Planting basil for seedlings: how to grow from seeds at home

Basil seedlings allow you to get fragrant greens to the country table in early June. The homeland of the plant is India. But all over the world it is valued for its spicy taste and smell.

The culture is thermophilic. But you can grow it even in regions with a cool climate. The seedling method helps gardeners deceive nature: the plant receives enough heat and light.

Greens are used in cooking: cut into salads, decorate dishes. Basil goes well with tomatoes, fish and seafood. Planted in a greenhouse, attracts pollinating insects. Some gardeners decorate their flower beds: the plant blooms with pretty flowers of different shades.The emitted phytoncides improve the air in the country.

Date of sowing basil for seedlings

There are different varieties in terms of ripening. But the growing season of the plant is 120-160 days. It should be planted on the ridges after the onset of warm weather. The soil should warm up.

Seedlings should be driven out 50-60 days before the intended placement in a permanent place. According to the calendar, this is March 20-25.

When growing in an unheated greenhouse, seedlings can be planted when the weather is sunny. Ultraviolet is enough to warm the protected ground. Then it is recommended to sow a month earlier.

Composition of soil for seedlings

Some gardeners use ready-made soil for green crops. Before sowing, it is recommended to shed it with "Fitosporin" to destroy harmful organisms.

Another way: make up the land yourself. In the fall, prepare the ingredients:

• neutral peat (4 parts);
• river sand (1 part);
• mature compost (2 parts).

It is recommended to put the components in food bags and put them under a canopy outside or bring them to a cold veranda. In winter, the contents will freeze, insect larvae will die.

A week before the proposed sowing, bring the bags into heat. Then mix the parts, spill with a pink solution of potassium permanganate. Liquid temperature - 60 degrees Celsius.

In case of severe contamination, treat the components with herbicide according to the instructions. Planting time is pushed back until the chemicals break down.

Conditions for growing seedlings at home

Gardeners grow basil before planting in the ground on ordinary windowsills. Getting he althy plants is easy: you need to follow agricultural practices.

Sowing

The crop yield depends on a well-performed operation. Can be grown from your own seeds or store bought. How to proceed:

• seedling containers should have drainage holes;
• basil does not tolerate waterlogging of the soil (pour a layer of expanded clay or brick chips on the bottom);
• pour soil into containers, compact slightly (leave 3-4 cm to the edge);
• spill soil with potassium humate solution (working temperature 40 degrees Celsius);
• evenly plant seeds, sprinkle with earth on top;
• consolidate the soil, put on a bag with air holes on top.

Seeds germinate in the light in a warm place. Put the seedling container on a light windowsill. The temperature should be 24-25 degrees Celsius. Shoots appear on the 10th day.

Sometimes landing is done in an original way. A layer of snow 0.5 cm thick is poured on top of the prepared container. Seeds are laid out on it, spread over the surface with a toothpick. Close with a bag with holes or glass. The snow melts, the grains are drawn into the ground. With this method, short-term stratification of seeds occurs.

Lighting: how to do it right

There is not enough light in the room for the growth of seedlings. As soon as shoots appear, you should begin to highlight the plants. It is recommended to use an agrolamp with a lampshade: it directs the beam.

Give the plants 16 hours of daylight. With a decrease in the illumination time, the seedlings are pulled out. Basil looks weak.

Drainage

The plant does not tolerate stagnant water at the roots. Drainage is recommended to prevent disease.

For this, expanded clay, brick chips, crushed shells washed and scalded with boiling water are used. They should be laid on the bottom up to 1 cm thick.

Irrigation

The he alth of basil depends on proper watering. Before the emergence of shoots, the soil should not be moistened. Cotyledon leaves are sensitive to excessive moisture. Watering should be done every 3-4 days with a medical syringe.

After the growth of real leaves, you can moisturize more abundantly. The operation should be carried out after complete drying of the top layer of soil. It is recommended to use a watering can with a rain nozzle.

Feeding

Basil seedlings grow in limited containers. The soil is fertile enough for seed germination. But with further growth, the nutrient content decreases. Time to start fertilizing.

Nitrogen application provokes rapid plant growth. It is recommended to use a mineral complex for seedlings. In its absence, an infusion of oven ash should be used (a tablespoon per 1 liter, insist, dilute with 5 liters of water). Feed once a week.

Dive

Sometimes gardeners plant basil too often. Dense planting provokes stretching of plants. They should be thinned out or stripped down. The optimal picking time is 2 true leaves.

It is recommended to use a special scoop for picking. They carefully pick up the plant and transplant it into a new container with soil. The spine (if necessary) can be shortened by a third.

Pinch

Pinching should be carried out when the 5-6th true leaf grows. This operation:

• makes plants bushy;
• slows down the formation of peduncles;
• stimulates the growth of side shoots;
• prevents pulling.

Pinching is recommended to be done with nail scissors wiped with alcohol. They need to carefully cut off the top of the plant.

Possible problems with basil seedlings

Sometimes a gardener fails to grow he althy seedlings. The reasons are different. To prevent mistakes, it is recommended to follow the cultivation technique.

Seeds do not germinate

The first reason is the seeds are rotten. Gardener:

• overdid it with moistening the soil during planting;
• forgot to make drainage holes in the container;
• did not provide seedling ventilation;
• did not remove the condensate accumulated on the film or glass.

The second reason is poor quality or expired planting material.

Seedlings fall

This is due to the addition of excess nitrogen. Plants were undernourished or shaded. It is recommended to thin out the seedlings and apply the mineral complex.

Seedlings do not grow

Plants do not receive nutrition or light. Sometimes this is the effect of soil contaminated with bacteria. It is recommended to use only high-quality soil mixtures and follow the cultivation practices.

Pulling

This is a consequence of non-observance of temperature and light conditions. The plant is in a shaded and too warm place. It must be moved to another window sill.

Black leg

The disease is caused by excessive watering or soil moisture during dense plantings. Sick plants are recommended to be removed. Keep the soil semi-dry. Frequent landings - thin out or dive. Dusting the earth with ash will prevent disease. It is recommended to water with water at room temperature.

Yellowing of leaves

This is a micronutrient deficiency signal. It is recommended to regularly fertilize with a balanced complex.

Spots on the leaves

Appear as a result of sunlight on tender plants. Seedlings are recommended to shade. To do this, use white low-density lutrasil.

Ground landing

Basil seedlings are planted in a permanent place when the soil warms up to 15 degrees to a depth of 10 cm. It is recommended to harden the plants beforehand for 2 weeks.

Place plants according to the scheme: 30 cm x 30 cm (for vigorous varieties) or 15 cm x 15 cm (for low ones).

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