When to Sow Basil? A Detailed Guide to the Best Planting Time

Basil is an aromatic plant used both as medicine and food, also known as nine-story pagoda, jin bu huan, St. Joseph's wort, sweet basil, and lan xiang. With a little trimming it can also be grown in pots, so when should it be sown? How do you grow it?

When to sow basil?

Basil is generally sown in mid-to-late April, but the sowing time varies from region to region. For example, in southern China it is best sown in March-April, while in the north it is sown from mid-to-late April to May. It is best to sow on a sunny morning.

How do you grow basil?

1. Seed selection and sprouting

Choose vigorous, mature plants with plump, uniform fruit and no pests or diseases to collect seeds, or simply buy fresh seed. Then soak the seeds for about 12 hours before sowing, remove and dry them, cover them with a damp towel, water lightly every day, and sow once they have sprouted.

2. Choosing and preparing the site

Choose a well-drained, fertile, loose sandy loam. Apply plenty of base fertilizer before planting, level and rake the soil fine, and make flat or raised beds about 130 cm wide.

3. Sowing and transplanting

At the appropriate time, sow the sprouted seeds in holes or drills on the plot, cover with a thin layer of soil, and keep the soil moist, using 0.2-0.3 kg of seed per mu. Seedling raising and transplanting can also be used; in the north, seedlings can be raised in a sunny cold frame in March, and when the seedlings are 10-15 cm tall they are transplanted into the field with the soil attached. After transplanting, firm the soil and water.

4. Thinning and weeding

When the seedlings are 6-10 cm tall, thin and fill in the plants; for hole sowing, leave 2-3 plants per hole, and for drill sowing, leave 1 plant about every 10 cm. Generally cultivate and weed twice: the first 10-20 days after emergence, shallowly hoeing the surface soil. The second from early May to early June, before the plants close the rows; after each cultivation, apply human and livestock manure water. Seedlings are afraid of drought, so water promptly. In addition, water, weed, and apply liquid fertilizer regularly, and always keep the soil moist, never on the dry side.

During the growth of basil it is easily attacked by pests and diseases such as aphids, Japanese beetles, thrips, leaf miners, and fungal wilt, so check regularly and deal with problems promptly. From July to August the stems and leaves can be harvested conveniently, generally once every 7-15 days.