Planting, cultivation, outdoor care and propagation of basil
Basil is one of the most favorite herbs for gardeners. It looks beautiful in the garden, attracts pollinating insects, and protects fruit trees from pests. Green, red or purple glossy leaves at the time of flowering accumulate essential oils, thanks to which a unique taste and aroma are created.
Residents of the southern regions cannot imagine meat dishes without basil, but in the middle zone and Siberia, few plant it, believing that the heat-loving plant will reluctantly take root in the garden. However, if you know how to grow a crop in the open field, you will be able to harvest the crop at the end of June.
The content of the article
Growing basil seedlings from seeds
Basil does not tolerate the slightest drop in temperature... Therefore, it is most often grown in seedlings. It is easy to create conditions for seed germination on a windowsill or in a greenhouse. Let's take a closer look at how to grow basil from seeds.
When to plant seeds
Here they are guided by climatic conditions: in the south, the seedlings are transferred to the ground in May, and in the middle and northern latitudes - in early or mid-June. The counting is done in the opposite direction: it takes 7-8 days for seeds to germinate, about 2 months for plants to get stronger. This means that if the threat of frost usually passes by June 10, seeds are planted in early April.
Council. In the northernmost regions, a cold snap occurs in mid-June. There, basil is sown for seedlings in late April - early May.
Soil preparation
For sowing, prepare the soil in such proportions:
- 1 part peat;
- 1 part of humus;
- 1 part of soil.
Before planting, the substrate is disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate and fertilized... They buy it ready-made or make it up yourself. This will require 0.5 tsp. urea, superphosphate, potassium chloride, potassium sulfate and 5 liters of water. The mixture is thoroughly mixed and the soil is watered in prepared boxes or pots.
Landing algorithm
Basil seeds are sown to a depth of no more than 1 cm, in boxes - in rows at a distance of 10 cm... The best thing plant a crop into individual cassettes 5–7 cm high. Then the seedlings will not have to be thinned out, damaging the roots.
Plant seeds in moist soil and cover with foil or glass until germination... Until this moment, the seedling boxes are kept in a warm, sunny place. As soon as the first shoots appear, the shelter is removed. Greens usually appear on the soil surface 7-8 days after planting.
Water the seedlings sparingly, avoiding waterlogging or drying out... In a too humid environment, plants are damaged by a black leg, in a dry environment they stop developing. When 2-3 true leaves appear, basil is dived into separate containers.
Reference. When to plant basil seeds outdoors? This is done only if the threat of frost has passed, in early June. However, the seedling method is more reliable.
Planting basil in open ground
The best precursors for spice - potatoes, cucumbers and legumes. You cannot plant basil for several years in a row in one place. This will lead to massive damage to plants by fusarium.
Most good neighbors - tomatoes... They promote the correct development of culture and repel pests.
When to transplant
2 months after germination, the basil is ready to be placed in the garden... In the southern regions, seedlings are planted in the ground at the beginning of May; in the suburbs, in the Urals, in Western Siberia - in early June.
The further north the region and the higher the risk of frost, the later the basil is transplanted.... With the threat of a sharp cold snap, the beds are covered with agril or film.
How to land correctly
If there are a lot of seedlings, the strongest, most developed plants are selected.... It is best to plant basil not in grooves, but in a square-nested way - in holes at a distance of 15–20 cm from each other with row spacing of 30–40 cm.
Basil soil requires light with drainage... On stagnant and heavy soils, the culture does not develop well, grows slowly. She loves open sunny areas, but grows well under young fruit trees without a spreading crown (apple trees, pears, cherries).
Interesting on the site:
Basilisk Basil for pickles and fresh salads
Basil care
To obtain a rich harvest, the plant in a timely manner water, fertilize, protect from pests and diseases, loosen the ground. Basil grows strong, vibrant, and healthy when properly cared for outdoors.
Watering
Moisten the soil regularly... Drying out leads to inhibition of growth and death of plants. Thanks to regular watering, leaves form and grow quickly. Water is required settled and warm, not colder than + 24 ... + 25 ° С.
Loosening and mulching
Once every 1-2 weeks, the soil is harrowed and the weeds are pulled out... Loosening is carried out before watering - this provides better nutrition for the root system.
The beds are mulching straw, sawdust or other handy materials. The covered soil does not dry out and stops the development of weeds.
Topping
When peduncles appear, they are cut to stimulate the plant to branch... This will give an increase in green mass. The delicate top is removed for maximum development of lateral shoots and a bountiful harvest, but this is done not before the basil reaches a height of 20-25 cm.
Top dressing
The first time fertilization is applied 2 weeks after transplanting basil in open ground. Best suited "Nitrofoska". Plants are watered at the rate of 3-5 liters per 1 m².
Subsequent feeding is carried out at intervals of a month 2 times per season... Apply "Nitrofoska" or organic fertilizers. Manure or humus is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:20 and defended for at least a day.
Prevention of diseases and pests
Black leg is dangerous for basil seedlingsthat infects plants with excess moisture. In order to prevent the death of seedlings, they are properly watered, the soil is loosened in the aisles.
A sign of fusarium is the appearance of brown spots on the leaves... It occurs most often if basil is planted in the same garden for several years in a row.
Gray rot affects the leaves and appears as small gray specks. All these diseases lead to the death of plants, therefore, at the first sign, urgent measures are taken.
Important! For the prevention of diseases, weeds are destroyed in time, loosened the soil, prevent it from waterlogging and thicken the planting.
Basil is treated with:
- Strong infusion of onion peel. For 1 kg of scales, take 4 liters of water, insist for at least a day. The resulting solution is sprayed on the plants.
- From the black leg, the soil is spilled with a strong solution of potassium permanganate. If the disease has spread, the use of fungicides, for example, "Fitosporin", will be required.
- Periodically (1-2 times a week), the soil in the garden bed is sprinkled with wood ash.
Basil is resistant to insect pests, but aphids and a field bug sometimes settle on it. If there are plants infected with aphids on the site, a continuous treatment is carried out.It is almost impossible to get rid of her in a single bed - she is very prolific and calmly moves from one plant to another.
In the fight against aphids and field bugs are effective insecticidal preparations. They cultivate the entire territory of a vegetable garden or garden. The natural enemies of aphids - ladybirds - are attracted to the site. Get rid of ants because they carry the pest from place to place.
The bug is afraid of birds, so the presence of 2-3 feeders on the site will protect against the pest more reliably than chemicals.
How basil grows
This is a plant of the Lamiaceae family with a tetrahedral stem, ovoid leaves with jagged or whole edges. The culture grows up to 40-60 cm in height... The growing season is 140–160 days.
Growth stages
Seedlings after planting appear on day 7-9... After 2 weeks, 2-3 true leaves are formed. At first, seedlings develop very slowly, so the basil is ready for transplanting only after 40-60 days.
In the photo - shoots of basil.
The plant blooms, depending on the region, from late June to late July... Bud formation continues until the end of August. After flowering ends in September, seeds are formed.
With proper care cutting of plants is carried out 3-4 times per season... It takes about 90 days from germination to the first harvest.
Basil propagation
Spice is grown in two ways - using seeds or cuttings. The seeds are bought in the store or grown independently.
Cuttings
To propagate in this way, you will need cut basil.... It is bought in any supermarket or market. With this method, the harvest is obtained much earlier.
Selection and preparation of cuttings
Plants should not be very wilted... Any variety is suitable. For rooting, all lateral shoots are cut off from the branch and the lower part under the leaf node is cut off with sharp scissors or a knife.
How to root
Prepared shoots are placed in a container with water and placed on a windowsill... If the sun is too bright, the plants are shaded to avoid burns and death.
After 10-14 days, numerous roots will appear on the lower part of the shoots. When they reach 3-4 cm, they are planted in pots for home breeding or in a garden bed.
How to transplant basil outdoors
The layout of plants in the garden is the same as that of seedlings: 15–20 cm between bushes and 30–40 cm between rows.
The cuttings are planted in moist soil, the site is mulched with straw or sawdust.
Seeds
To get planting material, they follow several rules.:
- On 2-3 bushes, peduncles are not cut off, but they are allowed to mature.
- The strongest, healthiest and most harmoniously developed plants are chosen.
- When the testes appear, the extra flowers are removed so that the basil can concentrate on forming strong fruits.
- Readiness is determined by color: ripe seeds turn black.
- Fruits are harvested only in dry, calm weather, otherwise there is a risk of mold damage during storage.
- The peduncles are cut, wrapped with gauze, and tied in bunches.
- They are hung upside down until final drying.
- After 1-2 weeks, carefully unfold the gauze and select the seeds. Store out of the sun, moisture and air.
Correctly assembled planting material remains viable for 4-5 years.
Conclusion
Growing basil in your garden or at home is easy. The main thing is to create suitable conditions, know when to plant seedlings, remember to water the plants on time and follow other rules of agricultural technology. Harvest the aromatic spice 2-3 times per season.
Which breeding method to choose (by seeds or cuttings) depends on the desire or availability of free time. Cutting is a less time consuming and much more reliable method.