How to grow basil? A step-by-step guide to the planting method
Basil
Scientific name: Ocimum basilicum
Aliases: dwarf basil, nine-story pagoda, jinbuhuan, St. Joseph's wort, sweet basil, lanxiang
Family and genus: Lamiaceae, genus Ocimum.
Cultivation and management: propagate by seed or cuttings. In North China, sow indoors or in a hotbed in early spring, and transplant in early April. Softwood cuttings can also be taken in summer after pinching off the tops. After sowing, germination takes about 3-7 days, and transplanting is done at about one month when there are two pairs of true leaves (plant height about 15cm). The usual row and plant spacing at planting is (15-30)cm×(50-90)cm. After the plant grows, it forms a branching, clump-forming habit; if the main purpose is producing fresh leaves for eating, pinching is needed to promote branching and increase the harvest. The general fertilizer application ratio of N-P205-K20 is 1:1:1. It is recommended to apply about 230-300kg of nitrogen (N) per hectare as a base fertilizer, and then 50-75kg of nitrogen as a top dressing after harvest.
Uses: mostly used as a background for courtyard flower borders or as ground cover; the whole plant contains aromatic volatile oil and is a major aromatic and medicinal plant.
How to grow basil: how do you grow basil?
As herbs fighting on the front line, fungus gnats are helpless against them too. Their drifting fragrance may just be their invincible weapon! Touch them lightly and the scent lingers on your hand. Basil is not afraid of wind and rain! The leaves really smell better the more you smell them, and it even produces beautiful little flowers to reward the gardener who planted it! It may even attract some beautiful butterflies and hardworking little bees to collect nectar. So how do you grow basil? Below, the editor will introduce it to everyone.
1. Prepare the seeds. The seeds must be fresh; it is best not to store them for more than a year. This way the germination rate will be very high. These are the seeds left from when I planted them last year; the branches still smell fragrant. (These branches are all dry, the seeds are on them, and you can see them by rubbing them apart with your hands.)
2. The flowerpot does not need to be too large. Leaf mold soil is better because it is more fertile, but ordinary soil also works. A flowerpot with a diameter of about 15cm is enough. Generally, sowing time is spring or autumn; as long as the temperature is not too low, they can germinate.
3. Sprinkle the seeds directly into the pot, cover with a thin layer of soil, water thoroughly, and spray a little water every day to keep the potting soil moist; generally they will germinate in about a week. I sowed ten seeds and seven germinated, which is a pretty good result.
4. To promote branching, you can also pinch off the growing tip once when basil has grown to about 7 leaves. This is not absolutely necessary; as long as the soil is fertile and nutrients, water, and sunlight can keep up, it is not hard to get fat leaves and strong branches.
5. During the growing period, do not neglect either watering or fertilizing, and you can loosen the soil a bit. In short, it will not get bugs that easily, so there is no need to worry about pests and diseases. The basil has grown up.
6. Usually pick the tender leaves to make basil omelette or basil tomato soup; the taste is excellent. Different from the ordinary. At the end of the growing period, after it flowers, you can collect the seeds and save them for sowing next year.
The above is the basil growing method provided by Duorou Huapu for everyone. I hope it can help you. You are welcome to continue following Duorou Huapu to learn more about the care of herb plants.
When is basil planted? Basil planting time and method
Basil is an annual herbaceous plant in the Lamiaceae family, genus Ocimum. It is an aromatic plant used both as medicine and food, with emerald-green leaves, bright flowers, and overflowing fragrance. While it has high ornamental value, basil also has effects such as resolving dampness and aiding digestion, invigorating the blood, and detoxifying. Nowadays, people pay more and more attention to health and wellness, and basil, with certain health benefits, is receiving even more attention, so its planting value is high. So when is basil planted? The planting time and method of basil are introduced below.
Image: basil planting
1. Basil planting time
In the south, sow in March-April; in the north, sow in late April to May. Sowing should be done on a sunny morning. Put nutrient soil into a sowing tray, water thoroughly with hot water or warm water, and after the water seeps down, spread 1 layer of medicated soil, evenly sow the germinated seeds in the tray, cover with 1cm of medicated soil, and cover with plastic film to keep warm and moist. For drilling, open shallow furrows at a row spacing of about 35cm; for hole sowing, open shallow holes at a hole spacing of 25cm, evenly scatter into the furrows or holes, cover with a thin layer of soil, and keep the soil moist. Use 0.2-0.3kg of seed per mu. Seedling raising and transplanting can also be used. In the north, seedlings can be raised in a sunny bed in March, and when the seedlings are 10-15cm tall, transplant them with soil to the field. After transplanting, firm the soil and water.
Image: basil planting
2. Basil planting method
1. Site selection and fertilizing:Basil is a deep-rooted plant, and its roots can penetrate 50-100cm into the soil, so it is advisable to choose well-drained, fertile, loose sandy loam. Before planting, apply sufficient base fertilizer, level and rake fine, and make flat beds or raised beds about 130cm wide. Because the frost-free period in our country is relatively short, for open-field cultivation production, if seeds are to be harvested, seedlings must be raised in a greenhouse or plastic tunnel. If only the tender stems and leaves are eaten, seedlings can be raised or direct sowing can be done; the seedling period is generally sown in mid-to-late April.
2. Sowing and seedling raising:Put the basil seeds into a gauze bag, shake off the water vigorously, cover well with a wet towel or gauze, keep warm and moist, and place at about 25°C for germination. During germination, rinse once a day with clean water and drain well. If the seed quantity is large, turn them 1-2 times a day to keep the temperature even and the germination uniform. In the early stage of germination, the temperature can be slightly higher to promote sprouting; when the buds are about to emerge (the seeds are about to open), the temperature should be lowered by 3-5°C to make the buds thick and uniform. After the buds have all emerged, if special weather occurs, move the buds to a place at 5-10°C to control bud growth and wait for sowing.
3. Cultivation and top dressing:When basil seedlings are 6-10cm tall, thin and fill in the seedlings. For hole sowing, keep 2-3 plants per hole; for drilling, keep 1 plant about every 10cm. Generally cultivate and weed 2 times. The first time is 10-20 days after emergence, shallowly hoeing the surface soil. The second time is from early May to early June, before the seedlings close the rows. After each cultivation, apply human and livestock manure water. Seedlings are afraid of drought, so pay attention to timely watering.
Image: basil planting
4. Harvest time:Basil stems and leaves are harvested in July-August. Cut the whole plant, remove the fine roots and impurities, and sun-dry it. When the plants are 20cm tall and the rows have closed, harvest by selecting the front ends of young, tender branches that have not bolted, 5-10cm long, harvesting once every 7-15 days. To extract essential oil, do it when the inflorescences are fully out.
5. Harvesting and processing:When harvesting basil, cut the plant 20-25cm above the ground with a sickle, avoiding shaking the root system so as not to affect its regeneration ability, then strengthen fertilizer and water management to promote new stems and leaves to sprout again. After harvesting, processing should be carried out as soon as possible to avoid the wounds and leaves turning brown and yellow, which would affect the quality of the essential oil.
[Editor's concluding remarks]Basil likes a warm and humid environment and is not cold-tolerant or waterlogging-tolerant, so extra attention is needed during cultivation. The above introduces the planting time and method of basil for everyone, and I hope it can be helpful to everyone!