Growing basil in a greenhouse: how to properly care for and choose a variety with video

Growing basil in a greenhouse is an easy way to delight yourself and your family with fresh herbs, providing a valuable source of vitamins and minerals. The spice can be grown not only in warm summers, but also in cold winters when planted in a greenhouse. To get a good return on the harvest, you need to know about the intricacies of planting and plant care.

Greenhouse benefits

Basil shows good growth rates in the open field and even in pots. An increasing number of gardeners prefer to plant greens in a greenhouse. The advantage of greenhouse cultivation:

• better yield;
• no dependence on weather and environmental conditions;
• ability to harvest year-round.

Basil coexists well with other plants, so it can be planted in a greenhouse with tomatoes, eggplant and other types of horticultural crops. The plant is undemanding in care and is able to produce fresh greens in large quantities, which makes the culture promising in terms of industrial cultivation.

Greenhouse and soil requirements

Requirements for greenhouse design depend on the climatic conditions of a particular region and the purpose of cultivation. In central regions, with early planting of greenery, it is recommended to build a greenhouse made of polycarbonate or glass. Such materials are able to retain heat well and transmit light, so seedlings in such a shelter can endure even severe frosts.

Manure gives a good heat retention effect, so when planting in spring, it is recommended to mix it with the top layer of soil. Growers today practice growing basil on racks, which greatly expands the possibilities for obtaining a larger crop due to the increase in planting area. Regardless of the methods used, the greenhouse for greenery should be located in a sunny place and have structures that allow you to ventilate the room at any time.

Some make self-opening windows when the temperature rises above the norm, which greatly facilitates the care of landings.

Basil is considered a plant that is quite demanding on the soil. The earth should be moderately loose and not have an increased level of acidity. Optimal for the plant is sandy soil with a rich composition of organic matter. The soil before planting is pre-prepared by removing the top layer and digging along with peat and sand.Such work can be carried out both in spring and autumn.

Choice variety

Today there are about 150 types of basil, differing in color, leaf size, plant growth. Beginning gardeners are encouraged to choose proven, undemanding varieties. If desired, several varieties of greens can be planted simultaneously in one greenhouse.

Yerevan

An annual plant with a spicy taste and a rich content of essential oils, vitamins and carotene. From the moment of sowing until the plant is ready for harvest, an average of 45 days passes. Basil of this variety has a red-purple color of the leaves. The mass of one shoot varies from 300 to 500 grams. The aroma of the herb has a hint of tea and allspice. Greens can be used fresh or as a seasoning for various dishes. The plant is often used by landscape designers.

Spoon-shaped

Basil got its name because of the shape of the leaves, which are concave inward and look like a spoon. The plant has light green leafy plates oblong without teeth. When flowering, white inflorescences are formed. The taste of basil is reminiscent of cloves and bay leaves, so when cooking, I often replace such seasonings with it. The spoon-shaped form is used in stewing and cooking meat dishes, it perfectly sets off the taste of the tomato.

Baku

The variety was first grown in Azerbaijan. Outwardly, the shape of the leaves resembles Yerevan, but the color of this basil is brownish-purple and therefore it is often called "black". The greens have an aroma of a mixture of notes of mint and cloves. Most often, the plant is used as a seasoning in spicy oriental dishes.

Growing from seeds and seedlings

Planting of seeds is carried out in heated soil according to the scheme of 30 by 15 cm. Seeds have the ability to germinate deep, so do not bury them correctly, but sprinkle them on top with a thin layer of soil. For year-round planting, re-sowing is carried out every 3 weeks.

In Russian regions, planting through seedlings is more often practiced, since basil is thermophilic, this method allows you to grow greens in a shorter time. The earth should be loose and nutritious. With self-preparation, humus, peat and sand are mixed in proportions of 2: 4: 1. It is recommended to pour over the soil with boiling water and treat it with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

For sowing, a container 5 cm deep is enough. Seeds are evenly distributed over the surface and sprinkled with earth. As a result, the seeds should be buried at a distance of 0.5 to 1 cm.The temperature recommended for cultivation is from +20 to 25 ° C, the first shoots appear after 10 days. When the sprouts reach the age of 2 weeks, they are fed using a mixture of 4 grams of superphosphate, the same amount of ash and 2 grams of ammonium nitrate.

Dive is carried out after the appearance of 2 true leaves. When forming the 5th leaf, the bushes must be pinched to form a larger mass of greenery.

When planting in a greenhouse between adjacent bushes, maintain a distance of 25 to 30 cm when working with tall varieties. For compact plants, indent 15-20 cm. The distance between rows should be from 20 to 30 cm.

Care, watering and fertilizing

Care consists in timely watering, loosening and removal of weeds. Humidification should be moderate, otherwise the plant is threatened with a black stalk. It is required to remove inflorescences in a timely manner, in this case, the basil will form new shoots.

The plant is fed once every 14 days, using nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizers for this. To prepare a nutrient solution, it is recommended to carefully read the instructions for the drug. In most cases, the product is diluted in proportions of 10 grams per 1 liter of water. Nitrogen has a stimulating effect on basil and causes it to form more greenery. Potassium and phosphorus contribute to a better production of essential oils.

Harvesting

Practically all herbs, including basil, are harvested by separating the leaves from the main plant. It is important to prevent damage to the main bush in the form of pulling it out of the ground. The collection consists in a regular segment of the upper part of the shoots along with the leaves.

Diseases and pests

Basil is considered a disease and pest resistant plant. The danger of damage to horticultural crops appears when the rules of agricultural technology are not followed. Common Mistakes:

• overwatering;
• hypercooling of the plant.

The main plant diseases are blackleg, fusarium, gray rot. For prevention, it is recommended not to plant basil for several years in one place, disinfect the seeds, and prevent thickening and waterlogging of the soil.

Features of growing in winter

It is possible to grow basil in winter in a heated greenhouse, but few can afford it. Most gardeners use potting and growing the plant on a windowsill to produce fresh herbs. Sowing and caring for seedlings in this case are standards. At home, it is required to monitor the temperature in the room; for the return of greenery, it should be from 20 to 25 ° C. At lower temperatures, the formation of bushes is inhibited and the plant begins to lose aroma.

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