How to Grow Basil and Everyday Care Tips
Basil, also commonly known as fish-fragrance herb, has a unique aroma and is often used in our daily life in certain dishes with a strong fishy smell to remove the odor. But it also has many other benefits, such as detoxifying and reducing swelling, promoting the flow of qi and blood circulation, and treating headaches, bloating and other issues. It is mainly grown in the southern regions of our country, so how do you grow basil? Today, join the editor to learn how to grow it.
1. Soil and Fertilizer Management
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 ventilated, well-drained sandy loam. Of course, if there is no sandy loam, it cannot be grown in clay, except that when preparing the land, sufficient sand needs to be added to the clay to improve the soil. Since basil is a deep-rooted plant, the soil should be prepared to a depth of at least about 50 cm, with sufficient nutrients spread over it, then turned into the soil, with furrows opened and beds made, and the bed surface leveled.
2. Propagation Methods
Basil is generally propagated by seed. In the southern regions of our country, it is usually planted in March and April each year, while in the northern regions it is generally planted from the end of April to early May. In fact, basil can be planted all year round, but planting it at certain times gives better yield and quality. When sowing, it is generally done in drills, with each row about 30 to 35 cm apart, and then the seeds are scattered at a spacing of 10 to 15 cm. Cover with a thin layer of soil, then water the soil until moist.
3. Field Management
When the basil seedlings grow to about 8 or 9 cm, thinning begins. Generally only two strong seedlings are kept per spot, and the other seedlings need to be pulled out. Then check whether any spots in the field are missing seedlings, and replant them as needed. Throughout the entire growth process of basil, at least two rounds of cultivation and weeding are needed, and whether weeding is needed later depends on the growth of weeds in the field. Each time you cultivate, you need to do it together with fertilizing, which helps the absorption of nutrients 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 5 days.
4. Timely Harvesting
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 in July each year and ending in August. Seed harvesting takes place 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 not only has extremely high culinary value, but also high medicinal value, and it holds an important position in the market. That is all for today's introduction to how to grow basil. If you have any other questions about growing techniques, you can contact us to get the latest information.