How and when to plant basil seedlings at home
Basil is one of the most beloved and popular spices that came to us from distant India. Despite the fact that the homeland of the plant is a country with a warm climate, it can be grown in almost any region. In the southern regions, the spice can be sown directly into open ground, while in the northern and middle lane, it can be planted with seedlings. Growing from seeds, like caring for a plant, is quite simple. Let's figure out how basil is planted for seedlings at home.
Description of culture
Basil is known and loved by many for its spicy taste and bright aroma. It grows as a lush bush of medium size, sometimes reaching almost a meter in height. Being a southern plant, it loves heat and sun, and does not tolerate cold weather. Loose soil with good drainage properties is best suited for planting so that water does not stagnate. Optimally - black soil and suspensions.
Basil grown in Russia is an annual plant. Its root system does not lie deep, and the spice, along with the roots, can be easily removed from the garden and transplanted into a pot. Planting basil seedlings at home will not be difficult even for a novice gardener.
Regardless of the type of basil, the time when to plant basil on seedlings is the same: March.
Flowering occurs in August, in place of white or pink small flowers, small black fruits appear later. During flowering, the plant attracts pollinating insects, being a honey plant. Therefore, it is often also planted in order to attract them.
Planting seeds for seedlings
Prepare containers for planting seeds, on the bottom of which be sure to place a layer of drainage material. The seeds themselves before sowing basilica for seedlings, you need to soak in water for at least three hours to remove the essential oil that will prevent them from germinating. Buy ready-made or make your own earthen mixture for planting basil. It should be loose and consist of:
- rotted compost (2 parts);
- peat (4 parts);
- washed sand (1 part).
Be sure to sift through the resulting composition. Then steam it in a water bath to destroy fungal spores and weed seeds that may have been in the compost or humus. Store-bought seedling mixture can be spilled with potassium permanganate solution or an antifungal agent such as Fitosporin.
How to plant basil seedlings:
- place the earthen mixture in prepared containers;
- compact it so that a centimeter remains to the edge;
- make small grooves and put seeds in them to a depth of no more than one centimeter;
- lightly compact the top again and water gently.
The seeds should not be on the ground.
After that, cover the containers with foil, plastic bag or glass and put in a warm, lighted place. This is necessary in order to create a greenhouse effect inside, which will allow the seedlings to appear faster. At this, the sowing of basil for seedlings is completed, now it remains to wait for the shoots.
Seedling care and picking
Seedlings sprout ten days later at a temperature of 20-25 degrees. When the basil has risen, the covering material must be removed. In order to prevent young shoots from stretching, basil is grown from seeds for seedlings at a temperature of no more than 20 degrees. Water overmoistening of the soil must not be allowed, the water in the sump after watering should not stagnate. Otherwise, a black leg lesion is likely, due to which all seedlings may die.
After the basil has a couple of real leaves, you can dive. To do this, use the same mixture as for sowing, with the addition of two tablespoons of ash and a tablespoon mineral fertilizer based on 5 liters of soil. Fill the seedling containers with this composition, make grooves in which you place the seedlings, carefully distributing the roots in the hole. Sprinkle with earth and compact.
The question often arises whether it is possible to deepen the basil when diving. No, this is a mistake, after a dive, the seedlings should remain at the same planting depth as the seedlings.
The main care for the seedlings is regular watering with warm water. When the fifth leaf appears on the seedlings, it is pinched to prevent stretching and provoke the growth of the foliage. Next, the seedlings are regularly watered with warm water until they are planted in open ground. Basil can be planted in the beds already in May.
That's all the rules for planting basil seedlings at home, following which you will get strong, healthy seedlings of your favorite spice.