Mozzarella Basil Plant

Mozzarella Basil is an improved variety of basil with smaller leaves than Genovese but is more heat and disease resistant. Ocimum basilicum ‘Mozzarella’ was bred specifically to be grown successfully in a greenhouse, extending the harvest of this plant for weeks into the early fall. The deep green foliage is dense and will continue producing new shoots as long as the plants are deadheaded regularly. 

Mozzarella Basil Care  

Mozzarella Basil is grown as an annual plant in most growing zones and can be planted outside when nighttime temperatures are above 55 degrees F. Plants growing in containers in a greenhouse or unheated hoop house can be started earlier in the spring and will keep growing much later in the fall. Provide full sun and well-draining soil. Rich soil is preferred by basil, although over-fertilizing will produce leggy foliage growth that may have less flavor. Deadhead flowers as soon as they form to keep the plant from putting energy into seed production. When basil begins to set seed, the taste can be affected, making the leaves bitter.

Growing Mozzarella Basil

Basil can be grown indoors over the winter. Provide a spot in a sunny, south-facing window, and ensure the pot you use has excellent drainage. Feed indoor-grown basil with a diluted liquid seaweed extract every two weeks, being careful not to overdo it. 

Basil also grows well in containers outdoors during the summer. It can be added to seasonal mixed containers as a filler. Basil is excellent for attracting beneficial pollinators when left to bloom. The small, white flower spikes are even sometimes visited by hummingbirds and butterflies.

Watering Mozzarella Basil

Keep the soil evenly moist so that it feels like a wrung-out sponge. Basil is more prone to being overwatered than underwatered and will show signs of stress by drooping. Container-grown plants need to be checked for water daily, while garden-grown basil will grow best with 1 inch of water a week.

Feeding Mozzarella Basil

Fertilize container-grown basil with a diluted liquid feed of seaweed extract or fish emulsion every two weeks. Garden-grown basil grows best with a granular, balanced, slow-release fertilizer added to the soil at the time of planting. 

Mozzarella Basil Plant Information