Indice
Basil is a widely used and fragrant herb that features in numerous recipes. In nature, there are over 100 varieties of basil, each with slightly different flavors, ranging from sweet Italian basil to spicy Thai basil.
Most of these plants thrive in outdoor gardens, but with a few adjustments, you can also cultivate them indoors without much trouble. Check the ideal varieties for indoors.
How To Grow It
Plant basil in spring using good quality seedlings, plant them in seedbed. It’s also possible to buy young plants at the end of spring. In the case of a young plant, use a good potting mix as soil.
Furthermore, very often in the case of purchased plants, the plant tend to die shortly after. The casue is to trace back to lack of space. This happens because in a standard basil plant, bougth in the store, there is not only one basil plant in it. Therefore, they need to be separate and plant them in different pots.
This will not only allow the plants to flourish, but will also give you more basil as you expected. You will never run out of fresh basil or pesto (original italian recepie here).
Grow Difficulty
Pot Dimension
Basil grows well in long, deep window box-style pots because the roots have more space to spread out over the container’s elongated bottom surface than they would in a circular pot. Seek window boxes with dimensions of 12 to 18 cm wide and 20 to 30 cm tall. Calculate the perfect pot dimension.
Light and Temperature
Basil needs a lot of ligth, so, as general law, put it in a sunny area. You have to pay attention to the planting zone where your garden location is. In colder zones, let basil stay in sunny area all day long. In hotter areas provide some shade, specially in the hottest hours of the day.
Watering
Basil is one of the most senisble plants to water quantity. It loves a well watered and humid soil but overwatering can cause fungine attaks and diseases.
If planting in pot check the humidity befor watering with your finger. Make sure that the pot has enough drainage holes. A generally indication can be watering every 2 or 3 days depending on the zone you live in. Pay attention to not water the leaves to prevent diseases.
Care
Once it is grown up generally in summer period fertilize with a good organic universal fertilizer for leafy greens. If you prefere you can make your own fertilizer.
Harvest
To make your basil plant thrive, harvest technique is important. First of all never harvest the lower leaves cause this would bring the plant to death. Instead, harvest tufts of the plant starting from the tip of every branch and cutting ithe intersection between two large leaves, two small leaves, and the stem.
Conclusion
Basil stands not only as a fragrant herb but also as a versatile and beneficial addition to any garden. From its rich history to its myriad culinary uses and health benefits, basil proves to be a powerhouse of flavor and nutrition. Also a fanstasic companion plant for almost every plant. Surly a must have plant in your garden.