Basil is one of the well-known culinary herbs. People use Basil to add flavor to the food. Besides, people use Basil for the treatment of digestive problems. Moreover, Basil is used in medicine. So, you might want to grow Basil in your area or around your house.
But you might be confused about the root system of Basil. Moreover, you might want to know how deep basil roots are.
Well, you must know about the root system so that the roots can’t damage any foundation or structure. Moreover, learning about the basil roots will help to grow Basil properly in your area. So, let’s see details about it.
Basil root system explained
Generally, Basil has a vigorous and deep root system. On average, basil roots can grow from 8 to 12 inches deep in the soil. Even some basil roots can grow up to 18 inches. Basil roots can grow with little water and in partial shade. But sometimes, the roots can go deeper in search of water.
While growing basil herbs in your area, you might want to know about the root system. Because some plants have deep roots. Moreover, some plants have invasive roots that can damage foundations.
So if you want to know about basil roots’ invasiveness, you must know about the root system. Generally, basil roots are non-invasive. But they have deep roots. The roots of different species of the same plant can have different root depths.
However, Basil can be of different types. For example, Thai Basil and Sweet Basil are two of the classes. Let’s see about the root systems of these basils.
Thai Basil:
Thai Basil is generally a variety of Basil. This Basil is named so because it is usually used in Asian and Thai cuisine. This type of Basil has sturdy and resilient leaves. Moreover, Thai basil has a distinct flavor that enhances the taste of the food.
Thai Basil has the same root system as the normal ones. Thai basil roots can grow from 8 to 12 inches.
That means Thai Basil also has moderate to deep roots. Moreover, Thai basil has vigorous roots like ordinary Basil. These roots can go deeper when they need water and nutrients.
That means Thai Basil will find its necessary nutrients and water from the deeper soil. But these plants are not supposed to be invasive. So these basil roots will not damage foundations or structures.
However, you can also grow basil plants in the container. For this, you must keep the container’s depth at least 10 inches. Otherwise, the Thai basil roots will have difficulties growing in a container.
Sweet Basil:
Sweet Basil is another variant of the basil plant. Generally, this Basil has a strong fragrance. But for growing this Basil, knowing about the root system is essential. Sweet Basil also has moderate to deep roots.
Sweet basil roots can grow from 8 to 12 inches. However, the roots can go deeper if they need water and nutrients. That means sweet Basil also finds their way to reach the water. But the roots are not invasive.
You can grow sweet Basil in your garden on a raised bed. This will allow the sweet basil roots to go deeper in the soil and will not damage any structure. Moreover, you can grow sweet Basil in the container.
For planting sweet Basil in a container, you need to keep the container depth at least 10 inches. If you allow enough depth and water in the container, the sweet basil roots will not damage the container.
Generally, the flavor of sweet Basil is a little different from the other types. But the rooting system is pretty the same. Sweet basil roots are also a vigorous type. So you can also plant sweet Basil the same way as growing other basil herbs.
Does Basil have deep roots?
Basil has moderate to deep roots. Many people think that basil plants have profound roots and that the roots are invasive. But these plant roots are not supposed to damage anything.
Generally, Basil roots can go deep into the soil up to 18 inches. But the average depth of these plants is 8 to 12 inches. When Basil doesn’t get enough water and nutrients from this depth, the roots can grow further.
So, basil roots will find their way to reach water and nutrients. For this reason, basil roots are often deep. But if these plants get enough water and nutrients, they don’t need to go very deep into the soil.
Even you can grow basil plants in a container also. If you provide enough water, nutrients, sunlight, and other essential things to the container, the basil plants will grow well. But if you don’t give these necessary things, the growth might be interrupted.
Otherwise, the basil plant can grow well in a 10 inches container. That means Basil doesn’t have very deep roots. But these roots can go deep into the soil if needed.
What type of root system does Basil have?
Generally, Basil has a deep and vigorous root system. That means the roots will go deeper into the ground if needed. But basil roots don’t damage structures or pipelines.
When you plant Basil in your garden, the garden bed should be raised. Otherwise, the roots can grow deeper and get interrupted by other plant roots. So, a raised bed helps the plants to grow individually with enough water and nutrients.
Basil has a deep root system of 8 to 12 inches deep roots. This depth might not be very deep compared to the other deep root plants. But basil roots can also grow deeper in search of water and other essential elements.
For this type of root, you can grow Basil in many places. Sometimes, the soil might not be good. You can still plant Basil on that soil. Because Basil will find water and other ingredients on its own.
To have deep roots, you have to keep the container of Basil a little bit longer. For example, you can keep the container height up to 10 inches. Otherwise, the growth of the plant will be slowed down.
Can Basil roots damage foundation or pipes?
No, basil roots can’t damage the foundation or pipes. You might know that basil roots are deep and vigorous. So, these plants can go deeper into the soil for water and other elements. But the plants are not supposed to damage any structure.
For damaging foundation or pipes, a plant needs to be invasive. But basil roots are not invasive. Moreover, the plant is an annual herb. So it will not grow too deeper to damage the foundation or pipes.
However, basil plants can grow from 8 to 12 inches deeper into the soil. Sometimes, the roots can go up to 18 inches deep. But these roots can’t go too deep to damage any structure. Moreover, the roots don’t have enough strength to damage structures.
Basil roots don’t damage foundation or pipes for being a non-invasive plant. So, you can grow Basil around your house. But for extra safety, you can keep two to three feet clearance from the structure while growing Basil around your home.
Do Basil spread or multiply?
Basil can be multiplied by cutting. Generally, you can multiply Basil by seeds or cuttings. From cuttings, you can grow Basil quickly. Moreover, Basil is an easy-growing plant. So, it can spread very quickly and easily.
When you want to propagate the basil plant, you can cut it from the stem and place it in the water. Then you will see the roots are spreading within 7 to 10 days. That means the root spreading is pretty fast.
After a couple of days, you can plant that part of the Basil in the soil. Then the plant will spread its roots deep in the ground. So, if you want to multiply Basil, you have to cut from the plant’s stem.
Basil can also spread from the seed. Typically, Basil germinates within 7 to 10 days after planting. Then it will be ready within a couple of weeks. So, the basil plant can spread and multiply.
Final Thoughts
Basil is a common herb with vigorous and deep roots. These roots are not invasive. But the roots can grow deep from 8 to 10 inches in the soil. Moreover, it can go up to 18 inches in search of water and nutrients. But the roots will not damage any foundation or pipes.