When to Plant Basil
herb · tender · ~60 days to harvest
Planting time for basil is set by your frost dates, not by the calendar month. Start seeds indoors about 6 weeks before your last spring frost, then transplant about 2 weeks after it. From there it takes roughly 60 days to the first harvest. Basil is a tender crop, and a single light frost ends it, so both ends of its season are hard boundaries. Pick your zone below for exact dates, or find your zone by ZIP if you are not sure which one you are in.
When to plant basil by zone
| Zone | Last frost | Start indoors | In the ground | Spring harvest | Fall sow-by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3a | May 15 | Apr 3 | May 29 | Jul 28 | — |
| Zone 3b | May 13 | Apr 1 | May 27 | Jul 26 | — |
| Zone 4a | May 10 | Mar 29 | May 24 | Jul 23 | — |
| Zone 4b | May 5 | Mar 24 | May 19 | Jul 18 | — |
| Zone 5a | Apr 30 | Mar 19 | May 14 | Jul 13 | — |
| Zone 5b | Apr 25 | Mar 14 | May 9 | Jul 8 | — |
| Zone 6a | Apr 20 | Mar 9 | May 4 | Jul 3 | — |
| Zone 6b | Apr 15 | Mar 4 | Apr 29 | Jun 28 | — |
| Zone 7a | Apr 10 | Feb 27 | Apr 24 | Jun 23 | — |
| Zone 7b | Apr 3 | Feb 20 | Apr 17 | Jun 16 | — |
| Zone 8a | Mar 25 | Feb 11 | Apr 8 | Jun 7 | — |
| Zone 8b | Mar 15 | Feb 1 | Mar 29 | May 28 | — |
| Zone 9a | Mar 1 | Jan 18 | Mar 15 | May 14 | — |
| Zone 9b | Feb 15 | Jan 4 | Mar 1 | Apr 30 | — |
| Zone 10a | Jan 31 | Dec 20 | Feb 14 | Apr 15 | — |
| Zone 10b | Jan 15 | Dec 4 | Jan 29 | Mar 30 | — |
| Zone 11a | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Apr 2 | Oct onward |
| Zone 11b | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Apr 2 | Oct onward |
| Zone 12a | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Apr 2 | Oct onward |
| Zone 12b | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Apr 2 | Oct onward |
| Zone 13a | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Apr 2 | Oct onward |
| Zone 13b | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Apr 2 | Oct onward |
Dates use the representative frost window for each zone. Your own ZIP will differ by a week or two: look it up here.
Planting basil in fall
Basil blackens at the first light frost, so there is no fall window. Move a plant indoors under a light instead.
For the whole-garden version of this arithmetic, see the fall planting calendar by zone, and how to read and stretch your first frost date.
When to plant basil in 12 US cities
These use each city's own NOAA frost dates rather than its zone average, which is why two cities in the same zone can differ by a week or more. Texas alone spans a wide range: in Houston (Zone 9a) basil goes in around Feb 27 in spring; in Dallas (Zone 8a) basil goes in around Mar 22 in spring.
| City | Zone | Last frost | In the ground (spring) | Fall sow-by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | 7b | Mar 30 | Apr 13 | — |
| Los Angeles, CA | 10b | none | Feb onward (warm season) | — |
| Chicago, IL | 6a | Apr 16 | Apr 30 | — |
| Houston, TX | 9a | Feb 13 | Feb 27 | — |
| Phoenix, AZ | 9b | none | Feb onward (warm season) | — |
| Philadelphia, PA | 7b | Apr 2 | Apr 16 | — |
| Atlanta, GA | 8a | Mar 15 | Mar 29 | — |
| Dallas, TX | 8a | Mar 8 | Mar 22 | — |
| Denver, CO | 6a | May 5 | May 19 | — |
| Seattle, WA | 8b | Mar 2 | Mar 16 | — |
| Minneapolis, MN | 4b | Apr 23 | May 7 | — |
| Miami, FL | 11a | none | Feb onward (warm season) | — |
What to plant with basil
Basil grows well next to tomatoes and peppers. Long credited with confusing tomato hornworm moths by scent; controlled trials do not support that, but the pairing is harmless and convenient at harvest. The full grid for all 24 crops is in the companion planting chart.
Basil zone pages
More on growing basil
- When to start seeds indoors by zone
Indoor start dates for basil, counted back from your last frost.
- Hardening off seedlings: a schedule
A day by day plan for moving basil seedlings outdoors.
- Best grow lights for seed starting
What light seedlings actually need, and which fixtures deliver it.
- Seed-starting setup: what you actually need
Trays, mix, heat and light for starting basil indoors.
- Growing herbs indoors over winter
Keeping basil going on a windowsill or under lights once frost ends it outside.
- Companion planting chart
What to plant with basil and what to keep away from it.
Frequently asked questions
When can I plant basil?
As soon as your zone's last frost has passed and the soil has warmed. Zone 5b: May 9; Zone 6b: Apr 29; Zone 7b: Apr 17; Zone 8b: Mar 29. Start seeds indoors 6 weeks before your last frost.
How long does basil take to grow?
About 60 days from transplant or sowing to harvest.
Is basil frost-hardy?
Basil is a tender crop. Wait until after the last frost to plant outdoors.
Can you plant basil in the fall?
No. Basil blackens at the first light frost, so there is no fall window. Move a plant indoors under a light instead.
What is the latest I can plant basil?
Basil has to go in early enough to finish before your first frost, so the last useful planting is the spring or early summer one for your zone.