When is the best time to sow basil?

Basil is a very common herb plant, fragrant in scent, and fairly easy to grow, so when should basil be sown? What are the planting precautions?

1. When is basil sown?

Basil can be sown in spring or autumn. For spring sowing, it can be planted anytime from February to April; for autumn sowing, sow indoors or in a greenhouse about one month before frost. Spring sowing is more suitable than autumn sowing, as autumn-sown plants may freeze to death over the cold winter.

2. How is basil grown?

1. Basil is not strict about the soil of the planting site; it is tolerant of poor soil but not of clay. Generally, it can be grown in any well-ventilated, well-drained sandy loam. Of course, if there is no sandy loam, clay cannot be used for planting either, except that when preparing the land, plenty of sand needs to be added to the clay to improve the soil. Since basil is a deep-rooted plant, when preparing the land, it should be at least about 50 cm deep; spread plenty of nutrients, turn them into the soil, open furrows and make beds, and level the bed surface.

2. Basil is generally propagated by seed, and when sowing, drilling is usually used. The distance between each row is about 30 to 35 cm, and then the seeds are scattered at intervals of 10 to 15 cm. Cover with a thin layer of soil, then water the soil until moist.

3. When the basil seedlings grow to about 8 to 9 cm, start thinning them. Generally, only two strong seedlings are kept per spot, and the other seedlings need to be pulled out. Then check where the field is short of seedlings and fill in the gaps. Throughout the entire growth process of basil, at least two rounds of intertillage and weeding are needed, and whether later weeding is needed depends on how the weeds are growing in the field. Each time you intertill, it must be combined with fertilizing, which helps nutrient absorption and promotes the growth of basil. Basil has a relatively large demand for water during growth; generally, when there is no rainfall, it needs to be watered about once every five days.

4. There are many ways to harvest basil, divided into stem-and-leaf harvesting, whole-plant harvesting, and seed harvesting. Stem-and-leaf harvesting can be done in multiple rounds, generally starting from July each year and ending only in August. Seed harvesting takes place during the period from August to September each year. The harvest time should not be too early or too late, so as not to affect the yield and quality of basil.

Basil has good ornamental value and medicinal value, holds a relatively high position in the market, and is a very good spice.