Basil is a valuable spicy plant with a piquant taste. It is used not only as an aromatic seasoning for various dishes, but also as medicinal plant, which has anti-inflammatory, bactericidal, tonic and other useful properties. The plant is thermophilic, so the period of its cultivation in open ground is only 3-4 months. To have fresh greens on the table all year round, consider how to grow basil on the windowsill at home.
For growing basil at home on the windowsill, you can choose any variety. But you need to remember that small-leaved and undersized varieties grow faster and require less labor. Purple basil and other taller varieties need more time and care.
The following varieties are most popular among home gardeners:
- Violet.
- Citric.
- Clove aroma.
- Marquis.
- Dwarf.
- Yerevan.
Violet - a large-leaved variety of basil, reaches a height of 50 cm. The leaves have a purple or purple color. The plant has a high decorative effect and the most pronounced aroma.
Lemon - small-leaved tall variety. The leaves are light green in color, oblong in shape with small villi on the surface. It has a rich lemon aroma.
Clove scent - ornamental variety green basil. The bush has a spherical shape. The leaves have an aroma of cloves with an admixture of laurel.
Marquis is a small-leaved compact bush of medium-early ripening. The leaves have a spicy aroma.
Dwarf - a miniature variety, reaching a height of 10-20 cm. It is green and purple. It has a spicy-spicy taste. The bush is decorative, spherical in shape.
Yerevan - undersized small-leaved variety purple basil. It has a peppery taste with hints of tea.
Landing methods
There are several ways to plant spices. The fastest and least time-consuming is transplanting a finished plant from the garden. For this, young sprouts are taken and, together with a clod of earth, are placed in a pot. It should be noted that the fruiting period of such a plant is the shortest, since the flowering period will soon begin and it will have to be updated.
The method of growing basil from seeds is the most labor-intensive and time-consuming. The main advantage of this method is the longevity of the bush. Under the right conditions and proper care young greens can be harvested all year round.
You can plant basil 1-2 seeds in a large pot or sow several dozen seeds in a common shallow container at once. After about a month and a half, when the seedlings reach a height of 5-7 cm, they can be planted in individual pots.
Soil selection
Having decided on the method of planting, you can begin to prepare the soil.
The plant is highly demanding on the conditions of detention, including the quality of the soil. In order for the basil on the windowsill to feel good, the soil in which it will grow must be fertile, light, air and moisture pass well. To do this, you can take in equal proportions universal soil for indoor plants and garden soil, which must be treated from pests before use. The soil from the store does not need pre-treatment, as manufacturers take care of this in advance.
A mixture of vermicompost with coconut substrate in a ratio of 1: 2 or with soil for house plants in a ratio of 1: 4 is also suitable.
It is important to remember that for basil, a prerequisite is the presence of a drainage layer. To do this, it is necessary to pour a layer of expanded clay, pebbles or polystyrene 2-3 cm high at the bottom of the tank.
Basil growing container
Before planting the seeds, you need to choose the right container based on the chosen planting method. If further picking of seedlings is expected, then at the initial stage any pots and cups will do. small size or a box 7-10 cm high.
If you plan to grow basil in a pot without transplanting, then the volume of the container should be 1.5-2 liters, and the height should be at least 15 cm. Any container for growing spicy seasoning at home should be equipped with drainage holes.
Pre-sowing preparation of seeds
The process of germination of sprouts from seeds on the windowsill can take several weeks. This is due to the fact that the seeds of this spicy plant have a dense shell containing essential oils. To speed up the emergence of seedlings, you must perform the following steps.
Basil seeds should be soaked in warm water for 1-2 days before sowing. Every 8-12 hours the water must be changed. After that, the seeds can be kept for 2 hours in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate to exclude the possible development of fungal infections. After this time, the seeds are dried on a cloth or napkin and proceed to sowing.
Sowing basil seeds
When growing basil at home, you need to remember that the health of the plant, its growth and the quality of the crop also depend on the correct planting. The seeds of this spicy plant are small, so they do not need to be deeply buried. Optimal depth embedding is 1 cm. The distance between future plants should be 10-15 cm. do not injure young roots.
Seeds are placed in well-drained soil. After landing, the container must be covered cling film, glass or a plastic bag to create a greenhouse effect and put it in a dark, warm place, avoiding being near open windows. Shelter is removed once a day for a few minutes to prevent the development of mold. Do this until shoots appear, after which the shelter is removed completely.
Conditions for seed germination
Basil can't stand low temperatures, that's why optimal conditions for seed germination are indicators + 25 ... + 28 ° С. It is not necessary to additionally moisten the soil before germination, if necessary, you can only lightly spray the surface with a spray gun. Under the right conditions, young shoots of basil will appear in 5-7 days.
After the appearance of the first shoots, the containers are transferred to a well-lit, draft-protected place. The air temperature in the room should be within +20…+25 °С. When the temperature drops below this level, the plant begins to slow down in development and lose aroma.
It is better to grow basil in natural light during the warm season, when the duration daylight hours is at least 12 hours. Lighting in winter will require the use of additional artificial sources, such as phytolamps. They are turned on for 3-4 hours in the evening, setting at a distance of 25-30 cm from the tops of the plants. On cloudy days, such lamps can be left on throughout the day.
When the seedlings grow up to 5-7 cm, if necessary, they need to be thinned out and sprinkled with 2-3 cm of earth so that the sprouts are less stretched and the leg becomes stronger.
How to care for basil at home
In order for basil to grow well, be fragrant and juicy, it needs constant moderate moisture. In hot periods, water the plant every day in the morning. You can also spray the greens during the day from a spray bottle. It is important to remember that the soil cannot be waterlogged to avoid stagnant water and rotting of the roots.
In the autumn-winter period, it is enough to water the basil 2 times a week.
For better breathability, once every 2-3 days, the soil in containers with plants is loosened. Do this when the bush reaches a large size. For fragile shoots, this procedure is not carried out in order to avoid damage to the unformed root system.
For good growth it is necessary to feed the plants once every 2 weeks organic fertilizers. For this, a universal fertilizer based on compost or humates is well suited.
Harvesting
The first basil greens can be obtained 1-1.5 months after sowing the seeds. In order for the plant at home on the windowsill to be lush and branch well, you need to regularly pinch off 1-2 side leaves. This can be done for the first time when 4 adult leaves appear on the bush. When the plant acquires 6-8 leaves, its top is pinched, thus ensuring the development of lateral shoots. This procedure is done every 2-3 weeks. Lateral shoots are also pinched at the point of growth behind the third pair of leaves.
At least 4 lower leaves must be left on each plant, since new shoots will subsequently form in their axils. If they are cut, the plant will tend to grow up, not in breadth, and a beautiful lush bush will not work. In addition, its productivity will significantly decrease.
When the first buds appear, they are immediately removed along with the two lower leaves. If this is not done, the basil will lose its taste qualities become hard and unfit for food.
Growing basil from cuttings
There is another interesting way to grow basil on windows at home. It consists in the following: from an adult bush, bought in a store or growing on a garden bed in open ground, a side cutting is separated and placed in a container with water. The main thing is that the stalk is fresh and does not have time to lose elasticity. The water needs to be changed every day. After 1-2 weeks, roots will appear and the plant will need to be planted in a pot.
This method is convenient for those who want to grow basil on the balcony without spending a lot of time and effort. The first harvest with this method of planting can be obtained in 7-10 days, but the plant will live no more than 4 months.
Before deciding on the choice of basil variety, you should know how to grow it on the windowsill. The plant grows not only in summer, but also in winter, while it does not show special requirements. As part of spicy leaves with a pleasant aroma, there are many useful properties. Grass gives a special piquancy to the cooked dish.
During cultivation, the main thing is to follow the rules of planting and care. An important milestone considered the collection and storage of the crop.
Soil selection
Basil on the windowsill grows well in fertile, but loose and light soil with good aeration:
- An easy option would be to buy a universal flower soil, which is mixed with soil brought from the garden.
- Peat is also added to the mixture of ready-made universal and garden soil.
- Mixture ready soil for indoor flowers can be mixed with biohumus.
- Suitable land from the garden, mixed not only with peat, but also with compost.
- The ideal option is considered to be a composition of garden soil, rotted manure, river sand and wood ash.
Land, even purchased, must first be prepared. It is heated in the oven at a temperature of 110 degrees for 40 minutes. It is possible to disinfect the selected soil by spilling it with a solution of potassium permanganate. Then a complex fertilizer is applied.
There are three main ways to plant a spicy plant grown at home on an insulated balcony or on a windowsill:
- Transplantation of an adult plant bush. The option is suitable for those who have suburban area growing basil. Dig young seedlings along with the roots, leaving a small clod of earth. In this form, they are planted in prepared soil.
- Growing with cuttings is considered simple. From an adult bush, the top or young lateral processes are cut off. The cut off shoot is placed in water. As soon as the first roots begin to appear, the plant is planted in the ground. Harvesting a new crop begins in 2.5 weeks. disadvantage this method it is believed that in a couple of months another process will have to be planted.
- Growing from seeds involves the passage of several stages. It will be possible to harvest greenery after a few months, but the bushes will grow for a long time.
Each method of planting basil has its advantages and disadvantages. In any case, in order to get a rich and healthy harvest of greenery, care and the creation of certain conditions are necessary.
Basil growing container
How to plant the seeds of spicy seasoning at home, everyone chooses on their own. The container must have a volume of more than 2 liters and a depth of more than 14 cm. You can plant in flower pots, large wooden boxes or individual plastic cups:
- Potted basil is easy to grow as no picking is required. Immediately choose a pot of large volume and diameter.
- You can plant the seeds in small plastic cups. As soon as the seedlings reach a height of 6 cm, they are transplanted into a separate flower pot. Dignity this option planting is that while the plant is growing, the capacity does not take up much space.
Holes are made at the bottom of the selected container and a drainage layer 2.5 cm high is poured (suitable small pebbles or expanded clay), which will not allow stagnation excess moisture. Only after that, the prepared soil is filled up and watered with settled water.
Advice. The soil should not be filled up to the very edge of the flower pot. Leave 3 cm in order to add a new layer of earth in the future.
Pre-sowing preparation of seeds
For growing basil at home, undersized varieties with medium-sized leaves are suitable: Basilisk, Carnation, Yerevan, Dwarf, Lemon, Marquis, Troll, Purple. All these varieties are characterized by compact growth, take up little space, and the roots do not grow much.
To grow good harvest basil from seeds on the windowsill, they are pre-prepared:
- Be sure to select only large, dense seeds. For this purpose, planting material is immersed in a saline solution. Empty and bad seeds float to the surface of the water. They need to be thrown away, since you can’t wait for shoots from them.
- The seeds remaining at the bottom are soaked in warm water for 24 hours, not forgetting to change it every 8 hours. Soaking promotes rapid germination of planting material.
- For the purpose of disinfection, the seeds are kept in a manganese solution for about two hours. The treated basil seeds are washed with running water.
- On the last step the seeds are laid out on a fabric surface in one layer and left to dry completely.
In the course of further growth and development, the basilica is provided by all the necessary conditions and proper care.
Sowing basil seeds
To harvest a rich harvest of greenery, it is recommended to plant basil at home in late February or early March. Since the development of the plant requires a lot of light and heat, it is more difficult to create these conditions in winter. With a lack of heat and light, the stem becomes thinner, few side shoots are formed, the leaves will contain little essential oils and beneficial substances.
A rich harvest depends on proper fit. Seeds are planted at a depth of 15 mm with an interval of 21 mm. The container is covered with a film and cleaned in a warm place, avoiding being close to open windows. The film should be periodically removed for a while for ventilation.
After the appearance of most of the seedlings, the film is removed and the container is transferred to the lightest window sill. The first shoots should appear after 11 days. At the same time, thinning is carried out, leaving a distance of 9 cm between the bushes.
When the stem of the seedlings reaches 7 cm, add a layer of new soil. This will strengthen the seedlings and replenish the mixture with nutrients.
Conditions for seed germination
When growing basil, certain conditions must be observed:
- The air temperature in the room is maintained at around +24 degrees. At low temperatures on the thermometer (below +21 degrees), seed germination slows down and the amount of essential oils decreases. In hot air (above +29 degrees), shoots can not wait at all.
- The film that covers the container is periodically removed for ventilation.
- You can spray the soil with water using a spray bottle.
- There is no need to water the seedlings.
- soil along with planting material must be protected from drafts.
- When the seedlings grow up, a new layer of earth is added to the pot.
Enough light is needed for the healthy growth of herbs: at least 7 hours in summer sunlight, and in winter and autumn - 14 hours. For sufficient lighting in winter, artificial lighting is organized. Lamps are installed at a distance of 19 cm from the seedlings.
Daylight lamps installed near the seedlings, in summer time in the evening turn on for 4-5 hours. If it is cloudy, rainy weather, then the lamp should burn at least 9-11 hours a day.
Under all these conditions, young shoots of basil will begin to appear 11 days after planting.
How to care for basil at home
In order for basil to grow healthy, proper care is needed:
- Be sure to determine the mode of irrigation. Advice. During the summer, water the plant daily. AT winter time the number of waterings is reduced to two times a week. For watering, it is best to choose the morning hours. Basil needs a lot of moisture, but do not fill the soil.
- In the summer, they additionally organize daily spraying of greenery with settled water.
- For good growth of greenery, top dressing is carried out every 30 days. The first time fertilization is carried out in the period active growth plants.
- Periodically carry out loosening of the soil (after 3-4 days). The procedure prevents the formation of a crust and improves the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the roots. The first time the procedure is carried out only when the plant reaches a large size. Loosening of immature seedlings leads to damage to the root system.
- To make the top fluffy, and there are many side branches, regular pinching is carried out.
- Home-grown basil almost never gets sick, but treatment should be carried out for prevention.
Advice. Plants should not be allowed to bloom. The buds are plucked immediately after their appearance, along with neighboring leaves. If this is not done, the leaves acquire a bitter taste and become unsuitable for human consumption.
In most cases, basil is affected by diseases such as fusarium, blackleg and gray mold. Basic preventive measure the establishment of the irrigation regime is considered. Overflow should be avoided.
If a problem is found, the diseased sprout is removed along with the roots, and the whole earth is watered with a solution of potassium permanganate or onion infusion. In diseased bushes, the stem becomes thinner, the leaves dry, turn yellow and wither. You may notice yellow or black spots and stripes. In the case of the spread of the disease to other sprouts, drugs such as Fitosporin or Topaz are used.
Of the pests that can damage basil seedlings at home, the danger is aphids. Insects suck the juice from the plant, as a result, the leaves and stem dry, growth stops. Help to cope with the pest infusions based on wormwood, mustard, tansy, dandelion.
Harvesting
The first basil greens begin to be cut after 35-40 days. By this time, 5 leaves are formed on each bush.
To keep the basil greens at home on the windowsill fluffy, pinching is carried out frequently. The first time they pinch off 2-3 leaves from the top after 30 days. The next time the procedure is repeated when three pairs of leaves appear on the stem. In the future, pinching is repeated every two weeks.
Cut tops during pinching can be added during cooking or dried for long-term storage. If there is a need for several leaves, then choose from the bottom row.
Advice. At the bottom of the stem, be sure to leave 3-4 leaves. If there are no lower leaves, then the plant will stretch upwards, and the green yield will decrease.
Basil- a favorite of many spicy greens, which gives a spicy taste and aroma to various dishes, as well as healthy.
High concentration essential oils allows the use of basil for cosmetic purposes, and in folk medicine.
In the summer, it grows in vegetable gardens, household plots, and to serve fresh herbs to the table all year round, you can grow basil in a pot in the walls of the house, it's simple enough.
Varieties of basil for growing at home
Small-leaved varieties of basil grow best at home, preferably plants that reach in no more than half a meter high.
Here is some of them:
- marquis- mid-early variety, undersized plant up to 25 cm, spherical or pyramidal shape, green leaves, have a pronounced clove-pepper aroma;
- Dwarf- compact bushes 10-18 cm in height, grown as aromatic herbs and as ornamental plant, sometimes green and purple;
- Basilisk – compact bushes height 20-25 cm, leaves with a peppery-clove spicy taste and smell, early ripening;
- Troll- reaches 35-40 cm in height, the leaves are green-purple, small;
- Clove- medium-sized basil 35-45 cm high with a sharp clove-anise smell;
- Philosopher- undersized bushes (25-30 cm) with leaves purple, clove aroma;
- Spicy Globe- bushy basil small sheets, forms sprawling, but compact bushes, has a lively spicy aroma;
- bush minette- miniature bushes, ideal for growing in containers, tiny leaves;
- Cinnamon- small bushes, leaves with the aroma of cinnamon; Small-leaved basil (piccolo) - the leaves are small and narrow, the taste is sweet, almost without astringency, the smell resembles allspice.
What conditions are required for growing basil
Basil has a developed root system, so for its cultivation you need deep enough and voluminous boxes, containers or flowerpots. basilica need regular watering, while good water permeability of the soil is important, so light structural soil should be used.
Be sure to have peat, humus or compost in the composition of the soil, clay will contribute to optimal water circulation, and to keep it from stagnation, you need a drainage layer for which fine gravel or expanded clay can be used.
Basil is a thermophilic and light-loving culture.
The best place to grow it is a window sill, in winter required heat will be provided thanks to the heating radiator, and if there is not enough sunlight, it is necessary to organize the backlight. Important provide protection seedlings from drafts.
The best temperature for growing basil is 25⁰
. You can keep boxes with basil on a glazed and insulated balcony, loggia, especially if their heating and lighting are organized.
If a balcony unheated, and it gets colder outside, it is necessary to cover the basil with a film, protecting it from wind and hypothermia.
Optimal time for sowing or planting cuttings basil is considered spring, March-April, then during the period of active growth, the plants will receive enough heat and light.
If the owners have sufficient experience, containers with basil are kept in a warm place, for example, on the kitchen windowsill, the heating radiator is on and artificial lighting is provided, the planting season does not matter.
Basil cuttings
Can you grow basil at home? two ways:
- from seeds;
- from cuttings.
If the house or friends already have a growing basil, you can cut cuttings from it, for this, the upper and middle parts of the stem are used. You can also buy a small container of growing basil from the store, if it's fresh, it's fine to serve. source of cuttings.
The cuttings are placed in water, the roots usually appear within a week, after two weeks they can be planted in the ground. Possibly also rooting cuttings immediately in the ground, from above they need to be covered with jars or cut PET bottles, to increase the likelihood of successful rooting, add a root formation stimulator when watering.
Basil rooted quite well vegetative reproduction, and when planting cuttings or seedlings, they will quickly reach sizes that allow harvest.
But barely rooted cuttings are quite fragile, but sprouts grown from seeds are not so delicate, so sowing basil is considered more practical option , although it requires more time to wait for the harvest.
Sowing and preparation for it
Both the soil and the seeds need to be prepared. Self-prepared soil must be disinfected, heating in the oven for up to an hour, the soil purchased in specialized stores is being processed.
Directly soil before sowing warmed up to room temperature and enriched mineral fertilizers or humic concentrate.
In the prepared soil, grooves are made with a depth 0.5-1 cm with row spacing of 10 cm, prepared seeds are sown in them, the distance between the seeds should also be not less than 7 cm.
The grooves are sprinkled with earth, the soil is moistened and covered with a transparent film or glass to preserve moisture. Boxes need to be kept in a warm place, for seed germination usually need 5-7 days.
Emerging shoots need good lighting, they must be illuminated for at least 16 hours a day.
When seedlings reached 5 cm in height, they can be transplanted into another box, more spacious and deep, or into pots, a bush from a bush at a distance 15 cm or more.
Rooted Basil Care
Bye sprouts less than 5 cm, enough watering without loosening. After rooting of strengthened seedlings once every 2-3 days the soil must be loosened, watered if the soil dries up. Watering should not be excessive, otherwise above-ground part plants can be affected by mold, fungus.
Water the basil in the morning with water at room temperature. If worth hot dry weather, watering twice a day is possible, in the morning and in the afternoon. Fertilizing with mineral fertilizers is carried out from the moment one or two leaves appear on the seedlings and further with an interval about a month.
For top dressing composition is used: 10 g of a mixture of fertilizers is taken per liter of water: nitrogen (2 g), potash (3 g) and phosphorus (5 g). It is not necessary to thin out the planting if a sufficient distance is maintained between the plants when transplanting young seedlings.
In order for the leaves to grow more actively, the plant grows in breadth, you need to pinch off the upper shoots, pinching the tops begin after the appearance of 4-6 leaves.
During the flowering period the ovary of flowers is left only if the basil is grown for seeds, the buds of plants grown on the leaf break off, flowering should not be allowed. Then the leaves will be more fragrant, and the plant will not fade longer.
More detailed instructions on growing basil at home you will find on the video:
Harvesting basil
Indoors, basil grows quite slowly, and the leaves should not be cut until the bushes reach at least 10 cm in height. To replenish the supply of fresh greens for the table, it is enough to periodically break off or cut off the tops of the shoots from different bushes, several leaves each.
As a result, basil it will be better to bite, to give lush greens that can be used as needed without tearing the main plant. If you need to stock up a lot of greenery for the future, the stem is cut closer to the base, so that only 4 bottom leaves. New leaves will grow from their sinuses.
Thus it is annual plant will produce green for a long time.
Potential Problems When Growing Basil
Basil is a plant that is resistant to diseases and pests, but it also has there is weak spots . Pests such as slugs and snails, as a rule, do not threaten basil growing at home on the windowsill. Weeds in the treated soil also rarely appear.
But gray mold and fusarium home-grown plants can also be affected, usually due to soil overflow. In this case, the affected leaves break off, if the disease has struck the stem, the plant must be uprooted, so that neighbors do not get infected. The soil is sprinkled with ashes and loosened so that the ashes penetrate deep into the soil.
Fresh fragrant basil is the most popular and exquisite spice used in cooking. In order to enjoy fragrant greenery all year round, many housewives grow basil on the windowsill in the cold season. Basil is a versatile seasoning that pairs well with fish and meat dishes. Fresh spicy greens can be added to salads, marinades, sauces to give a unique taste and aroma. Basil contains many useful vitamins and minerals, as well as phytoncides and esters, widely used in medicine. Basil is an unpretentious plant, therefore, subject to suitable conditions even an inexperienced housewife will be able to grow this spice at home.
Growing basil is possible not only in the store earth mixture, but also in ordinary soil taken from the garden. Only in this case, it will be necessary to add mineral fertilizers to the soil, specially designed for vegetable crops. In order to grow basil in an apartment you will need the following materials and accessories:
- high-quality soil - a universal mixture is suitable for basil, which is sold in specialized flower shops;
- seeds;
- planting containers - if the subsequent transplantation of seedlings into pots is expected, then small plastic glasses or other unnecessary containers can be used, but if the plants are not transplanted, then the seeds are planted in large containers with holes to remove excess liquid: flower pots, plastic containers;
- drainage;
- watering can for watering basil;
- water sprayer for spraying plants.
Choosing a type of basil
In nature, there are about two hundred species and varieties of basil, but only a few (no more than ten) of them are popular and used for food. For growing in pots on the windowsill of the house or on the balcony, decorative undersized varieties of basil are better suited:
- Marquis is a small-leaved mid-early variety, a compact, decorative bush, most often of a spherical shape;
- Carnation - decorative green variety with a tart taste and aroma of cloves with laurel, forms a spherical bush in a pot;
- Dwarf - a low (10-20 cm) decorative variety with a slightly spicy and spicy taste, a small-leaved, spherical bush, sometimes green and purple;
- Lemon - a rather rare variety with light green leaves and a strong lemon aroma;
- Yerevan - undersized variety with purple-blue leaves, spicy taste and aroma of pepper with tea;
- Violet - large-leaved ornamental variety with a delicate taste and purple-violet leaves - lovely decoration not only for salad, but also for the windowsill.
You can choose a variety of basil according to the speed of ripening. Of the above varieties, the early ones include: Clove, Lemon, Dwarf.
Video "How to grow basil at home"
Soil preparation
If the cultivation of basil at home on a windowsill or balcony will take place in a ready-made universal soil mixture, then no preliminary preparation soil is not required, as ready-made mixtures already contain all the necessary fertilizers. The only thing left to do is to place a layer of drainage on the bottom of the tank, and then fill up the soil. If the land is taken directly from the garden, then before growing basil on the windowsill, it must be enriched with minerals. The soil intended for planting basil seeds should be light, fertile, with a good permeable structure. Such a soil can be prepared from the following components:
- peat, humus and earth in equal parts - all components of the mixture must be mixed well;
- 2 parts of humus and 1 part of coconut fibers;
- 1 part of humus, 2 parts of peat - such a substrate must be supplemented with urea, superphosphate and potassium sulfate;
- 2 parts earth and 1 part fresh compost.
Some gardeners recommend that garden soil, taken for planting plants at home, be calcined in the oven for 20 minutes on a metal baking sheet (pallet), then fill it with complex mineral fertilizers. Growing basil is impossible without drainage - constantly being in moist soil, the plant will hurt and grow poorly. Drainage (expanded clay, small pebbles) can be two-thirds of the total soil volume, but not less than 2-3 cm.
Planting seeds in the ground
Almost all seeds herbs take a long time to germinate and grow slowly. This is due to the presence of a dense shell containing essential substances. Therefore, before planting basil seeds, you need to keep them in a warm place for some time (1-2 weeks) - warm them up, then soak them warm for a day, but not hot water. Basil seeds are planted in moist soil to a depth of no more than 1 cm. Several seeds can be sown in one hole for safety - if they all germinate, the weakest sprouts will need to be removed. If the seeds are planted in rows in long boxes, then the distance between them should be approximately 5 cm.
Care and harvest
To obtain basil shoots, heat and light are needed, so pots with planted plants should be covered with a film, placed on a windowsill or on a balcony, and make sure that the temperature under the film does not fall below 22-25 degrees. Every day, the film should be removed for a few minutes to air.
Approximately in the second week after planting the seeds, the first shoots begin to appear. At this time, the film can be gradually removed, and the temperature can be lowered to 20-22 degrees. Basil does not tolerate drafts - this must be taken into account when placing pots with seedlings on the balcony.
Basil is a very photophilous crop, and without sufficient heat and light, its cultivation at home is impossible. But how to grow basil on the windowsill if the windows of the house face north, and also in winter, when daylight hours are very short? In this case, you will need additional illumination using special lamps, or other lighting fixtures. Basil needs at least 15 hours of light daily to grow normally. If it is impossible to provide such conditions, it is better to sow the spice no earlier than February.
Further cultivation and care of basil at home consists in regular watering and loosening the soil. Young plants should be watered daily in the morning, in extreme heat, you can additionally water in the evening. Water for irrigation should be relatively warm (about 30 ° C). Loosening is carried out 1 time / 2 weeks. With the advent of lateral shoots, the plants must be fed with an organic complex mixture.
After a few weeks, the young plant will turn into a fragrant bush, from which you can harvest the first crop. For use in food, it is recommended to pluck the tops of young shoots. So the plant will branch better and will not be able to bloom - a blooming basil bush is unsuitable for consumption.
Video "Detailed information about the plant"
Informative video with useful and detailed information about the plant.
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