Basil will only last you 1 growing season; it won't come back next year.

If you are buying seedlings, just plant them as deep as they were in the containers they came in. How deep did you go?

Most plants respond well to planting the root ball at the same level as it was originally. That means that the stem should not be covered any deeper than it originally was. The soil levels should remain the same.

Shoot! I planted it deeper than it was in the peat pot it came in - it's still sticking out of the dirt but deeper - should I take it out and re-do it?

Leave it be, it will be fine as it can form a few new roots above the peat pot. I hate those peat pots only because they don't seem to break down as well as they claim. I had a basil plant snap completely off about an inch above the soil. I shoved that broken end back into the soil in the small plastic pot and continued to water it for about 3 weeks. Two weeks ago it went outdoors in the garden along with the other two, and all are doing very well. When I start peppers and tomatoes, I also bury these deeper than they were in pots, as they too form new roots higher up. About the only plants I kow of that are sensitive to depth are grafted trees and peonies, which only flower if the roots are less than two inches below the soil surface. Any deeper and the peonies will be stunted, and the grafts on trees will die.

Thanks Ksrogers!