at least 1 inch of water per week. Start seed indoors in a sunny location 2 weeks prior to warm weather. Seed can be sown directly into garden when soil is warm. Transplant outdoors in full sun when seedlings display 4-6 leaves and weather is warm. Zones 3-10