How to take care of basil? This article gives you the answer to how to take care of the basil bar.
For the most commonly used herbs, parsley and cilantro may be the most important ingredients, but sweet basil almost always comes first! And there’s a good reason for that.
It is a mild, aromatic, and fragrant herb that is a valuable addition to many cuisines. If you’ve never grown this popular garden plant, there’s no better time than now!
In this gardening guide, we will cover the basics of caring for this plant. If you master the simple art of tending this herb, pizza pesto, Italian toast and margaritas are just around the corner.
UNDERSTANDING BASIC BASIL NEEDS
When it comes to growing sweet basil, you don’t need a green thumb to succeed! In fact, you don’t even need to have the gardening experience to grow an abundant crop.
If you have everything you need on hand, you’ll always have plenty of basil.
Full of sunlight – As far as this cathedral is concerned, the more sunlight the better! Although basil can tolerate light partial shade, it is best to grow it where it receives at least 6-8 hours of sunlight per day.
In order to grow basil indoors, you must provide each plant with at least 30 watts of full-spectrum lighting.
Indoor plants need more light than outdoor plants, so try to provide at least 10-12 hours of continuous light.
Well-drained and fertile soil – Although sweet basil can grow in less than ideal soil, you will find that maximum plant growth and health will be achieved in fertile soil.
The ideal soil not only contains plenty of organic matter but also drains well. For basil to be planted in the ground, prepare the bed a month in advance by adding compost to the topsoil.
Container basil plants will be grown in good quality organic potting soil with the addition of perlite for drainage.
CARE REQUIREMENTS
For a good basil crop, you need to provide proper care for the plants. First, when planting, you need to choose a well-lit area; shade and partial shade are not well suited for this spice.
Secondly, try to provide the best watering for your basil, for this, you need to use sinking warm water. The watering should be moderate and should not dry out the soil as much as the excess water.
The planting of basil is incomplete without loosening the soil, which allows oxygen to easily enter the rhizome of the plant. For this reason, it is recommended to regularly thin the ground near the basil bushes, preferably during the collection of weeds and after each watering.
Likewise, do not forget to feed regularly, which is especially important during active spring growth and during summer budding. It is best to use organic and mineral fertilizers, the former usually in the fall and the latter usually in the spring and summer.
BASIL CARE RULES
- Watering: In summer, spray basil every morning over water if needed, while the soil should always be moist, but not overflowing. In winter, watering should be moderate – 2 times a week is enough.
- Temperature: Pay attention to the air temperature, which should be very high 20-25°C (68-77°F). Remember that basil does not tolerate drought and starts to lose its fragrance when the temperature falls below 20°C (68°F).
- Light: In the warmer months (March to August), basil needs 6 hours of natural sunlight. In winter, this is not possible without another lighting. How and what to create it, please read further in step 4.
- Soil fertilization: If the soil is not fertile enough, fertilize once a month: use 1 teaspoon of bio-humus poured on the surface of the ground or use other organic fertilizers.
PRECAUTIONS
Basil care includes timely watering and feeding. We water when the soil is dry to avoid waterlogging and fertilize once a month with a nitrogen fertilizer, which will stimulate the growth of the green plants.
Twelve days after planting the seedlings in the ground, we feed the basil for the first time, for example, with phosphorous nitrite: 2 tablespoons diluted in 12 liters of water. One tablespoon of phosphorous nitrite, consumed – 3-4 liters per 1 square meter.
We watered only with settled warm water about 25 ° C (77 ° F). I have a large plastic bucket in which the water can be perfectly heated during the day, try to buy one – very convenient.
Also, to achieve maximum branching of basil, we remove only the emerging peduncles so that we can cut the young leaves and shoots several times per season.
Maintenance of basil includes regular thinning of the soil around the plant and timely weeding. I regularly weed and thin about seven times during the growing season. After weeding, I water the plants immediately.
Don’t forget that basil is thermophilic, so I mulch immature young plants for the first two weeks after sowing the film. If the temperature is higher than 20°C (68°F) during the day, the film is removed, but it must be put back in place at night.
