2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Basil is a well-known and incredibly popular spice that can significantly improve the taste of dishes we are used to. That is why many summer residents seek to settle this plant in their plots! And rightly so: everyone can grow basil in the open field! Of course, basil needs careful soil selection and systematic care, but it boasts impressive resistance to a wide variety of pests and ailments
What should be the soil?
In order for basil to grow well, it is important to try to find the right soil for it. The most ideal option for growing basil will be sandy loam soil periodically flavored with organic matter. In addition, this plant should be planted in securely protected from cold and strong winds, as well as in well-heated areas.
As for crop rotation, basil is best planted after a tomato with legumes, as well as after potatoes or cucumbers - after them, many fertilizers valuable for the full development of basil remain in the soil!
How to plant seedlings?
Basil is most often grown using seedlings - this approach allows you to save the maximum number of seedlings and predict the approximate harvest volumes in advance. And the survival rate of seedlings in this case will be much higher than their survival rate in the case of planting with seeds!
It is better to prepare seedlings in advance - in March or at the beginning of April. At the same time, you can prepare a good soil for planting it yourself - it should turn out to be quite loose and enriched with all kinds of nutritious compounds, which is especially important for basil! To prepare the soil, two parts of organic fertilizers (in this case, humus or compost is taken) are combined with one part of river sand and with four parts of peat or shop soil. The finished composition is first sieved, and then loosened well and properly moistened. Then seeds are placed on the soil surface, and they are immediately sprinkled with a small layer of soil (one centimeter thick, no more). The container with the sown seeds is covered with a foil and placed in a sunny place until the first shoots appear.
When the seedlings begin to sprout amicably, you will need to pick them up, that is, transplant them into containers of more solid volumes. In this case, the best time for picking is the moment when the first two leaves appear on the seedlings. The new soil should have exactly the same composition as the original, however, this time it is not forbidden to add a small amount of wood ash to it.
Approximately two to three weeks before transplanting in open ground, the grown seedlings are regularly taken out into the street (on bright sunny days or just on warm enough days) - this will allow the plants to get used to outdoor conditions, and then they will be able to adapt much faster in the beds. As for the exact time for planting seedlings in open ground, it will entirely depend on weather conditions. For this, the soil must warm up to at least fifteen degrees! And in order for the basil bushes to grow large and wide, when planting seedlings, it is necessary to maintain a distance of at least twenty-five centimeters between the plants.
We plant seeds
If you don't feel like messing around with seedlings, you can plant basil and seeds. However, before this, it is necessary to properly prepare the soil: it is not only thoroughly loosened, but also fertilized and well moistened. As a rule, seeds are sown in open ground with the onset of May - by this time the soil will already warm up well and will not cool too much at night. If the spring is late, then it will not be superfluous to wait a little and sow the seeds in June.
The seeds are laid out on the soil surface, keeping a ten-centimeter distance between them, and then immediately sprinkle them with earth. Initially, such a small distance is left for the simple reason that not all seeds will be destined to germinate. And after the first shoots get stronger, the beds begin to thin out, leaving a distance of twenty-five or even thirty centimeters between the basil bushes. And the distance between the rows should also not be less than thirty centimeters!
Young shoots are characterized by increased sensitivity to soil moisture and temperature fluctuations, therefore, if they are not yet strong enough, and the air becomes cold from time to time, all shoots are covered with a film.
How to care?
Basil is watered in moderation, increasing the amount of watering during dry periods - if there is a lack of moisture, basil will not only stop growing, but may die! However, excessive waterlogging of the soil should not be allowed either - in this case, the basil bushes can be attacked by harmful gray mold.
As soon as the basil leaves the first leaves, they begin to cut it - this is necessary to form the widest possible bushes. During pruning, you should not only remove the upper points of growth, but also cut off all peduncles - only in this case the basil will branch to the maximum.
The soil must be systematically loosened, while simultaneously weeding out all the weeds - this is especially true for beds with young plants that have not yet matured. As a rule, during the entire growing season, this procedure is carried out seven to ten times, and each time after it is carried out, the soil is properly watered. And as soon as the length of individual leaves reaches ten to twelve centimeters, you can start harvesting!
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