Basil: growing from seeds and care in the country in the open field

Fragrant and spicy basil, the cultivation of which is not particularly difficult, has been known to mankind for more than 5 thousand years and is widely used for both culinary and medicinal purposes. The culture is unpretentious and decorative, it can be kept at home on the windowsill as a houseplant and fresh green spice. Grown in the backyard or in the garden, basil will delight you with a bountiful harvest all summer long, if you follow the simple rules of agricultural technology.

Introduction to basil: plant description

Basil (Ocimum) is a fragrant annual herb belonging to the Lamiaceae family. Its name can be translated from Greek as "royal" or "royal". Among the wide variety of herbs and greens, it occupies a dominant position.

For the cultivation of basil in the open field, a variety of varieties of this crop are suitable, which differ not only in leaf color, but also in taste. The ground part of the plant can be yellowish green, dark green and dark purple. The tetrahedral stems of this grass do not grow more than 0.3-0.6 m, covered with shiny and rough leaves of an ovate-oblong shape. The shoot ends in an inflorescence consisting of several white or pinkish-purple buds.

Essential oils contained in fresh and dried herbs give dishes an exquisite and refined, subtle flavor of allspice, delicate notes of spicy cloves and astringent lemon aroma. The plant contains a rich set of nutrients (phytoncides, camphor, tannins), vitamins (E, A, C, PP, K, group B), minerals (potassium, manganese, iron, magnesium, copper, zinc , sodium, mercury and others).

Basil seed sowing

Sowing basil can be done directly in open ground in the garden plot or previously in individual containers for seedlings, which are moved to the garden after the onset of stable heat. The seedling method allows you to get a crop of fragrant greens much earlier. In addition, the seeds have time to ripen in the fall, and they can be collected for sowing next year. This option is considered the most preferred when growing a crop, although the first method can also collect a lot of fragrant grass.

When basil is sown: the planting process

Planting basil for seedlings is carried out approximately 55-60 days before the expected day of moving seedlings into open ground. It is recommended to do this in late March or early April. For the full development of seedlings, this time is enough; it does not make sense to plant earlier. First, a soil mixture is prepared from equal parts of peat, garden soil and well-rotted humus. You can use the universal garden compounds sold in stores.

The soil is poured into boxes or individual pots with a mandatory drainage layer at least 3-4 cm thick.

To accelerate germination, it is recommended to additionally fertilize the ground with a special mineral composition prepared from potassium chloride, urea, superphosphate and potassium sulfate (½ tsp per 5 liters of water). The soil in the box is sprinkled with a mineralized solution and left to warm up to room temperature for several hours. Seed material is prepared in advance.To do this, it is kept warm for about 2 weeks, and immediately before sowing, it is soaked for 9-10 hours in a solution of potassium permanganate or any growth stimulator (Zircon, Epin).

You need to sow basil using this technology:

seeds are buried in the soil no deeper than 0.8-1 cm;
carefully watered with settled water at room temperature;
the container is covered with glass or transparent plastic film and placed in a well-lit sunny place (windowsill) with a temperature of at least +23 °C;
when the first shoots appear (after 7-10 days), the temperature must be reduced to +17 … +20 ° С so that the seedlings do not stretch out;
when 2-4 full leaves appear, seedlings can be dived into separate pots.

How to care for seedlings?

Basil when grown from seed requires the following conditions:

Regular airing of seedlings. Shelter is removed daily for 10-15 minutes.
Good lighting. Otherwise, the seedlings will stretch out and be stunted. Periodically they need to be rotated so that they do not grow crooked. With a lack of light, plantings are illuminated with fluorescent or phytolamps.
Water. It is carried out carefully and accurately, only with warm water. Excessive waterlogging of the substrate can cause the development of a black leg, which will destroy the seedlings. If this happens, you can spray the basil seedlings with a solution of urea (½ tsp per 1 liter of water).
Loosening. About once every 10-14 days.
Feeding. After the appearance of 5 leaves, the seedling is pinched to increase bushiness. When the side shoots grow a little, the seedlings are fertilized with organic matter (humus, manure).

Planting seedlings in the ground

Basil seedlings are planted in open ground only when warm weather sets in and the soil warms up to +15 … +17 °С. In most regions, this time falls on the end of May or the first decade of June. Experienced vegetable growers recommend starting to harden seedlings about a week before the expected date.

To do this, containers with plants are taken out and left outside for 15 minutes, gradually the time spent in the open air is increased to several hours. To get a good harvest of spicy greens, you must comply with some conditions of agricultural technology.

What should be the soil for planting basil?

For this spicy herb choose illuminated sunny places on the site. But the culture does not tolerate cold winds and drafts, so it is advisable to plant seedlings under the protection of large trees and shrubs, as well as near fences and various buildings.Basil thrives in loose, fertile and well-drained light soils. The best predecessors for it will be cucumbers, tomatoes and legumes.

It is recommended to prepare the site for planting in the fall. When digging to a depth of at least 25-30 cm, the following fertilizers are applied per 1 m²:

humus or rotted compost - 3.5-50 kg (depending on the nutrient composition of the soil);
superphosphate granular - 20-25 g;
potassium sulfate - 10-12 g.

Immediately before planting, the soil is abundantly watered with a solution of fertilizers (½ tsp each of potassium chloride, urea and potassium sulfate per ½ bucket of water).

If the selected area is in a lowland, then it is better to make the beds high and fence them with boards or other material. Basil will not grow well in wet, waterlogged, and airtight soils.

How to properly plant seedlings?

Planting seedlings is best done on a cloudy and rainy day to avoid sunburn on tender leaves. Holes are dug 9-10 cm deep at a distance of 15-17 cm from each other, at least 25-30 cm are left between the rows, otherwise the bushes will be crowded. Pour water into the holes (at least 1 liter), then you can plant basil in the wet ground.

The soil around each plant is carefully compacted and watered again. The first landing time for the night is covered with a film. When the seedlings are well rooted and start growing, the shelter is completely removed.

Caring for basil: features of growing an aromatic plant

Basil is a heat-loving plant, this should be taken into account when choosing a variety for planting. It must be adapted to local climatic conditions. In the middle lane, it is recommended to grow this crop in seedlings. The best varieties for this region are:

Russian giant purple (clove-pepper).
Dragon (clove-pepper).
Pepper flavor (spicy pepper).
Yerevan (pepper-tea).
Ararat (anise).
Valya (cloves).
Greek (mint-pepper).
Velvet (mint).
Aniskin (anise).

To grow basil, it is necessary to carry out competent care for it, which consists in timely regular watering, loosening the soil, weeding and fertilizing.

Water and garden care

For the proper cultivation of basil, it is important to observe the watering regimen. It is necessary to moisten the soil only after drying its top layer. Strong dampness can lead to rotting of the root system. Watering is recommended after weeding and loosening, so that more air enters the roots and moisture seeps out faster.It is imperative to remove weeds, as they take away nutrients from the cultivated plant and their powerful root system interferes with the growth of herbs. We water the ridges with exclusively warm, settled water.

When do you need plant nutrition and how to do it?

To get a good and abundant growth of fragrant basil green mass, it is necessary to fertilize with fertilizers containing nitrogen. To do this, you can use a simple nitrophoska, diluting it in the following proportions: 2 tbsp. l. granules per 12 liters of water. You need to water each bush, the consumption is approximately 3-4 liters per 1 m² of plantings.

The first feeding is carried out in late June or early July, the second - after 3-4 weeks.

This spicy herb is a disease-resistant crop. All basil diseases are associated with adverse weather conditions or errors in agricultural technology.With thickened plantings, low temperatures and excessive moisture, it can be affected by fusaroiz and gray rot. Diseased bushes are removed, and fresh ones are planted in their place.

As a preventive measure and at the initial stages of the development of pathology, spraying with infusion of onion peel (4 parts of water and 1 part of onion peel) is used. It is not recommended to plant this spicy plant for more than 2 years in one place, as this increases the likelihood of infection with fungal infections (fusarium).

Insect pests of basil are extremely rare, they are not attracted by the phytoncides contained in its leaves. Many gardeners even use this crop in mixed plantings to repel aphids and spider mites from other crops.

Harvesting: how to harvest greens?

Basil can be harvested throughout the growing season.Single sheets for eating can be torn off constantly. But you can not completely expose the bush, as it will surely die. After the beginning of flowering, the ground part loses its aroma and original rich taste, even becomes bitter. Therefore, flower brushes on specimens that are not intended for subsequent seed production must be cut off.

When and how is cutting done?

Massive basil harvest twice per season:

Before flowering (beginning of July), as soon as the buds appear, the big grass is cut. Collect only the upper part, leaving the lower branches.
When side shoots grow well on the bush, they can also be cut. This occurs 4-5 weeks after the first harvest (early or mid-August).

For a spicy green all year round, transplant a few basils into pots and keep them on your windowsill at home all winter.

How to prepare basil?

To grow basil, a temperature of at least +20 … +25 ° C is required, so at the end of August the bushes stop growing and he althy greens need to be harvested for storage for the winter. This is done in several ways:

Drying. It can be dried naturally, in which the cut branches are scattered in a thin layer and placed in a dry, well-ventilated place without direct sunlight. You can dry the greens in the oven at a temperature of about +40 ° C or in the microwave. Store dried spice in tightly closed glass or porcelain containers.
Freeze. The green mass is crushed, frozen, then laid out in individual bags or plastic jars and stored in the freezer.
Canning. There are many different recipes in which basil is s alted and preserved. It can be used to make basil paste.

The most common way to harvest this herb is drying. In this form, basil retains its original aroma and a large amount of useful substances for the longest time.