Better to plant basil. How to grow basil at home on a windowsill in winter? Transplanting a plant from open ground
Basil - herbaceous aromatic plant, a favorite spice that is successfully used in cooking for preparing first courses, meat and vegetable dishes, sauces and fresh salads, both fresh and dry. A spice originally from Asia, basil was worshiped in Iran, Ceylon and India, and later its multifaceted aroma was appreciated by Europeans. Translated from Greek, “basil” means “royal” or “royal.” There are several varieties herbaceous plant, which differ appearance bush, aroma and color of leaves. Different types of fragrant basil are grown in all corners of the world. In our latitudes, purple basil is the most popular, and Italians cannot imagine their dishes without the fragrant leaves of green basil. How to grow fragrant basil on your own summer cottage and how to care for the plant?
Basil - annual plant, which forms a small branched and decorative bush 20-60 cm high (depending on the type and variety of the plant). Basil leaves vary in shape, color and size. They can be bright green, purple, oval and oblong, large and small. But between all the variety of colors and shapes of leaves, there is one main similarity - this is their divine spicy aroma that they exude. Basil – heat-loving plant and is afraid of frost, as a rule, grown by seedlings. The flowering time of the plant is mid-summer; inflorescences consisting of several appear at the ends of the shoots. small flowers various shades: white, pink, light purple. The calyxes, stems and leaves of the plant are slightly rough to the touch; it is in them that the glands with essential oil are located, which gives the basil a spicy, pleasant aroma. Types and varieties of basilThere are more than 70 types of basil in nature. They differ in the height of the bush, shape, size and color of fragrant leaves. Let's look at the most popular types and varieties of plants. Sweet basil (camphor, common). A type of basil known all over the world. A plant with branched foliage. The bush is tall, from 55 to 70 cm. Its stem and leaves are slightly pubescent, the aroma is soft, peppery, reminiscent of cloves. The best varieties fragrant basil:
Black basil. A bright and unusual type of basil. Its stems and leaves have a rich dark purple hue, sometimes black. It has an excellent spicy and fiery aroma. Widely used in dried form. Known varieties:
Red basil. Branched bush of small height. The leaves are colored lilac-red, fragrant. Known varieties:
Growing BasilBasil is a heat-loving crop that requires soil fertility. Observing everything optimal conditions To grow the fragrant spice, you can grow a rich harvest of basil in your dacha. You can grow the plant both in your garden bed and on your windowsill. Planting spicy basil in open ground is possible in two ways: seeds or seedlings, which is the best planting option. Site and soil for basilGrowing area herbs choose a sunny, well-warmed and protected from drafts. Basil prefers light, fertile and well-drained soil. You can plant the plant after growing it on the site vegetable crops, such as potatoes, tomatoes, legumes.
When digging up the soil, remove all weed rhizomes so that they do not interfere with the development and growth of young basil seedlings. It is necessary to completely clear the area of weeds to obtain high yields.
Planting basil in open ground as seedlingsPlanting basil in the form of seedlings is a popular way of growing a spicy crop to obtain high yields in early dates. Basil seeds should be planted for seedlings in late March or early April.
Basil: planting in open groundAt the end of May, when the soil has already warmed up sufficiently (up to 15 degrees), seedlings from pots can be planted in beds, keeping a distance between bushes of 25-30 cm. The depth of planting a bush in the ground is about 10 cm. The soil should not only be well heated, but and moistened, so it is necessary to water it well before planting. A young plant should be planted so that its main bud and lower leaves are located above the ground. For planting, choose a cloudy day so that the sun does not burn the tender leaves of the young plant.
Basil: planting by seedsResidents of the southern regions can plant basil seeds directly in open ground. As a rule, at the end of May, when the crop is planted, there are no longer night frosts in these regions, and the soil has time to warm up to 15 degrees Celsius. If you live in the northern or central part of the country, then it is recommended to use seedling method cultivation mentioned above. Basil is a heat-loving crop. Even slight temperature fluctuations, a drop in temperature or night frosts can damage the seedlings.
Caring for BasilCaring for basil is easy. It requires regular watering and loosening of the soil, and weeds must be destroyed. It should be remembered that basil does not tolerate waterlogging; the root of the plant can rot from excessive moisture. Water the bushes as the soil dries out. During the active growth of greenery, the bushes need to be fed with fertilizers. First feeding nitrogen fertilizer carried out even before the inflorescences are formed (ammonium nitrate 15 g/m2). After about a month, you can add phosphorus fertilizer (superphosphate 10-15 g/m2) to the soil. Basil bushes should be well lit, if the plant does not have enough sunlight– its growth decreases, the leaves become small, and their taste deteriorates. Basil grows and produces lush greenery before the onset of autumn cold weather. You can dig up bushes and transplant them into indoor pot and move it indoors for the winter. This way you will have fragrant greens on your table all year round.
How to grow basil at home, on the windowsillYou can grow an aromatic spice on a windowsill. Main conditions for successful harvest: sunny south window, fertile, light-draining soil and regular watering of the plant. You can grow basil in a pot from seeds or using cuttings. You can buy cuttings in a store or dig them from the garden. Planting cuttings is the most easy way growing aromatic bushes, they take root easily and quickly begin active growth. Growing basil in a pot from seeds is a longer process. When planting in the autumn-winter period, the seedlings will require additional lighting with a lamp, since in insufficient light the shoots will begin to stretch upward.
Diseases and pestsBasil is not susceptible to attack by insect pests and is resistant to many diseases. But under unfavorable growing conditions, the plant is most often affected by fungal diseases:  How to protect basil from infection with fungal diseases:
Basil pestsAmong dangerous pests Spicy greens are secreted by aphids and field bugs.
Harvesting and dryingWhen the plant reaches a height of 10-15 cm, its leaves and shoots can be cut into greens and used to prepare aromatic dishes. If you want to dry the leaves for the winter, the best time to harvest is when the plant begins to flower. It is during this period that the aroma of greenery is most saturated with essential oils. Basil can be dried in two ways:  Basil should be dried at a temperature of no more than 35-36 C, since when high temperatures its essential oils will evaporate. Well-dried stems and leaves wash well into powder and are ready for use. Dried basil should be stored in glass or earthenware containers with an airtight lid. Storage time is from 3 to 4 years.
If you follow all the rules for growing and caring for a heat-loving plant, you can provide your whole family with aromatic, spicy and healthy herbs all year round. By seasoning your favorite dishes with dried basil, you will give them an extraordinary taste and spicy oriental aroma.
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In addition to the widespread use of basil in cooking, the properties of the essential oils contained in its leaves are used in 
Purple basil. The most common type of basil grown in our region. The leaves of the species are bright, reddish-purple in color with a strong fragrant aroma. The castings are large, fleshy, with a tart taste; they are used to prepare many Asian and Caucasian dishes. The most common varieties:
Lemon basil. Semi-spreading low plant up to 35 cm tall with branched foliage. The soft green leaves exude a zesty lemon aroma and have a lemony taste. Gardeners prefer to grow the following varieties of lemon basil:
Green basil. Low bushes reach a height of up to 45 cm. The leaves are light green in color, have a light aroma and delicate taste. Among 
If you ask residents of the northern regions what spices they sow on their plots, you will most often hear standard answers: dill, parsley, anise, cumin. Few people know that growing basil in open ground from seeds is not at all difficult, and its taste is simply excellent.
Mystical superstitions are partly to blame for this: in the Middle Ages, Europeans considered this herb a cursed plant, the smell of which alone had a bad effect on humans. Some people are afraid that a southern guest in a cold area will require complex care. Nowadays it’s hard to imagine Italian or French cuisine without such spice. Russian chefs also appreciated the taste and aroma of basil; it is added to many dishes.
Why do you need basil on the plot?
Exist different types basil, when buying seeds, pay attention to their features:
- Sweet basil has a tart taste and aroma reminiscent of cloves.
- Purple basil is a favorite spice of the peoples of the Caucasus, where it is called “regan”; greens are used for cooking, and the seeds are sprinkled on finished dishes. Large succulent leaves, colored purple, have a delicate taste.
- Lemon basil is named for its lemon aroma and flavor. A very productive species if you provide it good care, can produce up to 250 g of leaves per bush.
Basil is not only tasty, but also healthy. During the growing season, many vitamins, microelements, and essential oils accumulate in the leaves. It has a beneficial effect on the nervous and excretory systems and has an anti-inflammatory effect. The bush itself looks very attractive; it can be planted in a flower bed as an ornamental plant.
Advice! When adding basil to dishes, use moderation. Too many leaves can completely drown out the taste of other foods.
The aroma of basil drives away fruit trees pests. You can plant the spice in tree trunk circles, and you will not need chemical insecticides. In the relaxing corners surrounded by fragrant bushes, you can calmly read and take a nap: neither flies nor mosquitoes will disturb your peace. Grow the spice from seeds in pots on the windowsill: you will get both an air flavor in the apartment and a natural insecticide.
To ensure that spicy leaves appear on your table as early as possible, grow basil from seeds through seedlings. Take equal quantities garden soil, peat and humus, pour the mixture with a fertilizer solution:
- water – 5 l,
- superphosphate – 0.5 teaspoons,
- potassium chloride – 0.5 teaspoon,
- urea – 0.5 teaspoon,
- potassium sulfate – 0.5 teaspoon.
Fill the boxes with soil, sow the seeds and plant them to a depth of 1 cm.
Cover the containers with glass or film and put them in a warm place. Best temperature for seed germination from +25⁰ to +28⁰. Shoots will appear in a week, but mold and fungi may develop earlier, so ventilate the plantings every day. When you see green sprouts, open the box and move it to a place where it is about 8⁰ cooler: in extreme heat, the seedlings stretch out. There will be enough food for the seedlings until picking; the main care for them is proper watering. In dry soil, seedlings will die, and in too wet soil they may develop blackleg. As soon as you notice suspicious signs in at least one plant, remove it and treat all seedlings with a mixture of 1 liter of water and 0.5 teaspoon copper sulfate.
When 2 true leaves appear, the seedlings need to be planted in individual pots. Be careful not to damage the delicate roots; it is better to plant the sprouts with a small lump of earth. Caring for seedlings is the same as for seedlings: the main attention should be paid to watering. Monitor the condition of the soil in the garden: planting basil in open ground is possible when the ground warms up to +15⁰. A week before transplanting, take the seedlings out to open air. The temperature during “walks” should not be lower than +10⁰.
If you did not have time to grow seedlings from seeds in the spring, you can plant basil seeds in open ground in June. To speed up germination, water the furrows with a growth stimulator. Cover the bed with film or non-woven material, the shelter can be removed only after germination. IN northern regions where frosts occur already in August, it is undesirable to plant this way, you may not wait for the harvest.
For a spice plantation you need to choose a sunny place in fertile soils. The plant does not like waterlogged soil; low-lying areas need drainage. If you plant a plant in wet, heavy clay, you won’t get many fragrant leaves, the bush will be stunted and will soon die; no amount of care will help it. Do you have a wonderful place where, over the past few years, basil has produced abundant harvests both from seedlings and from seedlings? You will have to look for another area: the land may be contaminated with fusarium, which will destroy new plantings. You need to plant crops resistant to this disease there for at least 5 years, then you can return the spice to its old place.
Each region has its own timing for planting basil seedlings in open ground. This is a heat-loving plant; you need to navigate by the weather when the threat of frost passes. It’s better to take your time and plant young shoots in early June: care will become much easier, you won’t need to protect the seedlings from frost, and you’ll have time to harvest. Just in case, provide the ability to quickly protect the plantings from the cold.
Remember the spice plant’s love for light, fertile soils and add 2 kg of compost, peat and black soil per m2 for planting. It is advisable to plant young plants in the evening. You can do this in the morning if you are sure that the day will be cloudy, or cover the seedlings from direct sunlight. Place containers of water in an open, sunny place in advance so that the irrigation liquid is warm.
In the garden bed, mark the rows at a distance of 30 cm from each other and dig holes every 15-20 cm, the depth of the holes should be from 7 to 10 cm. If you plant too often, the plants will become crowded and care will be difficult. Throw a few hydrogel granules under each bush to keep the soil moisture stable. Plant the seedlings and water the soil well. Cover the row spacing with a 5 cm thick layer of peat, compost or sawdust.
Caring for a heat-loving plant
Caring for basil in open ground does not require any new skills. Remember that the plant loves moisture, but cannot live in waterlogged soil. If you made good drainage before planting or added hydrogel to the ground, you don’t have to worry about overwatering when watering. Monitor the condition of the soil: as soon as it starts to dry out, you need to moisten the bed. Use warm water: Sudden temperature changes cause severe stress to plants.
For plants to develop well, they need everything nutrients and microelements. Dense greenery appears when there is enough nitrogen in the soil; use complex fertilizers with a predominance of this component. Do the first feeding 2 weeks after transplantation. Further care follow the scheme: fertilize once a month throughout the season - and you will always have fresh, juicy leaves on the table.
The plant needs good soil structure, so if you have not mulched the bed, you will have to use the cultivator quite often. Cover the soil with compost, grass clippings or sawdust with a layer of at least 5 cm, and the soil will be loose and weeds will not break through. Sprinkle the bed thin layer mulch does not make sense, the weeds will be able to break through to the light. If you have little material, it is better to cover half the bed well than to cover all the plantings somehow. You will still make your work easier: caring for a properly treated area will become very simple.
Advice! Never mulch a bed with sown seeds: the seedlings will not have enough light to grow. Wait until the seedlings reach a height of 7-8 cm and then fill the rows.
The more branched the basil is, the more green it will produce. When buds appear, cut them off, and all the plant’s energy will be used to form new shoots and young leaves. You can pick greens for preparing salads all season long, but the spicy plant reaches its peak taste and aroma when the first buds appear, then you can start harvesting. When harvesting, be careful not to rip off the leaves with a strong tug.
You could pull an entire bush out of the ground, and it could still give you a lot of greenery. Carefully break off or cut off the young ends of the shoots with leaves. You need to dry the spice in a warm, ventilated place where it is not exposed to Sun rays. Collecting seeds for planting next year should be done from the strongest and most productive plants.
Advice! In the fall, dig up a basil bush and plant it in flower pot. The plant grows well on a windowsill, and you will be eating fresh herbs all winter.
Conclusion
Southern basil can be grown from seeds in almost all regions of our country, except the Far North. In open ground it can exist when the soil warms up to +15⁰, and on the coldest nights the temperature does not drop below +7⁰. To quickly enjoy the fragrant leaves, grow the spicy crop through seedlings. Do not overdo it with watering young seedlings so that they do not get sick with blackleg.
When fertilizing, it is very important that nitrogen is present in the fertilizers. It makes the leaves thicker and fleshier. Only strong, healthy, productive specimens are suitable for collecting seeds. Purple varieties taste qualities are not inferior to green ones, and can be used as ornamental crops for flower garden decoration. Learn to use spices correctly when preparing dishes, and your table will become more tasty and healthy.
Domestic gardeners are more accustomed to growing dill and parsley. Basil is considered the heritage of the Caucasus and Transcaucasia regions. But if you provide proper care for the plant, growing basil will be successful in other parts of Russia. Let's look at the basic recommendations for planting perennial herbs.
Knowing how to grow basil at home, you will be able to harvest a full harvest in your own garden. First you need to prepare the ground. It is advisable to determine the southern zone for planting personal plot and at the same time plant herbs along the fence so that cold winds do not bother them in the future.
The substrate for a plant called basil must contain a large number of organics. That is why it is recommended to start sowing agricultural grains in an area where cucumbers and tomatoes previously grew (they are the ones who saturate the soil with organic components).
To grow basil in the country, the soil needs to be prepared in the fall: the garden is dug up and then fertilizers are applied (humus and compost, superphosphate, potassium salt). In this case, by spring, a nutritious layer of soil will form on your site, into which you can plant basil grass. But that's not all. Not only the substrate, but also the seed material requires careful preparation.
As a rule, the grains that gardeners buy at fairs, specialty stores or markets are covered with a thick shell because they were soaked in essential oils before packaging. This situation will not negatively affect the germination of seeds if you keep them warm for about 1.5–2 weeks immediately before rooting. During this time, the grains will warm up and the essential oils will evaporate.
Methods and necessary conditions
Growing and caring for herbs is not a labor-intensive process. However, some rules should still be followed if you want to harvest a truly generous plant harvest. It can be cultivated both in a greenhouse and in open ground. Moreover, agricultural crops are planted both for growing seedlings and in the form of seeds directly in the garden. How homemade basil grows, and what you need to know to plant quality herbs different ways, consider below.
Growing seedlings
The optimal period for greenhouse work is the end of March - beginning of April. You will need a wide box and nutritious soil composition. It is recommended to sow grains to a depth of 10 mm, no more. In the future, you will observe the seedlings, and dive the strongest cuttings into separate containers. Perennial basil as seedlings is best grown in a greenhouse rather than at home, since here the seedlings acclimatize faster.
Growing by seeds
You can plant the seeds directly in open ground. It is best to soak immediately before rooting. planting material in a growth stimulator and leave for 9 hours. At the planting stage, dig shallow trenches with a hoe and sow basil seeds there.
Remember that it is best to wait until at least two weeks have passed after the frost has passed. The thing is that this herb is sensitive to cold, so it can be planted when temperature changes are no longer expected.
Another key point: it is advisable to cover the area planted with basil with film, and you can remove it when the shoots appear.
Features of cultivation
Basil sprouts quite rapidly, so soon after planting you need to take care of the seedlings that have hatched from the ground. Conditions will be slightly different depending on where you are going to grow your grass - in a greenhouse or in a garden. In any case, caring for basil should be of high quality.
In the open ground
Spicy purple basil is successfully grown in open ground, but it is better not to forget about the basic measures for caring for it. Timely watering of the site is of great importance. Avoid overmoistening: it is recommended to moisten the substrate as the soil dries out.
Regular feeding of the plant is also important. They should be carried out at least once a month. Give preference to nitrogen mixtures, as they stimulate active growth of green mass. Do not forget to remove flower stalks from the plant from time to time - this way you will get branchy seedlings that will not bloom.
In the greenhouse
Growing purple basil in greenhouse conditions– the process is no less painstaking. It is recommended to maintain a stable temperature in the greenhouse at +23...+27 °C. When the seedlings appear, the container with them is placed in a well-lit place and watered once a day. In general, these are all key measures for caring for basil seedlings if you decide to cultivate them in greenhouse conditions.
Care and pest control
Knowing how much homemade basil grows, how to provide for it complete care and create a microclimate that is optimal for the development of seedlings, you will be able to achieve the desired results and get a harvest that you will be satisfied with.
However, remember that high-quality care is not only watering, regular fertilizing with fertilizers, as well as lighting and loosening the soil. It is also very important to be able to protect your plant from pests and diseases. And these do happen, especially when it comes to growing herbs in open ground.
Most often, basil seedlings sprout, but then they may suffer from blackleg, a fungal disease. You can get rid of it in the following way: you need to treat the seedlings with a solution of copper sulfate. In general, there is no need to worry about the development of herbs. Create an optimal microclimate for it, do everything necessary for the active growth of the crop, and planting seedlings will bring results.
Video “Growing Basil”
From this video you will learn how to properly grow basil, the growth rate and timing of sowing the crop.
Out of habit, we rush to the supermarket to buy fresh herbs so that spicy basil decorated your favorite dish. But it’s easy to grow your own exquisite grass in your garden beds. With a little diligence, hard work, the seasoning will delight you with its fragrant aroma and taste. When to plant a heat-loving plant, what are the features of planting and growing from seeds, we will find out in more detail.
The variety of varieties is so great that it can satisfy the needs of culinary experts from different countries. It is difficult to imagine French and Italian cuisine without green basil, Caucasian dishes decorated with purple leaves, Thai cuisine will be complemented by a lemon aroma.
Basil varieties vary in taste, aroma, shape, leaf color and size. These can be purple or green, oval or elongated, large or small leaves.
The following types are widespread:
Fragrant (ordinary, camphor)- most popular look, adapts well to other climates, undemanding in care. Tall branched bushes with straight stems up to 70 cm high. It has a slightly tart, delicate clove aroma. Representatives of the variety: Magic of the East, Ararat, Fragrant Handsome, Genovese Gigante.
Cinnamon (Mexican)– received its name due to the pronounced aroma of cinnamon, but the taste is hot. It grows 60 cm high, the leaves are shiny dark green, small. It is distinguished by a burgundy colored stem and lilac inflorescences. The varieties Wonderful, Cinnamon, and Tender Early are appreciated.
Purple is the most common type in our regions. The leaves are large, with a bright purple color. The greens are fragrant, tart, with a mild taste. Height 50 cm. Traditionally complements dishes of Asian and Caucasian cuisine. Known varieties: Mauritanian, Purple, Zastolny, Moskvoretsky.
Lemon – stunted look basil up to 35 cm high. Branched, dense bushes with delicate leaves. Capable of producing a harvest of 250 grams of leaves per bush per season. Characterized by a soft piquant aroma and taste of lemon. The most popular varieties are Iskra, Lemonny, Moskovsky Bogatyr, and Novinka.
Green – bushes up to 45 cm high, bright green leaves with a slight tart taste. Some varieties are characterized by the edge of the stem and leaves. Popular varieties are Tonus, Explosion, Green Cornflower, Favorite, and Dreamer.
Sowing dates for herbs
Basil is a heat-loving plant. You can grow spices in garden beds by sowing in open ground or by seedlings. The best option– sow seeds in special containers at the end of March or beginning of April. The period of growing seedlings will take about two months.
Young seedlings will be ready for planting in the last ten days of May. If the soil has not warmed up enough and temperature changes are observed, then reschedule planting to the beginning of June. The timing when you can plant basil in the ground depends on the weather conditions of the region.
If you're not in a hurry to collect early harvest, then sow the basil directly into open ground. Since the plant does not tolerate cold well, you should not do this early. Best time when to plant basil when grown from seeds - late May or early June.
During this period, stable warm weather will set in and there is no need to fear the loss of the crop because the night frosts are over and the soil has warmed up to 15°C. The harvest will appear on your table only in August.
What soil should I sow the seeds in?
Basil is a demanding and capricious crop. To get a spicy seasoning, you need to work hard and provide well-groomed soil.
To locate the beds for planting, choose a sunny area without drafts. Greens love fertile soil that drains well. Beds after legumes, tomatoes and potatoes are perfect. It is not recommended to plant a spicy crop in the same place next year. This contributes to the development of fungal disease.
Basil thrives best in sandy loam soil with good breathability. Avoid heavy clay soil with excess moisture, so as to get good harvest it will be difficult. The plant will be weak, sickly and die quickly.
You need to start preparing the soil in the fall. To do this, dig up the soil, fertilize it, and remove weeds. Apply organic fertilizers - humus, peat at the rate of 2 kg/sq.m. In the spring, two weeks before planting, nitrogen-containing fertilizers, ammophos, and potassium salt are applied in a proportion of 10-20 g/sq.m.
How to plant basil
Choose right place And good soil It is not enough for the plant to feel comfortable in an open garden bed. Before planting spicy herbs, you need to take care of your future “neighbors”. The desire to advantageously place vegetables and herbs on a summer cottage leads to a violation of the rules of compatibility of different crops.
As a “neighbor”, basil is perfect for onions, cabbage, cucumbers and peppers. The aroma will protect vegetables from pests - aphids, whiteflies. The spice planted next to the tomatoes will protect against the development of disease - mold, powdery mildew. Basil and beans, corn, and zucchini go well together. Avoid proximity to dill and marjoram.
With the onset of warmth, you can begin planting seeds in the ground. Do not forget to disinfect the seeds in a solution of potassium permanganate before planting. Since basil seeds contain essential oils, germination may be difficult.
The order of planting work is as follows:
- Level the loose, fertilized soil.
- Make holes to a depth of 2 cm so that the seedlings can grow through the soil.
- Place the rows parallel, at a distance of 30 cm, for better ventilation of the green mass of the bush.
- Moisten the prepared trenches a little.
- Seeds should be planted at intervals of 3 cm. For better germination, sow the grains in pairs.
- Carefully, without compacting the soil, level the surface.
Upon completion of planting, cover the bed with covering material to provide the seedlings with a greenhouse effect. The first sprouts of basil will appear from the ground within 10 days from the moment of planting.
If pre-treatment with a stimulating drug was carried out, the seedlings will be pleased already on the fifth day.
As soon as the bed is covered with green sprouts, remove the film.
Care
The fragrant plant requires patient care and attention to the slightest changes during the growing season. You don’t need any special knowledge, you just need hard work.
Basil has a special relationship with watering. On waterlogged, swampy soil, the plant dies. But even without sufficient quantity Basil planting water will not develop. The soil will definitely need additional drainage or hydrogel to avoid root rotting due to excess moisture. As soon as the soil has dried, water it to avoid the formation of an earthen crust. To water basil plantings, use only warm, settled water. For these purposes, gardeners plant plastic containers, in which water is infused.
Ensure air permeability of the soil by frequent loosening. During the season, loosen the soil 8-10 times. It is also recommended to use mulching of plantings for these purposes. Sawdust and grass are suitable as mulch. Form a layer of mulch within 5-7 cm. Mulching beds with basil will help get rid of annoying weeds.
Fertilize with organic matter and microelements. Nitrogen will help you get a good volume of greens - use ammonium nitrate in a proportion of 15g/sq.m. Apply the first fertilizing before flowering. Superphosphate is used as a second feeding - 15g/sq.m. Apply fertilizers no more than once a month.
To form dense basil bushes, remove the first pair of leaves and a little later - the buds. This will allow the plant to direct its forces to the formation of green mass and grow more branches. Harvesting begins from the moment the inflorescences appear. Trim the leaves carefully so as not to harm the bush.
Large labor costs and careful care of the beds will be rewarded a bountiful harvest fragrant basil.
Common basil or Ocimum basilicum is a herb. Let's look at how to grow basil in a summer cottage.
Basil is an annual plant. Its height reaches 40-60 cm. The plant blooms in June - September, has small pale pink or white inflorescences. Some varieties of basil have red flowers. There are many varieties of basil with a wide variety of flavors. Some types are called lemon, cinnamon basil. For the most part Basil leaves have a lush green hue, but in some species the leaves are colored a beautiful red-purple hue. The varieties of basil represent the entire encyclopedia of aromatic spices. There are varieties of basil that convey the aroma of nutmeg, cloves, and bay leaves.
Origin of Basil
There are several opinions about the origin of basil. Some sources claim that the birthplace of basil is South Asia, while others are inclined to believe that basil comes from Greece. Perhaps varieties of basil were found in both places. One thing is certain: basil is a heat-loving and light-loving plant. Basil was a popular spice among the ancient Greeks, and it was most likely from Greece that it came to South Asia.
In Russia, basil settled in vegetable gardens somewhere at the beginning of the 17th century. It was mainly grown as a medicinal herb called cornflower. IN different countries I have developed my own attitude towards basil. He was revered and feared. Basil or royal herb (as the Greeks called this plant) had great strength in the Hindu religion. The ancient Greeks treated basil with great respect worthy of kings.
How to grow basil in the garden
The ideal place for basil is a sunny, windless area with light, fertile soil. The plant is planted by seeds or seedlings. It should be noted that basil is a very heat-loving plant, and seedlings should be planted only when the soil warms up by at least 15 °C. If sowing is done with seeds, then the seeding depth should be at least 0.5 cm, and it is not recommended to soak basil seeds before sowing. Some gardeners believe that the planting depth should be 1.5-2 cm, but at such a depth not all seeds can make their way to the top. Optimal distance between plants - 10 cm, and between beds - 25-30 cm.
Plant care is traditional. It consists of thinning, weeding and watering. Young leaves and shoots are used for food, and a new plant can be grown from the top of the shoot. This is done simply. The top of the shoot is cut off and placed in water until small roots appear. After this, you can plant the plant in the ground. The plant should be harvested for the winter at the time of its flowering. Then the basil will be the most fragrant. Basil shoots are tied into bunches and hung to dry in the shade. Dried basil is easily ground into powder. It is necessary to store the workpieces in a dry place, in bags or boxes, and best of all in glass or porcelain containers, hermetically sealed. Do not store basil in plastic or metal containers.
Use in cooking
Thanks to its aroma, basil - welcome guest on the table. The plant is added as a spice to salads, meat and fish dishes. Many recipes for canning vegetables include basil. Basil is very popular in many national cuisines. Italians, Greeks, and Spaniards are especially keen on basil. And many Caucasian peoples use this spicy plant in their culinary dishes. Basil improves the taste and aroma of vinegar. To do this, just add a sprig of basil to a bottle of vinegar. A dry mixture of basil and rosemary is quite capable of replacing ground pepper. Fresh basil leaves flavor dishes best. The simplest, unpretentious dishes acquire an exquisite taste and aroma thanks to basil. Basil goes well with: spicy plants, like savory, coriander, parsley, tarragon, marjoram, mint. Any sauce, if you add a few basil leaves to it, acquires a rich, rich taste.
Medicinal properties of basil
Basil has long been used in folk medicine as a diuretic and carminative. Basil is also an excellent cough medicine. And if you inhale the aroma of dried leaves, you can forget about the painful runny nose. Essential oil Basil has bactericidal properties, so basil is often used for healing wounds as a disinfectant. The aroma of basil repels mosquitoes. It is enough to rub fresh leaves of the plant in your hands and lubricate open spaces bodies.