Dark Opal Basil Seed Highlights
- Germination: 2 to 4 days
- Soak: No need.
- Harvest: 18 to 25 days for microgreens – can allow it to grow into baby greens (up to 40+ days)
- Flavor: Delightful basil flavor – better than Genovese basil microgreens.
- Nutrients: Vitamins A & C, iron, and magnesium.
Dark Opal Basil is a variety of sweet basil. The young true leaves and the insides of more mature leaves have a dark maroon color. The veins of the leaves also stay dark, giving this basil a variegated look.
Dark Opal Basil has a very intense basil flavor—a much more robust and sweeter taste than Genovese.
Mix young Dark Opal, Red Rubin, and Genovese Basil leaves with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese for a beautiful Caprese salad!
Primarily used as a garnish, you can also use dark Opal Basil microgreens in cooking. The microgreens add Italian flavor to dishes.
Also, try it in cocktails or non-alcoholic drinks.
Dark Opal Basil seed is mucilaginous, meaning that it develops a jelly-like coating when it gets wet. Basil loves the light and will do better in a well-lit location. Heat mats will also speed up the germination and growth of basil.
Try to harvest basil clean, as it doesn’t store well after being washed. Best to wash it just before using it.
Dark Opal Basil grows a bit quicker than Genovese Basil, in my experience.
Dark Opal Basil Seed Package Sizes
- Home Microgreens tray seed packet weighs 1.0 grams (Approximately 800 seeds).
- The 10-by-10-inch tray seed packet weighs 2.7 grams.
- We also sell Dark Opal Basil in Ounce packages.
How Much Seed Do You Need For Your Tray?
You don’t need to worry about how much seed you need if you use Home Microgreen planting trays or 1010 trays. Each seed packet has the correct number of seeds for a perfect tray of Dark Opal Basil.
The seeding area of a Home Microgreen Tray is 37.5 square inches.
However, if you’re using a different planting tray, use the calculator in the article below to figure out how much seed you need.
Click this link to use the calculator: Home Microgreens Seed Density Calculator.
