Basil needs nice warm days of 90F not 100F, no wind and very few bugs. Unfortunately those ideal conditions are not typical here at Eatwell Farm. Often our basil is buggy, the leaves not plump, and the plant flowers prematurely. So how do we modify their environment to give them what they need? Firstly, the soil moisture needs to as constant as possible and a plastic mulch with drip lines is the best way to achieve this. Covering the plants with a row cover fabric has the effect of protecting the crop from the wind and reflecting some of the suns rays and heat away. It also keeps the bugs away.
We will see how well it works. I would like to use reflective mulch film to keep the soil temperature lower but have none available at this time.
Look inside your Eatwell Box in Mid August to see if it has worked.