Hydroponics Resources

Basil: How To Cultivate It?

Gourmets around the world appreciate basil for its unique taste, aroma and a lot of useful properties. Do you know which basil is the most useful? Of course, self-made!

Basil is thermophilic, for obtaining earlier greenery it is better to grow it through seedlings. Sow basil needs about 2 months before planting in the ground at the end of March. Basil seedlings are usually ready for planting 35-50 days after germination.

Ground mix for basil should be loose and nutritious. The composition of the soil mixture: hummus or well-rotted compost, peat, washed sand (2: 4: 1). Sift the mixture and steamed in a water bath for 1 hour. Heat treatment will destroy the spores of fungal diseases and weed seeds that are contained in humus or compost, it will save you from problems with growing seedlings. If you use the ready-made soil mixture from the store, it is enough to shed it with a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate or any anti-fungal drug ( Fitosporin, Vitaros, Maxim ).

Fill the sowing container with a depth of 5-7 cm. Fill it with the prepared mixture and slightly condense so that it remains about 1 cm to the edge of the dish. The ground should be crumbly, slightly damp. If you are going to sow several varieties of basil, it is convenient to use cassettes. 

Spread the seeds evenly over the soil surface. Do not forget to immediately put labels with the name of varieties. This will help you choose the varieties you like later.

 

basil, growing and care, sowing seedlings

 

Fill the cassettes with the remaining earth so that the basil seeds are at a depth of 0.5-1cm. Tighten slightly again. Carefully water the crops.

Make sure the seeds are not on the surface of the soil. Cover the crop with glass or plastic. Put in a bright warm place.

 

basil, growing and care, sowing seeds

 

At a temperature of + 20 … + 25 ° C, basil seedlings appear in 10-12 days. After emergence of shoots remove shelter. So that the seedlings do not stretch, keep the temperature no more than + 16 … + 20 ° С. You need to water with warm water. Make sure that the water does not remain in the pan after watering. When watering basil can hit the blackleg.

 

basil, growing and care, seedling seedlings

 

After the first pair of true leaves appear in basil, you can begin to pick a  seedling.

Basil, cultivation and care, seedlings before picking

 

For picking basil, you can use a mixture of the same composition as for sowing. Just add to it 2 tablespoons of ash and 1 tablespoon (without a slide) of a complete mineral fertilizer per 5 liters of earth mixture. Mix well to fertilizer evenly distributed in the soil.

Fill cassettes or pots, seal. Make small indentations with a spatula and evenly distribute in them, trying not to damage the roots. Sprinkle and compact a little.

 

basil, cultivation and care, pickling seedlings

 

When planting, do not dig basil seedlings. Planting depth should be the same as that of shoots.

 

basil, cultivation and care, the depth of the seedling when picking up seedlings

 

Carefully water so that the seedlings do not fall. If necessary, correct them before the water is completely absorbed.

 

basil, growing and care, watering seedlings

 

Further care consists of regular watering with warm water. If the weather does not allow basil to be planted at the time calculated by you, in 2-3 weeks feed the seedlings and pinch the shoots above the 6-8 leaf. 2 weeks before planting begin to harden the seedlings in the fresh air. The temperature of hardening basil should not be below + 5 … + 10 ° С.

 

basil, growing and care, ready to plant seedlings

 

When the soil warms up to + 15 ° C, you can start planting seedlings.

Choose a place for basil, protected from the winds and illuminated by the sun for at least 6-8 hours a day. Basil feels very good under the covering material stretched over the arc. You can plant it on the edge of the track in the greenhouse.

Basil seedlings are easy to extract from the cassette when the roots are fully mastered earthen room.

 

basil, growing and care, planting seedlings with a lump

 

Basil does not tolerate heavy clay soils. Fill the ground well with humus or compost. If the soil is clay, add peat and sand. Planted seedlings at a distance of 25 cm in a row, between rows – 30 cm.

 

basil, cultivation and care, planting in the ground 

After planting, water the plants. Basil grows well green mass if you do not allow overdrying of the soil.

 

basil, cultivation and care, watering planted seedlings

 

Remove inflorescences in time, then basil will produce new shoots.

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