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The history of growing basil dates back many centuries. To this day, basil wreaths are found in the Egyptian pyramids, and in ancient Greece this plant was considered sacred at all. Its medicinal properties and taste qualities, like spices, are appreciated in many countries. Today, many summer residents are happy to plant basil seeds in their backyard, so the topic “basil – growing from seeds and seedlings” is now very relevant. You will learn about what methods are best for planting crops at home, and when to plant seeds in open ground or for seedlings, in the article.
What will you need?
In order to grow good greens at home, you will have to work a little, as basil farming technology is demanding on soil and temperature conditions. Basil is an upright shrub 20 to 60 cm long with a variety of foliage. Depending on the variety, basil leaves are: bright green; dark green; purple.
In addition to different colors, basil leaves can be flat-edged or carved and even ruffled. In order to get a good harvest of basil, it is important to have: the right soil mixture, a good sunny place to plant, the ability to feed and water the plant in a timely manner, and provide quality care.
The spice is grown in two ways: planting seeds for seedlings; sowing seeds in the ground. Planting basil seeds for seedlings at home is advisable when you want to get good seed material for the next planting. Seeds planted in this way are fully mature and suitable for planting next year. You can plant seeds directly in the ground in order to obtain decorative beautiful vegetation in front of the house or spicy greens for fresh consumption.
Video “Basil in a pot”
Demonstrative video on how to plant greens in a pot.
Planting seeds in the ground
Most gardeners grow basil in order to obtain spicy greens for salads and preservation. For these purposes, you do not need to fiddle with seedlings for a long time, since you can sow the seed in the ground in early June, and you do not need to soak it. Sowing is carried out at a distance of 35–40 cm. Seeds are planted when warm weather is already established, since even the slightest frost is detrimental to the plant.
First you need to prepare the soil for planting. To do this, the soil is dug up and actively loosened. Basil doesn’t like weeds, so take the time to pick out all the roots before planting. The prepared grooves can be watered with the Zircon growth stimulator (5 ampoule of the product is used for 1 liters of water). After planting seeds in open ground, the grooves must be covered with polyethylene or agrofibre. The site should be opened after the first seedlings appear.
We choose a sunny and calm site, where the soil passes water and air well, moist and heavy soils are unsuitable for agricultural technology of such a crop. It is not recommended to plant a crop in the same place for more than two years. Predecessors for the plant: potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers.
From autumn, a plot for basil can be prepared in advance by digging and fertilizing. You need to dig up to a depth of 20-25 cm, and fertilizers are applied at the rate of 1 sq. m.:
- 3-5 kg of compost or humus;
- 20-25 g superphosphate;
- 15 g of potassium salt.
Care and formation of basil
Despite the capriciousness of the culture to weather conditions and soil, the care technology is not too complicated; there is no need to soak the seeds. The main thing is to know when to water, fertilize and loosen. After the seedlings appear, it is necessary to break through the plantings by removing the upper shoots and flowers of the young plant. It is categorically not to allow waterlogging of the soil, since as a result the plant can get sick with a “black leg”. Watering is carried out when the topsoil dries.
Fertilize once a month. It is recommended to apply nitrogen supplements as a fertilizer, as they are responsible for the active growth of the plant. Loosening is carried out seven times during the entire growing season. After weeding, the area with sowing must be watered.
Transplantation in open ground
If you have grown seedlings from seeds, then transplanting into open ground should be carried out in early July. Young shoots do not tolerate even the slightest temperature fluctuations and frosts very well. It is necessary to transplant into prepared soil. For this, peat, humus and compost are used.
It is necessary to plant seedlings in the ground at a distance of 18-20 cm, while leaving a distance of up to 30 cm between rows. Such a planting scheme will ensure the availability of light and air flow to each plant. Transplantation is preferably done on a cloudy day or in the evening. After placing the seedlings in open ground, the crops are carefully watered with warm settled water. For complete acclimatization, transplanted seedlings are covered with plastic wrap for 14 days.
Further Care
After the seedlings have passed the addiction period, and the seeds have given their first shoots, all care comes down to timely watering and fertilizing the plant. By the way, for planting this crop, choose well-lit areas, since even a small penumbra does not contribute to the growth of a young plant. Excess moisture, like very dry land, negatively affects agricultural technology, and watering should be carried out only with settled warm water. A special role in the cultivation of basil is given to the process of saturating the soil with oxygen, so try to loosen the soil after each watering or collecting weeds. As it grows, harvest on a separate leaf so as not to damage the base of the plant.
To do this, you can cut off or break off the tops of the shoots with leaves. You can use spicy greens fresh for filling various soups and vitamin salads, as well as dried. To do this, tie the collected leaves into a bundle at the tops of the shoots, and bring them in the shade. As you can see, basil, growing from seeds, or transplanting finished seedlings at home is not troublesome, but purple and green foliage is very useful.
Video “How to germinate greens for seedlings”
Demonstrative video with instructions on how to germinate greens for seedlings.
