Growing basil seedlings from seeds

This spicy plant gives a unique taste to the dishes to which it is added. Pickles and marinades with basil are especially aromatic. It can be used as a seasoning for meat and fish dishes, added to sauces. This spicy plant owes its unusual aroma to essential oils in its composition. Besides them, basil contains vitamins and minerals in a harmonious combination. An unpretentious green culture is available for growing even for novice gardeners, but there are many subtleties of sowing seeds and growing seedlings, knowing which, you can get a guaranteed harvest.

Varieties and varieties of basil

There are several varieties of this green culture.

• Camphor (fragrant) basil - with a tart taste and aroma of cloves, the bush reaches a height of 50 cm.
• Mexican (cinnamon) - with a scent of cinnamon, a bush with purple leaves reaches a height of half a meter.
• Ordinary (regan) - with large fragrant red-purple leaves that have a delicate taste.
• Lemon - a type of basil with pale green leaves that have a lemon aroma, a strongly leafy bush, gives up to 250 g of spicy herbs.

Fans of this spice prefer to plant several varieties of different ripening periods - with purple and green leaves.

• Varieties of early ripening (from 35 to 65 days of sowing) - "pearl of the Moscow region", "dwarf", "clove", "green fragrant", "lemon".
• Varieties of medium and medium late ripening (from 65 to 90 days) - "sorcerer", "orion", "caramel", "Moskvoretskiy semko".
• Varieties of medium late ripening (over 90 days) - "table", "charm", "lemon", "marquis", "dreamer", "Moorish".

Advice

Choose zoned varieties for your beds, they can show potential only in a climate suitable for them.

For those who prefer growing from basil seeds of a certain color, you can focus on the following varieties:

• With purple leaves - "Moskvoretsky", "purple", "table", "Thai queen", "Moorish", "Yerevan", "Baku".
• With green leaves - "tonus", "green cornflower", "dreamer", "smal levels", "stella", "table", "spoon-shaped", "balconystar" (for growing at home).

Soil preparation and sowing seeds

Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out in late March - early April. You should not plant them in advance so that the seedlings do not stretch out, but you do not need to be late either. The cultivation of vegetable crops usually begins with pre-sowing seed preparation. For basil, this operation can be skipped; its seeds do not require any processing before sowing. But the soil in which the seedlings will grow needs careful preparation. It is advisable to prepare the required amount of soil in the fall, and then only bring it in advance into a warm room.

Growing seedlings - soil composition:

• compost or humus - 2 parts;
• peat - 4 parts;
• coarse washed river sand - 1 part.

Advice

Steam the sifted earthen mixture in a water bath for 40-60 minutes, or heat it up in the microwave for 5-10 minutes. So you get rid of pests, fungal spores and weed seeds that have overwintered in it. Treat the finished mixture purchased in the store with any fungicide or a solution of dark pink manganese.

In addition to the earthen mixture for growing basil, you will need some tools:

• planting containers or containers, it can be a plastic or wooden box with holes at the bottom for excess moisture outflow;
• drainage (expanded clay, brick fight);
• sprayer;
• watering can;
• complex mineral fertilizer for seedlings.

The soil layer for sowing seeds should be at least 5-7 cm. It is convenient to cultivate several varieties of basil if you stock up on strong labels for plant names in advance. The most practical ones are made of thick foil, on which letters are squeezed out with a sharp object. These labels do not fade in the sun and do not lose their appearance when the seedlings are watered.

The seeds are sown in shallow grooves in moist soil. They are sprinkled with soil with a layer of at least 1 cm, making sure that they do not remain on the surface of the soil. Then the box is covered with glass or foil and sent to a warm, well-lit room.

Seedling care

If the room temperature is not lower than + 20-25⁰С, seed shoots will appear after 10-14 days. Further cultivation of seedlings takes place without shelter. If it is not removed in time, creating a greenhouse microclimate for basil seedlings, you can expose future seedlings to the risk of being hit by a "black leg" - a fungal disease. Its symptoms are blackening of the stem at the level of the soil surface, cessation of nutrition and death of the plant.

Advice

It is almost impossible to save basil affected by the "black leg". In order for the cultivation of seedlings to be successful, it is possible to dust the soil surface with sifted furnace ash or add it to the sowing soil for the prevention of fungal diseases.

Water the basil seedlings carefully, using a watering can with a very fine strainer, or spray the soil with a spray bottle.

Seedling picking

A sign that it is time to start picking seedlings is the appearance of a pair of the first true leaves.

The composition of the soil for basil seedlings:

• humus - 2 parts;
• peat - 3 parts;
• river sand - 1 part;
• ash - 2 tbsp. l .;
• complete mineral fertilizer - 1 tbsp. l.

The mixture for seedlings is thoroughly mixed, filled with it peat pots or cassettes, compact the soil. Seedlings are preliminarily (1-2 hours before the pick) watered with warm water. Each plant is carefully placed in a recess, the roots are straightened, sprinkled with soil, and the soil is compacted.

Advice

To grow strong seedlings with a powerful root system, you can pinch the central root of the seedling before picking. Then the roots of the seedlings will be fibrous, and she herself will not stretch.

It is not necessary to deepen the cut plants to the first leaves. They are planted at the same depth at which the seedlings grew before the dive. Seedlings are carefully watered, trying not to exceed the water norm, and excess moisture is drained from the pallet. If the plants need adjustment, they are carefully adjusted.

Seedling care

Place pots or cassettes in a cool room with good lighting. The optimum temperature for growing seedlings is + 16–20⁰С. Watering for the prevention of fungal diseases is carried out very moderately, as the soil dries up. After 5-7 days after picking, basil seedlings are fed for the first time.

Top dressing composition per liter of water:

• ammonium nitrate - 2 g;
• superphosphate - 4 g;
• wood ash - 2-3 g.

Top dressing is repeated after 2 weeks. The formation of 5-6 leaves signals that the cultivation of seedlings at home is coming to an end and you can prepare for it landing in open ground... For hardening, pots with plants are taken out on a balcony or veranda for several hours, accustoming them to sunlight and low temperatures.

If the desired temperature can still be achieved, then adequate lighting is what basil seedlings often require. You can extend daylight hours by additional highlighting of seedlings using special lamps. Daylight hours for this plant should be at least 15 hours. Otherwise, do not rush to sow seedlings until mid-February.

To make a race in time and get spicy herbs as early as possible, you need to take care of sowing seeds and cultivating planting material in advance.It is advisable to determine in advance the preferred varieties, ripening periods, and the selection of zoned varieties.

Healthy strong plants that quickly adapt to open ground can be grown with strict adherence to agricultural technology, soil preparation, temperature control, timely dosed watering and feeding. Excessive waterlogging should be avoided in order to prevent the development of fungal diseases.