Basil And Features Of Its Cultivation

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Basil is a plant that can be classified as both annual and perennial crops. Under natural conditions, these shrubs can grow in the tropics and subtropical zones. In general, culture contains about seven dozen different species. However, only nine varieties are suitable for growing in the garden

Basil can be found especially often in the gardens and orchards of the Caucasus. A common crop is a plant in the hot regions of Russia. In temperate and cold climates, the inhabitants of our country grow basil at home on window sills. This herb is great for adding aroma and special taste to culinary dishes that are appreciated by hostesses. In alternative medicine, basil is used to treat many ailments.

Basic facts of growing basil

Basil is a very thermophilic plant. Therefore, it is grown in Russia only as an annual crop. It can be grown in one place for three or four years, but then the shrub should be transplanted to another bed. Otherwise, basil may undergo a specific fungal infection. It accumulates in it for years if you grow the plant without changing its place. In indoor growing, types of herbs such as sweet basil or common basil are popular. For many gardeners, it is better known as camphor basil.

Description and varieties

Basil is very often grown in the garden. This annual crop has a herbaceous stem, and its roots have a fibrous variety. Most often, it is located on the top layer of the soil.

You need to water the plant constantly, but you should not overdo it with the water procedure. The height of the plant stem can reach from thirty-five to sixty centimeters. Its length is especially strongly influenced by the conditions in which the crop is grown. This plant bushes very strongly. Up to fifteen shoots are formed on its sides. The leaves are ovoid. But at the ends, the basil leaves are pointed.

The shrub color can range from green to eggplant. As for the flowers of the plant, they are in the form of spikelets with a white or pink corolla. The flowering phase of the basil is observed during the July-September season. The growing season lasts for sixty to one hundred days. Basil species differ in their ripening period. They can be early, late, middle and transitional.

Among the first varieties, the most popular are Clove or Yerevan. Their spicy aroma allows the plant to be used as a spice for various culinary dishes, additionally giving them an interesting, pronounced taste. The leaves of these varieties always have a rich green color. Only in exceptional cases can they turn blue and purple over time.

Well-known medium varieties - Caramel, Tonus, Ararat. These shrubs are up to half a meter high. A distinctive feature is the brown shade of the leaves. The strong clove scent can contain hints of mint, pepper or caramel. For late-ripening varieties like Lemon, Fantazer, Zastolny, the characteristic features are large-sized leaves with a rich green color. It is worth noting that late basil can only be grown with seedlings. In the fall season, basil should be transplanted into containers for the winter. This allows you to have fragrant and attractive greens at home even in cold weather.

Growing basil in the garden

In the garden for growing basil, a separate bed should be designated. However, some growers place it as a compactor or in mixed beds. This shrub feels comfortable only in warm conditions. Basil can't stand even minus one degree. At temperatures below this limit, the plant dies. It is also necessary to ensure that the basil does not grow in the shade of neighboring plants. Although in such a situation, they protect the shrub from drafts and gusts of wind.

Any type of soil is suitable for basil. However, in any case, the land will have to be fertilized with organic matter. The plant feels good in those places where zucchini, beans and carrots previously grew. You can plant it in the beds where nightshade crops and onions used to be harvested.