Among the spicy greens, which our housewives have recently begun to use Basil stands out in particular. Fortunately, there is no need to buy it in the store, as basil grass can grow well in our gardens, and we'll share the secrets of growing it now.
Introduction to basil: plant description
Where exactly basil grows few people, so they often attribute to it the hot Italian coast. But this plant feels great in our latitudes. Basil is a small annual plant that can stretch by 20-60 cm height. On one stalk a large number of leaves are often formed, which are valuable for culinary specialists.
Basil or Regan (also known as "rayon plant") has a lot of varieties that differ from each other in leaf color. They can be light green, dark green or purple.
This plant is very useful for the human body, because it contains carotene (high sulfur protein) essential oils and the most important thing - large amounts of vitamin C. All these substances and contribute to the formation of a very spicy aroma of leaves, which made basil popular among culinary specialists.
Seeding Basil
To the question, "How to plant basil in the garden?", There are two answers at once: the seeds can be sown in pots for seedlings, or directly into the open ground. The first method allows you not only to get fragrant greens, but also to catch the autumn seeds from the bushes, which can be sown again next year. If you sow the seeds directly on the garden or flower bed, then such a plant will bring you a lot of greenery, but you hardly have time to gather its seeds before the onset of cold weather. For this reason more rational to consider seed sowing seedlings.
When sowing basil: planting process
Regan grass is sown about two months before planting seedlings in open ground, that is, in late March - early April. This time will be enough for plants to fully develop. For sowing of seeds, boxes are being prepared in which they are filled in equal parts:
- humus;
- peat soil;
- garden land.
In addition, it is important to fertilize the soil mix for sowing basil, For this purpose, a top dressing is prepared from potassium sulfate, urea, potassium chloride and superphosphate, of which half a teaspoon is needed for 5 liters of pre-settled water. Soil with such a solution is only necessary to sprinkle. After that, wait until the soil warms to room temperature, and sow the seeds, sprinkling them on top of another layer of soil. The germination box is covered with film or glass and placed in a warm and well-lit place.Important! Excessive moistening of the soil with basil seedlings can lead to the development of the disease blackleg. To get rid of it, the plant should be treated with a solution made from half a teaspoon of copper sulphate and 1 l of distilled water.
How to care for seedlings?
Rayhon plant loves moisture and sunlight, therefore, as soon as the first shoots begin to appear from the ground, the container with them should be placed on a well-lit window sill. Lumps usually appear within a week. At the same time, the box with them should always be in a room with one temperature, and as the soil dries out, it will also need watering. Ensure that the plants are not over-moistened. In addition, the box will need to be constantly rotated so that the plants do not grow one-sided.
Planting seedlings in the ground
Many housewives grow basil in pots, so when the seedlings grow up, they simply plant it in separate pots and put it on the windowsill. However, if it’s getting warmer day by day and summer is coming, more rational to plant it in the garden, thanks to which the plant will grow more lush and fragrant. How to plant basil in open ground, we consider below.
Did you know? Basil is an excellent medicine that not only contributes to the good development of immunity, but also strengthens the heart, lungs and kidneys. For therapeutic purposesenoughadd dailyBasil to your favorite dishes.
What should be the soil for planting basil?
Basil is a nutritious soil lover. If you plant it on the sand, the stems in the plants will be thin and it will not be able to grow normally upwards. Therefore, before planting basil seedlings, the bed is generously fertilized with compost and peat (the compost can be replaced with humus). Consider: basil loves warm soil, so you shouldn’t pull it off to a garden bed.
How to plant seedlings?
First of all, it is worth addressing the question “When to plant basil?”. Planting time may vary depending on your region of residence, but in general This should be done from the beginning of June to the end of the month. Longer pull is not worth it, as the plant can not tolerate the July heat and early cold snap.
Plants are planted in shallow wells, in which there is no need to make additional fertilizer. It is important to place them at a distance of 17-20 cm from each other in one row. But between rows it is worth to miss about 30 cm. Thanks to this scheme, all plants will have enough space for growth, they will be well ventilated, and will not experience a lack of sunlight.
After planting and compaction, the soil should also be watered slightly. During the first two weeks of growth, it is important to cover the seedlings with a film overnight so that basil can take root well and is not affected by the difference in average daily temperatures.
Important! When sowing seeds of basil directly in open ground, this procedure should be done only in early summer, after removing all weeds from the bed. Until the plants make their way through the soil, it should be watered well, and in case of excessive thickening, the Rabazilica must be weeded.
Care of basil: features of growing aromatic plants
This spicy plant loves attention to itself, however for it it is ready to thank good growth and generous development of leaves. In addition to periodically removing weeds and loosening the soil, Basil also needs regular watering and multiple fertilization.
Watering and soil care
The frequency of watering the beds with basil depends on weather conditions, so if you come to the garden and notice that the ground is dry, water the plants better. However, do not do it so often that the soil does not have time to dry. This can lead to decay of the roots.
Before each irrigation it is recommended to loosen the soil a little, so that more air comes to the roots, and moisture is more likely to leak. Remove weeds necessarily, because they not only will steal nutrients from the soil, but having a larger root system, can greatly interfere with the growth of basil bushes.
Important! Since basil is very fond of heat, then it should be watered with warm, pre-settled water. The same water must be used for fertilization.
When do you need plant nutrition and how to do it?
What is the real fragrant Regan from your own garden can be found only if you provide the plant with the necessary care. In particular, monthly should be feeding: if you planted a seedling in early June, then fertilizing will need two - one at the beginning of July, and the second at the beginning of August.
For a good increase in green mass on the plant, it is important to feed it with nitrogen fertilizers. For this purpose, the usual nitrophore is used, from which a solution is prepared in the following proportions - 2 tablespoons of the substance are given for 12 liters of water. It is necessary to add all the bushes of basil with such fertilizer, spending about 3-4 liters of liquid for 1m ² of rye.
Harvesting: How to harvest greens?
Stock up on basil is important for the whole year, as this spice is well suited to vegetable and meat dishes. Ideal to store it only in the dried state, as after freezing, basil loses some of its beneficial properties.
When and how to cut?
Cutting the leaves and shoots of basil can be done from mid-summer until autumn. At the same time, if you regularly remove not only young shoots, but also part of the peduncles, the plant will grow more and leaves much more on it.
But as for the collection of seeds, they ripen only by September, you should not rush to remove the plants from the beds, even if they start to dry out. Consider that if the seeds do not mature enough, then they will not give you shoots.
Did you know? Growing basil in the garden is also useful for other plants, as its fragrant flowers attract a large number of insects to the garden, which are pollinated by other home cultures that are flowering at the same time.
How to prepare basil?
Raykhon is a plant that can retain its flavor for quite a long time even in the dried state. However, in order to preserve all his spice, plucked or cut off shoots can be tied up in small buds and suspended in a dark and well-ventilated room (for example, under the cottage attic). If you picked only the leaves, you can arrange them one by one on a flat surface, and leave to dry in the same conditions. In the future, dry basil from your own garden is recommended to be stored either in paper bags or in glass jars.
We hope that if, before reading our article, you had a bad idea of what basil looks like, then next year, not only get to know him better, but also be able to grow a good crop of regan grass in your garden.
