How to get juicy greens during the winter months? Tips for growing basil on a windowsill. Detailed instructions: how to grow basil on a windowsill Basil growing from seeds in a pot

Basil is a plant that is ideal for growing at home. The culture grows at any time of the year and is not whimsical. Therefore, even a beginner will cope with its cultivation. In our article, we want to talk about how to grow basil on a windowsill.

What is Basil?

Basil is an indispensable spice used by people for a long time. The plant is rich in essential oils, therefore, in addition to cooking, it is also used in natural cosmetics. In good conditions, it grows in greenhouses, in vegetable gardens, so you shouldn't even doubt whether it is possible to grow basil on a windowsill.

The culture originated from India. Presumably the name of the plant goes back to the Greek basileus , which in translation means king or king. There are two different versions regarding the origin of the culture. According to one of them, the basil was found near the place where Queen Helen once discovered the True Cross. According to another version, the plant was used to treat people of royal families.

Basil has long been used for religious rituals in Orthodoxy (in the Balkans and Greece) and Hinduism. Ayurveda appreciates culture not only for its cosmetic, but also medicinal properties. There are many varieties of basil. Scented varieties are often used in cooking. All of them differ not only in appearance, but also in smell and taste.

Which variety should you prefer?

Basil attracts not only as a culinary additive, but also as a medicinal plant. At home, it can be used as an interior decoration. Recently, the popularity of the plant has increased more and more. Therefore, when thinking about how to grow basil on a windowsill, you should decide which variety you prefer to see on your balcony. We have already said that the plant is unpretentious. However, it should be understood that not every variety is suitable for growing at home. The most acceptable options may be the following types: spoon-shaped, Yerevan, Baku, marquis, clove aroma. These varieties are small-leaved, and therefore easier to cultivate at home. Large-leaved plants need a fairly large amount of trace elements that must be introduced into the ground. Only experienced gardeners can handle such care. Therefore, novice housewives should pay attention to small-leaved varieties.

When a gardener already has experience in caring for simpler species, and understands how to grow basil on a windowsill, you can move on to other varieties.

Cultivation methods

How to grow basil on a windowsill? There are three ways:

1. An adult plant can be transplanted from the soil into a pot. This is what summer residents do, who in the summer grow crops on their backyards. Young bushes that have not yet bloomed can be transplanted into a pot together with an earthen clod. However, the growing season of the plant is short, so it will bloom soon. And then you have to cut off shoots to plant young plants.
2. Growing a plant from cuttings. To do this, the tops or side shoots are cut off and placed in water. This is necessary in order for them to put down the roots. Then the basil is transplanted into a pot, the first greens can be cut off in two to three weeks. Such bushes can last you about three to four months, after which you need to renew the plant again.
3. Growing basil from seeds is the longest way. Good greens will not be obtained soon. If you need a faster result, then it is better to use the second method.

Optimal time to grow basil

How to grow basil on a windowsill in winter? Basil can be grown in principle at any time of the year, including in winter. However, it should be understood that the plant belongs to light-loving and heat-loving crops, and therefore more effort will be required for maintenance in cold periods.

Some housewives wrap the basil pots in polyethylene in winter to protect them from drafts and increase the temperature. In addition, from October to March, in our climate, the basil does not have enough sunlight, so the plants will have to be illuminated. This will help to artificially increase daylight hours. To simplify the care of the plant, many housewives prefer to sow seeds in February, then the main period of active growth of the culture will be just a period with a sufficient length of daylight hours. And in the summer, basil will feel great on the window in the apartment.

How to grow basil from seeds on a windowsill?

Before starting planting, you need to prepare the ground. You can take good soil from your summer cottage, or you can purchase a ready-made substrate. A little peat can be added to the soil from the garden to lighten it.

Sometimes basil is planted in a mixture of peat and humus (humus can be replaced with coconut fiber) in a 2: 1 ratio. Before sowing, the seeds should be held for a couple of hours in a solution of raspberry-colored potassium permanganate.

While talking about how to grow basil on a windowsill in an apartment, it is worth remembering that you need to pick up pots for plants for planting. There are two options here. You can sow seeds in small containers (200 g), and then transplant the plants into larger pots. But in general, you can immediately use large drawers, this will save you unnecessary trouble. Expanded clay should be placed on the bottom of the vessels as drainage. Seeds are sown in moist soil to a depth of no more than one centimeter at a distance of 7-10 centimeters from each other. After that, the pots should be tightened with cling film and do not remove it until shoots appear. Further, in order to quickly grow basil at home on the windowsill, you should create optimal conditions. At a temperature of + 22-28 degrees, the first shoots will appear in five to eight days.

Care of young seedlings

As soon as young shoots appear, it is immediately necessary to rearrange the pots in a well-lit and warm place. Plants need to be watered regularly. This should be done once a day; on the hottest summer days, you can moisten the soil in the morning and in the evening with water at room temperature. Basil can be sprinkled with water from time to time, especially in summer.

To understand how to grow basil in a pot on a windowsill, you need to know that the plant is home to the subtropics. That is why culture needs an abundance of warmth and light. In order for the plant to develop well and grow quickly on the windowsill, the air temperature should be at least +20 degrees, but better than +25 degrees, and the sun should shine at least 4 hours a day.

Basil is very afraid of drafts. For adult bushes, you can loosen the soil once every three days. If the soil in pots is not very fertile, then periodically (no more than once a month) it should be fertilized. Any universal fertilizer based on gummates or organic compost is suitable as a top dressing.

The first leaves can be removed from the plant in 1.5 months. In the future, cutting off the greens, you need to leave at least three leaves on the stems. This is necessary so that new branches begin to form in the sinuses. When the basil grows up, you can pinch the top of it, then the bush will grow in breadth.

How to grow basil at home on a windowsill in winter?

If you decide to sow seeds in winter, then you will need more careful care in order to grow a good plant. On the one hand, the culture needs good watering, and on the other hand, excessive waterlogging can lead to diseases. Therefore, you need to be careful with water.

The most comfortable temperature for basil is + 20-25 degrees. In winter, daylight hours for a plant are not long enough for normal development, so it must be additionally highlighted. To do this, in the evening, you can turn on the lamp for 3-4 hours. Basil does not tolerate temperature changes and drafts.

Given these points, the culture can be grown at home in the winter cold.

Diseases to which the plant is susceptible

Basil, like many other crops, is susceptible to various diseases. Of course, indoor plants are less sick than outdoor plants, but it is still worth protecting yourself. The most common diseases that affect basil are fusarium and gray mold. To prevent your bushes from being struck by such ailments, you need to avoid overflow, since excessive moisture provokes an ailment. If the plant is still unwell, then it is necessary to remove the affected stems in a timely manner so that they do not infect healthy shoots.

How to harvest correctly?

In order for the plant to grow well and continue to develop in the future, you need to be able to harvest correctly. You should never pinch off basil at the very root, this can harm the plant. In order to increase the life of the plant, it is necessary to remove the peduncles as soon as they appear. Basil should not be pinched off at the root, it can ruin the whole plant. In general, you can remove the leaves, but at the same time you should leave 4-5 leaves, in the future new branches will begin to appear from their sinuses.

In order to less injure the bushes, it is better not to pinch off the foliage, but to cut it off with scissors. Greens are easily removed by them, and the stems are not injured.

Knowing all the intricacies of the process, it's pretty easy to grow basil at home on a windowsill. Therefore, every housewife can try her hand.

It is widely known that you can grow basil in a pot on a windowsill all year round. However, practice often disagrees with theory, and once again, without waiting for shoots or pulling out the "long-legged" wilted seedlings, the gardener gives up - not destiny.

The fact is that basil is a light and heat-loving plant, and for its full growth it is necessary: \u200b\u200ba fairly high temperature (20-25 ° C), long daylight hours, fertilized soil with drainage and regular "water procedures": watering and spraying.

- Transfer of an adult plant from open ground to a pot. This method is used by summer residents who grow basil in the beds in the summer. In this case, the youngest bushes that did not have time to bloom are dug out together with a lump of earth and transplanted into a pot. The growing season of these plants is short-lived - they will bloom soon enough, and you will need to cut off the peduncles or cut the shoots into cuttings to plant a new plant.

- Growing basil from a cuttings from a previous bush. Lateral shoots or tops from an existing basil bush (or from one purchased on the market) are placed in water for 1-2 weeks so that they give roots, and then planted in pots. After about half a month, you can cut the first greens. Such a bush will serve you 3-4 months.

- Growing a new basil bush from seeds. When planted with seeds, the basil bush will take 8-12 months to fully develop, but it will also provide you with fresh greens for much longer than basil grown from a cuttings.

Growing basil from seeds: the main steps

In principle, any variety of basil is suitable for growing in pots, but, as a rule, undersized beam-forming varieties are chosen.

At the initial stage, small pots, plastic buckets or cups can serve as containers. Then, some time after the appearance of several true leaves in the basil, the plants will need to be carefully transplanted into large containers without damaging the roots. To avoid this procedure, it is best to plant the seeds in 1 liter pots right away.

The soil should be fertile, light, with high water permeability. You can use humus mixed with coconut fiber in a ratio of 1: 2, you can take a mixture of garden soil with ready-made completely decomposed compost, you can prepare soil from 1 part humus and 2 parts peat, which is then spilled with a solution of mineral fertilizers (1/8 teaspoon of urea , potassium sulfate and superphosphate per 1 liter of water). And don't forget about drainage - it is a must for the basil. Therefore, before filling the containers with soil, lie on the bottom of a layer of expanded clay, broken brick or foam plastic 2-3 centimeters high.

Before planting, basil seeds are soaked in a raspberry solution of potassium permanganate for two hours. Then they are planted in prepared moist soil to a depth of 1 centimeter at a distance of 7-10 cm from each other and covered with cling film or a bag that is not removed until germination.

The optimum temperature for germination of basil seeds is from 22 ° C to 28 ° C, in such conditions the first shoots will appear in 5-8 days.

Pots with young plants are immediately placed in a warm, bright place and given regular watering. It is recommended to water basil in the morning once a day (on very hot summer days you can water it twice - in the morning and in the afternoon) with water at room temperature. It will not be superfluous to spray the plants with water from time to time (you can do this daily in summer).

The birthplace of the basil is the subtropics, so it cannot survive without heat and light. In order for the basil to grow, bush and branch, on your windowsill the air temperature should be at least 20 ° C (or even better 25 ° C), and the sun should shine for at least 3-4 hours a day. Basil is afraid of drafts.

In pots with adult plants, the soil is loosened every two to three days to enrich it with oxygen. If the soil for growing basil was not particularly fertile, the bushes need to be fed once a month. Universal fertilizers based on organic compost or gummates are excellent for feeding.

After 1.5 months, you will begin to pick off the first spicy leaves from the side shoots. Subsequently, cutting off the greens, leave at least three leaves on the stem - new side shoots will begin to develop in their axils. When the bush is old enough, you can pinch the top so that it grows in breadth.

The best time to grow basil in pots

Basil can, of course, be grown at home all year round, but its increased sensitivity to heat and light will require additional efforts from you during the fall and winter period.

You may need to wrap the pots with clear plastic wrap to keep out drafts and create the optimal temperature in fall and winter.

In addition, from October to February, plants need additional lighting in the evening hours (about 3-4 hours) to extend the daylight hours. On cloudy days, extra light is needed throughout the day.

For this reason, basil is usually planted in late February - early March, so that the period of active growth passes with increasing daylight hours. And in summer, natural warmth and light will be enough for the grown bush.

We wish you success and big harvests!

Fresh, scented basil is the most popular and delicious culinary spice. To enjoy fragrant herbs all year round, many housewives grow basil on a windowsill in the cold season. Basil is a versatile condiment that goes well with fish and meat dishes. Fresh spicy herbs can be added to salads, marinades, sauces to add a unique taste and aroma. Basil contains many beneficial vitamins and minerals, as well as phytoncides and esters that are widely used in medicine. Basil is an unpretentious plant, therefore, subject to suitable conditions, even an inexperienced housewife will be able to grow this spice at home.

Growing basil is possible not only in a store-bought earthen mixture, but also in ordinary soil taken from the garden. Only in this case it will be necessary to add mineral fertilizers specially designed for vegetable crops to the soil. In order to grow basil in an apartment, you will need the following materials and accessories:

• high-quality soil - a universal mixture is suitable for basil, which is sold in specialized flower shops;

• seeds;

• planting containers - if subsequent transplanting of seedlings into pots is expected, then you can use small plastic cups or other unnecessary containers, if the plants will not be transplanted, then the seeds are planted in large containers with holes to remove excess liquid: flower pots, plastic containers

• drainage;

• basil watering can;

• spray water for spraying plants.

Choosing a basil variety

In nature, there are about two hundred species and varieties of basil, but only a few (no more than ten) of them are popular and are used for food. For growing in pots on a windowsill at home or on a balcony, decorative undersized varieties of basil are better suited:

• Marquis is a small-leaved medium-early variety, a compact, decorative bush, most often of a spherical shape;

• Clove - decorative green variety with a tart taste and aroma of cloves with laurel, forms a spherical bush in a pot;

• Dwarf is a low (10-20 cm) decorative variety with a slightly pungent and spicy taste, a small-leaved, spherical bush, it can be green and purple;

• Lemon is a rather rare variety with light green leaves and a strong lemon aroma;

• Yerevan is a low-growing variety with violet-blue leaves, spicy taste and aroma of pepper with tea;

• Purple is a large-leaved decorative variety with a delicate taste and purple-violet leaves - an excellent decoration not only for salad, but also for windowsill.

You can choose a variety of basil according to the ripening speed. Of the above varieties, the early ones include: Clove, Lemon, Dwarf.

Video "How to grow basil at home"

Soil preparation

If the cultivation of basil at home on a windowsill or balcony will take place in a ready-made universal soil mixture, then no preliminary preparation of the soil is required, since the ready-made mixtures already contain all the necessary fertilizers. The only thing that remains to be done is to place a drainage layer on the bottom of the container, and then fill up the soil. If the land is taken directly from the garden, then before growing basil on the windowsill, it must be enriched with minerals. The soil intended for planting basil seeds should be light, fertile, with a good permeable structure. Such a soil can be prepared from the following components:

• peat, humus and earth in equal parts - all components of the mixture must be mixed well;

• 2 parts humus and 1 part coconut fibers;

• 1 part humus, 2 parts peat - this substrate must be supplemented with urea, superphosphate and potassium sulfate;

• 2 parts soil and 1 part fresh compost.

Some gardeners recommend that the garden soil, taken for planting plants at home, be calcined in the oven for 20 minutes on a metal baking sheet (pallet), and then fill it with complex mineral fertilizers. Growing basil is impossible without drainage - constantly being in moist soil, the plant will be sore and grow poorly. Drainage (expanded clay, small pebbles) can be two-thirds of the total soil volume, but not less than 2-3 cm.

Planting seeds in the ground

The seeds of almost all spicy herbs take a long time to germinate and sprout slowly. This is due to the presence of a dense shell containing essential substances. Therefore, before planting basil seeds, you need to keep them in a warm place for some time (1-2 weeks) - warm them up, then soak them for a day in warm, but not hot water. Basil seeds are planted in moist soil to a depth of no more than 1 cm. Several seeds can be sown in one hole for safety reasons - if all germinate, the weakest sprouts will need to be removed. If the seeds are planted in rows in long boxes, the distance between them should be about 5 cm.

Care and harvest

To obtain basil seedlings, heat and light are needed, therefore, pots with planted plants should be covered with foil, placed on a windowsill or on a balcony, and make sure that the temperature under the foil does not drop below 22-25 degrees. The film needs to be removed for a few minutes daily for airing.

Around the second week after planting the seeds, the first shoots begin to appear. At this time, the film can be gradually removed, and the temperature can be lowered to 20-22 degrees. Basil does not tolerate drafts - this must be taken into account when placing seedling pots on the balcony.

Basil is a very light-loving culture, and without enough heat and light, growing it at home is impossible. But how to grow basil on a windowsill if the windows of the house face north, and also in winter, when the daylight hours are very short? In this case, you will need additional illumination using special lamps or other lighting devices. Basil needs at least 15 hours of light daily for normal growth. If such conditions cannot be provided, it is better to sow the spice not earlier than February.

Further cultivation and care of basil at home consists in regular watering and loosening of the soil. Young plants need to be watered daily in the morning; in extreme heat, you can additionally water in the evening. Water for irrigation should be relatively warm (about 30 ° C). Loosening is carried out 1 time / 2 weeks. With the appearance of side shoots, the plants must be fed with an organic complex mixture.

After a few weeks, the young plant will turn into a fragrant bush from which the first crop can be taken. For food use, it is recommended to pluck the tops of young shoots. So the plant will branch better and will not be able to bloom - a blooming basil bush is unsuitable for consumption.

Plant Details Video

Informational video with useful and detailed plant data.

Basil is an unpretentious crop that can be grown at home throughout the year. But since this plant is of tropical origin, in order to get a harvest, certain conditions must be created for it. Therefore, before you start planting, you should figure out how to grow basil on a windowsill. For this purpose, it is advisable to use low-growing varieties: Clove, Marquis, Dwarf, Yerevan, Lemon or Violet.

The unique properties of basil

Basil is widely used in medicine and cooking. It has many positive properties. The plant has an analgesic, antiseptic, bactericidal, diaphoretic, antispasmodic and expectorant effect on the body.

Basil is a versatile home remedy that relieves many symptoms

Basil is used to treat:

• bronchitis;
• asthma;
• tuberculosis;
• urolithiasis;
• hyperemia (an increase in the amount of blood supplied to any part of the body);
• cardiovascular and skin diseases;
• conjunctivitis;
• gastroenteritis;
• rheumatism;
• measles;
• headaches;
• caries;
• tartar and plaque;
• pathologies resulting from radiation damage.

In addition, basil strengthens the immune system well.

Not surprisingly, many growers choose to grow basil in their home. Indeed, the plant contains a large amount of potassium, due to which its use helps to reduce blood pressure.

There is a positive effect of basil on the emotional state of a person. The plant helps to reduce stress, reduce feelings of nervousness and anxiety. Vitamin A, C, essential mass and phytonutrients that make up it, rid the body of free radicals and help prolong youth.

However, basil also has negative characteristics. An overdose of it can provoke poisoning. On contact with mucous membranes, the plant causes irritation. Its use is contraindicated during pregnancy, with vein thrombosis and blood clotting disorders. Thus, despite the wide list of positive properties of this plant, it is categorically not recommended to use it without consulting a doctor.

In cooking, basil is used in the preparation of ketchups, sauces, dressings, gravy, sandwich butter. It is added to products during the smoking and canning process. It improves the taste characteristics of sausages, pates, omelets, salads.

This herb goes well with parsley, tarragon, mint, coriander and marjoram. But it should be borne in mind that basil has a rather rich aroma that can overpower the smells of other spices. Therefore, use it sparingly.

How to grow basil from cuttings in an apartment or house?

There are several methods you can use to plant basil at home. Cutting is perhaps the fastest of them, because it allows you to get greens in two weeks.

Cutting is a simple and reliable method for growing basil

Cuttings are cut from the basil bush. When buying a plant, you need to ensure that it is not wilted. Basil is not required to have roots. You will also need a knife or scissors, water (+ 25 ° C) and a glass jar.

Landing is done as follows:

For culinary purposes, leaves are used, which are cut off when the plant reaches 15 cm in height. The life span of such a bush is 3-4 months.

Important! Cuttings must be protected from sunlight, as exposure to ultraviolet radiation can cause plants to burn and die.

Soil and pot requirements

Basil requires a fertile and light soil. You can find ready-made soil mix in a specialized store. In this case, preliminary preparation is not necessary. But if the soil mixture is prepared at home, it must be poured with a solution of 1 liter of water and 1/8 tsp potassium sulfate, urea or superphosphate.

Ensure proper soil composition and pot drainage

Basil soil can consist of the following components:

• humus, earth and peat mixed in equal proportions;
• one part coconut fiber and two parts humus;
• compost and soil (2: 1);
• peat and humus (2: 1).

It is advisable to place the soil in an oven preheated to 100 ° C for 60 minutes. After that, the soil is watered with fertilizers. When planting basil, you will definitely need drainage, which is placed on the bottom of the pot with a layer of 3 cm:

• small pebbles;
• coarse sand;
• gravel;
• crushed stone;
• expanded clay.

The plant is planted in pots with a volume of 1.5 liters.

Important! When growing basil, it is imperative to use drainage, as excessive soil moisture can cause the development of diseases.

External conditions

Basil is a thermophilic crop, so it must be grown at 22–25 ° C. The pots are placed on the south side. Also, the plant needs good lighting for up to 15 hours a day. You can provide the necessary conditions using fluorescent or halogen lamps.

Basil loves sun and warmth

But you need to take into account the features of these devices. Halogen lamps are not only a source of light, but also heat. In this regard, it is recommended to use such lighting elements in the cold season or in the case of growing basil on the balcony.

Growing basil from seeds at home: step by step instructions

The development of seed-grown basil bushes will take from 8 months to a year. But the advantage of this method is that you can get greens from such a plant much longer than using cuttings.

Growing basil from seeds is a laborious process

To plant seeds you need to prepare:

• drainage;
• container 15 cm deep or a pot with a capacity of 1.5–2 liters;
• soil mixture, which is prepared in the same way as in the previous version;
• scapula;
• plastic bag or cling film.

The sequence of actions is as follows:

1. It is recommended to start work with seed preparation. This step is optional, but it will speed up the emergence of sprouts. The seeds are soaked in water (25 ° C) for two days. At the same time, fluid is replaced every 12 hours.
2. After that, the planting material is dipped into a potassium manganese solution. It should be a composition of weak concentration of light pink color, in which the seeds are kept for two hours. After that, they are removed from the water onto a napkin and dried.
3. Next, drainage is poured into a container or pot, and prepared soil is poured on top. In this case, 3-4 cm should be left between the surface of the soil and the edge of the container. The earth is leveled and watered well.
4. Then they start sowing seeds. They are buried 1–2 cm, keeping the distance between plants at 8–10 mm.
5. The containers are covered with foil or a transparent plastic lid to achieve a greenhouse effect. The pots are placed on a well-lit windowsill. Every day, the foil is opened for 10 minutes to air the basil.
6. After 8-12 days, the first shoots will appear. After that, the film is removed, and the room temperature is lowered to 16–20 ° C. This is to prevent over-stretching of the plants.
7. When the sprouts reach a height of 5–7 cm, add 2–3 cm of soil to the pot. This will help strengthen the seedlings.

After removing the film, the basil needs to be cleaned regularly and on time. The temperature in the room should be kept within the range of 20-25 ° С. At the stage of germination, the soil is moistened every two days. Watering should be moderate. Top dressing during this period is not required for the plant. The nutrients added to the soil mixture are sufficient to ensure the full development of the basil.

Video: sowing basil seeds

How to properly transplant an adult plant into a pot on the eve of winter?

Basil transplantation is carried out when growing crops in the open field. In this case, in August or September, the plant must be moved to a pot so that it does not suffer during the cold period. The soil composition is prepared in the same way as when planting cuttings. The volume of the pot should be up to 2 liters.

Basil is transplanted to protect against winter frost

The transplant has the following features:

1. First, a drainage layer is placed in the pot. Then they fill it with soil, in which a depression is made, where water is poured.
2. When the moisture is absorbed, the bush is gently poured in, removed along with the earthen lump and moved to the pot. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the roots are not damaged or bent.
3. The plant is covered with soil and slightly compacted. If in the process of transplanting some parts of the bush were damaged, they should be cut off.

Culture care

You need to start caring for the plant immediately after removing the film. Timely implementation of all measures will allow to grow a healthy culture.

Watering

Watering basil depends on the temperature conditions. In warm weather, the procedure is carried out daily. On hot days, the frequency of watering should be 2 times a day. The bushes are moisturized in the morning and at lunchtime using a spray can for this purpose.

The watering rate is determined by the condition of the soil - it should be moderately moist (so that water does not stagnate in the pan of the pot).

It is undesirable to water the plant in the evening. This rule is due to the fact that a cool temperature is set in the room at night. As a result, the evaporation of water from the soil slows down and the likelihood of developing diseases of the bush increases.

Fertilizers

If fertile soil was used when planting the basil, there is no need to feed it, since it is an annual plant with a short growing season. For the development of the bushes, there will be enough substances initially introduced into the substrate. If the seeds or cuttings were planted in regular garden soil, then the basil should be fertilized once a month.

Fertilizer will help the plant get nutrients from ordinary soil.

The plant is watered with a nutrient solution, which is prepared from 2 liters of water and 1 cap of the Growth preparation. Also, Agrolife fertilizer is applied to the upper layer of the substrate (1 tsp per pot).

Pruning

Pruning is done to encourage lateral shoot development. The procedure consists in removing the top of the bush at the level of 6-8 leaves. It is carried out 15–20 days after germination. You should also remove all flowering shoots immediately after they appear. This will enhance the branching of the basil, help preserve the aroma, and help increase the plant's lifespan.

Pruning basil will help it grow in breadth

Other features

1. In autumn and winter, it is recommended to wrap the pots with plastic wrap. This will help protect the plant from drafts.
2. In the period from October to February, the basilica needs additional lighting in the evening. Lamps are installed at a distance of 20 cm from the bushes.
3. On cloudy days, the plant needs artificial lighting.
4. Basil can be grown year-round. But in order for the plant to receive a sufficient amount of natural light during the growth period, it is advised to plant in March.
5. When the size of the bushes reaches 15 cm, you can harvest. At this stage, the formation of the stem is completed, so the loss of leaves will not affect the development of the basil.

Important! Basil must be protected from drafts.

Pests and diseases

Among the pests, aphids are dangerous. It provokes the appearance of such symptoms:

• the leaves are deformed, lose their color and fold;
• the growth of bushes is suspended, and the stems are bent.

As a treatment, spraying with the drug Decis (1 g per 5 l) or Fitoverm (4 ml per 20 l) is carried out. To prevent a pest attack, you must follow the rules of care.

Basil, which is grown at home, is much less likely to suffer from ailments and pests than bushes growing in the open field. But violation of the rules of care can provoke the onset of diseases.

Table: Basil Diseases

Common mistakes gardeners make

Mistakes in growing bushes and harvesting crops can cause disease and plant death. Basil is undesirable to excessively moisturize. When watering, it is necessary to avoid stagnant water.

Some gardeners break off the stems when harvesting. This should not be done as the plant will dry out. You can only collect leaves.

Another mistake is tearing off the basil. This can damage the stem. Therefore, the leaves should be cut off with scissors.

When growing basil, you should consider its need for warmth and good lighting. It must also be remembered that the plant does not tolerate excessive watering and drafts. Compliance with these rules will help to grow this tropical crop on the windowsill and get a good harvest.

Basil - spicy herbs loved by many, giving a spicy taste and aroma to various dishes, as well good for health.

High concentration essential oils allows you to use basil for cosmetic purposes and in folk medicine.

In summer, it grows in vegetable gardens, personal plots, and in order to serve fresh greens to the table all year round, you can grow basil in a pot inside the walls, it's simple enough.

Basil varieties for growing at home

Basil of small-leaved varieties grows best at home, preferably plants that reach in height no more than half a meter.

Here is some of them:

• Marquis - mid-early variety, undersized plant up to 25 cm, spherical or pyramidal, green leaves, have a pronounced clove-pepper aroma
• Dwarf - compact bushes 10-18 cm in height, grown as spicy aromatic greens and as an ornamental plant, sometimes green and purple;
• Basilisk - compact bushes 20-25 cm high, leaves with pepper-clove spicy taste and smell, early maturing;
• Troll - reaches 35-40 cm in height, the leaves are green-purple, small;
• Clove - medium-sized basil 35-45 cm high with a sharp clove-aniseed scent;
• Philosopher - undersized bushes (25-30 cm) with purple leaves, clove scent;
• Spicy globe - bushy basil with small leaves, forms sprawling but compact bushes, has a lively spicy aroma;
• Bush minette - miniature bushes, ideal for growing in containers, tiny leaves;
• Cinnamon - small bushes, leaves with a cinnamon aroma; Small-leaved basil (piccolo) - leaves are small and narrow, the taste is sweet, almost without astringency, the smell resembles allspice.

What conditions are required for growing basil

Basil has a developed root system, therefore, for its cultivation, sufficiently deep and voluminous boxes, containers or flowerpots are needed. Basilica need regular wateringgood water permeability of the soil is important, therefore a light structural soil should be used.

It is imperative that the soil contains peat, humus or compost, clay will promote optimal water circulation, to prevent its stagnation, a drainage layer is needed, for which fine gravel or expanded clay can be used.

Basil is a thermophilic and light-loving culture.

The best place to grow it is a windowsill, in winter the necessary heat will be provided by a heating radiator, and if there is not enough sunlight, it is necessary to organize a backlight. Important provide protection seedlings from drafts.

The best temperature for basil growth is 25⁰ ... You can keep boxes with basil on a glazed and insulated balcony, loggia, especially if their heating and lighting is organized.

If unheated balcony, and it gets colder outside, it is necessary to cover the basil with a film, protecting it from wind and hypothermia.

Optimal sowing time or planting cuttings basil is considered spring, March-April, then during the period of active growth, the plants will receive enough heat and light.

If the owners have sufficient experience, containers with basil are kept in a warm place, for example, on the kitchen windowsill, the heating radiator is working and artificial lighting is provided, the planting season is not critical.

Basil cuttings

Basil can be grown at home two ways:

• from seeds;
• from cuttings.

If you already have a growing basil in your house or friends, you can cut cuttings from it using the upper and middle part of the stem. You can also purchase a small container of growing basil in the store, if fresh, it may well serve source of cuttings.

Cuttings are placed in water, the roots usually appear within a week, after two weeks they can be planted in the ground. Possibly also rooting cuttings immediately in the ground, from above they need to be covered with cans or cut PET bottles, to increase the likelihood of successful rooting, add a root formation stimulator when watering.

Basil takes root quite well during vegetative propagation, and when planting cuttings or seedlings, they quickly reach a size that allows harvest.

But barely rooted cuttings are quite fragile, but sprouts that have grown from seeds are not so delicate, therefore, sowing basil is considered more practical option, although it takes more time to wait for the harvest.

Sowing and preparation for it

Both the soil and the seeds need to be prepared. The soil harvested by yourself must be disinfected, heating in the oven for up to an hour, the soil purchased in specialized stores is being processed.

Directly before sowing soil warmed up to room temperature and enriched with mineral fertilizers or humic concentrate.

Deep grooves are made in the prepared soil 0.5-1 cm with 10 cm row spacing, prepared seeds are sown in them, the distance between the seeds should also be not less than 7 cm.

The grooves are covered with earth, the soil is moistened and covered with a transparent film or glass to retain moisture. The boxes should be kept in a warm place, for seed germination usually it takes 5-7 days.

The emerging seedlings need good lighting, they should be illuminated for at least 16 hours a day.

When seedlings reach 5 cm in height, they can be transplanted into another box, more spacious and deeper, or into pots, a bush from a bush at a distance 15 cm and more.

Taking care of rooted basil

Until sprouts less than 5 cm, enough watering without loosening. After rooting of the strengthened seedlings once every 2-3 days the soil must be loosened, watered if the soil dries up. Watering should not be excessive, otherwise the aboveground part of the plants can be affected by mold and fungus.

Water the basil in the morning with water at room temperature. If worth hot dry weather, it is possible to water twice a day, in the morning and at lunch. Top dressing with mineral fertilizers is carried out from the moment one or two leaves appear on the seedlings and further at intervals about a month.

For feeding this composition is used: per liter of water, 10 g of a mixture of fertilizers are taken: nitrogen (2 g), potassium (3 g) and phosphorus (5 g). It is not necessary to thin out the planting if a sufficient distance is maintained between the plants when transplanting young seedlings.

So that the leaves grow more actively, the plant grows in breadth, you need to pinch off the upper shoots, pinching the top begins after the appearance of 4-6 leaves.

During flowering the ovary of flowers is left only if the basil is grown for seeds, the buds of the plants grown on the leaf break off, it is not necessary to allow flowering. Then the leaves will be more fragrant, and the plant will not fade longer.

You will find more detailed instructions on growing basil at home in the video:

Harvesting basil

Basil grows rather slowly indoors, and the leaves should not be cutuntil the bushes reach at least 10 cm in height. To replenish the supply of fresh herbs to the table, it is enough to periodically break off or cut off the tops of the shoots from different bushes, several leaves each.

As a result, basil it will be better to bush, provide lush greens that can be used as needed without plucking the main plant. If you need to stock up on a lot of greens for future use, the stem is cut closer to the base, so that there is only 4 bottom leaves... New leaves will grow from their sinuses.

So this an annual plant will produce a crop greens for a long time.

Possible problems with growing basil

Basil belongs to plants that are resistant to diseases and pests, but it also has there are weak points... Pests such as slugs and snails, as a rule, do not threaten basil growing at home on the windowsill. Weeds also rarely appear in the treated soil.

And here gray mold and fusarium home-grown plants can also infect, usually due to soil overflow. In this case, the affected leaves break off, if the disease has struck the stem, the plant must be uprooted, so that neighboring ones do not get infected... The soil is sprinkled with ash and loosened so that the ash penetrates deep into the soil.