How to grow basil on a windowsill from seeds at home

Basil is a valuable spicy plant with a piquant taste. It is used not only as a fragrant seasoning for various dishes, but also as a medicinal plant with anti-inflammatory, bactericidal, tonic and other beneficial properties. The plant is thermophilic, so the period of its cultivation in open ground is only 3-4 months. To have fresh herbs on the table all year round, consider how to grow basil on your windowsill at home.

Basil varieties for growing at home

For growing basil at home on the windowsill, you can choose any variety. But you need to remember that small-leaved and undersized varieties grow faster and require less labor. Purple basil and other tall varieties need more time and care.

The following varieties are most popular among home gardeners:

Purple.
Lemon.
Clove aroma.
Marquis.
Dwarf.
Yerevan.

Purple - a large-leaved variety of basil, reaches a height of 50 cm. The leaves have a purple or purple color. The plant is highly decorative and has the most pronounced aroma.

Lemon - small-leaved tall variety. The leaves are light green in color, oblong in shape with small villi on the surface. Has a rich lemony aroma.

Clove fragrance is an ornamental variety of green basil. The bush has a spherical shape. The leaves have a clove flavor with a hint of laurel.

Marquis - small-leaved compact bush of medium-early ripening period. The leaves have a spicy flavor.

Dwarf - a miniature variety, reaching a height of 10-20 cm. It is green and purple. It has a spicy-spicy taste. Bush decorative, spherical shape.

Yerevan - undersized small-leaved variety of purple basil. Has a peppery taste with hints of tea.

Planting methods

There are several ways to plant a spice. The fastest and least time-consuming is transplanting a finished plant from the garden.For this, young sprouts are taken and, together with a clod of earth, are placed in a pot. It should be noted that the fruiting period of such a plant is the shortest, since the flowering period will soon begin and it will have to be renewed.

The method of growing basil seeds is the most labor-intensive and time-consuming. The main advantage of this method is the longevity of the bush. Under the right conditions and proper care, young greens can be harvested for a whole year.

You can plant basil 1-2 seeds in a large pot or sow several dozen seeds in a common shallow container at once. After about a month and a half, when the seedlings have reached a height of 5-7 cm, they can be planted in individual pots.

Soil selection

Having decided on the method of planting, you can begin to prepare the soil.

The plant is highly demanding on the conditions of detention, including the quality of the soil. In order for the basil on the windowsill to feel good, the soil in which it will grow must be fertile, light, air and moisture pass well. To do this, you can take in equal proportions universal soil for indoor plants and garden soil, which must be treated from pests before use. The soil from the store does not need pre-treatment, as the producers take care of it in advance.

A mixture of vermicompost with coconut substrate in a ratio of 1:2 or with soil for houseplants in a ratio of 1:4 is also suitable.

It is important to remember that for basil, a prerequisite is the presence of a drainage layer. To do this, it is necessary to pour a layer of expanded clay, pebbles or polystyrene 2-3 cm high at the bottom of the tank.

Basil growing pot

Before you plant the seeds, you need to choose the right container based on the chosen planting method. If further picking of seedlings is expected, then at the initial stage, any pots and cups of small sizes or a box 7-10 cm high will do.

If you plan to grow basil in a pot without transplanting, then the volume of the container should be 1.5-2 liters, and the height should be at least 15 cm. Any container for growing spicy seasoning at home should be equipped with drainage holes.

Pre-sowing preparation of seeds

The process of germination of sprouts from seeds on the windowsill can take several weeks. This is due to the fact that the seeds of this spicy plant have a dense shell containing essential oils. To speed up the emergence of seedlings, you must do the following.

Basil seeds should be soaked in warm water for 1-2 days before sowing. Every 8-12 hours the water must be changed. After that, the seeds can be kept for 2 hours in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate to exclude the possible development of fungal infections. After this time, the seeds are dried on a cloth or napkin and start sowing.

Sowing basil seeds

Growing basil at home, you need to remember that the he alth of the plant, its growth and the quality of the crop also depend on the correct planting. The seeds of this spicy plant are small, so they do not need to be deeply buried. The optimal sowing depth is 1 cm. The distance between future plants should be 10–15 cm. when transplanting, do not injure young roots.

Seeds are placed in well-moistened soil. After planting, the container must be covered with cling film, glass or a plastic bag to create a greenhouse effect and put away in a dark, warm place, avoiding being near open windows. Shelter is removed once a day for a few minutes to prevent the development of mold. They do this until shoots appear, after which the shelter is completely removed.

Conditions for germinating seeds

Basil does not tolerate low temperatures, so the optimal conditions for seed germination are +25 … +28 °С. It is not necessary to additionally moisten the soil before germination; if necessary, you can only lightly spray the surface with a spray gun. Under the right conditions, young shoots of basil will appear in 5-7 days.

After the appearance of the first shoots, the containers are transferred to a well-lit, draft-protected place. The air temperature in the room should be within +20 … +25 ° С. When the temperature drops below this level, the plant begins to slow down in development and lose aroma.

It is better to grow basil in natural light during the warm season, when daylight hours are at least 12 hours. Lighting in winter will require the use of additional artificial sources, such as phytolamps. They are turned on for 3-4 hours in the evening, setting them at a distance of 25-30 cm from the tops of the plants. On cloudy days, such lamps can be left on all day long.

When the seedlings grow up to 5-7 cm, if necessary, they need to be thinned out and sprinkled with 2-3 cm of earth so that the sprouts are less stretched and the leg becomes stronger.

Rules for caring for basil at home

In order for basil to grow well, be fragrant and juicy, it needs constant moderate moisture. In hot periods, water the plant every day in the morning.You can also spray the greens during the day from a spray bottle. It is important to remember that the soil cannot be waterlogged to avoid water stagnation and root rot.

In the autumn-winter period, it is enough to water the basil 2 times a week.

For better breathability, once every 2-3 days, the soil in containers with plants is loosened. Do this when the bush reaches a large size. For fragile shoots, this procedure is not carried out in order to avoid damage to the unformed root system.

For good growth, it is necessary to feed the plants with organic fertilizers once every 2 weeks. A universal fertilizer based on compost or humates is well suited for this.

Harvesting

The first basil greens can be obtained 1-1.5 months after sowing the seeds.In order for the plant at home on the windowsill to be lush and branch well, you need to regularly pinch off 1-2 side leaves. This can be done for the first time when 4 adult leaves appear on the bush. When the plant acquires 6-8 leaves, its top is pinched, thus ensuring the development of lateral shoots. This procedure is done every 2-3 weeks. Lateral shoots are also pinched at the growth point behind the third pair of leaves.

At least 4 lower leaves should be left on each plant, since new shoots will subsequently form in their axils. If they are cut, the plant will tend to grow up, not in breadth, and a beautiful lush bush will not work. In addition, its yield will decrease significantly.

When the first buds appear, they are immediately removed along with the two lower leaves. If this is not done, the basil will lose its taste, become tough and unfit for food.

Growing basil from cuttings

There is another interesting way to grow basil on windows at home. It consists in the following: from an adult bush, bought in a store or growing on a garden bed in open ground, a side cutting is separated and placed in a container with water. The main thing is that the stalk is fresh and does not have time to lose elasticity. The water needs to be changed every day. After 1-2 weeks, the roots will appear and the plant will need to be planted in a pot.

This method is convenient for those who want to grow basil on the balcony without spending a lot of time and effort. The first harvest with this method of planting can be obtained in 7-10 days, but the plant will live no more than 4 months.