Rules for planting basil in open ground with seedlings
While basil is prized for its unique spicy aroma and beneficial properties, it is much more expensive in stores than parsley or dill. Therefore, many gardeners began to grow it on their own, and not without success. It is only important to know the rules for planting this plant, to provide it with proper care.
Growing methods
The choice of growing method depends mainly on the region of residence of the gardener and the variety that he wants to grow on his site. Residents of the southern regions of Russia may not waste their energy on growing seedlings, but simply sow seeds immediately into open soil - experience shows that they germinate well and give a good harvest. For medium-sized regions, growing by seed is a risky choice. Residents of the northern regions will be able to grow this culture only by seedlings.
Much also depends on the selected herb variety. Some varieties can be considered persistent and picky, others, on the contrary, are too fragile. For example, purple basil, which is most often preferred by gardeners, has very small seeds that are extremely difficult to germinate in open ground. When choosing this variety, even southerners should not risk it - growing seedlings in this case will give much more chances of getting a good harvest.
If growing by seedlings is chosen, then the seeds are planted 50-60 days before the time comes to transplant the sprout to a permanent place of residence. When the first two leaves appear, the plant dives. You can dive in peat pots... When the fifth leaf appears, the upper shoot is pinched so that the plant is more bushy.
Dates of disembarkation to a permanent place
Basil is a very thermophilic plant, it is afraid of even the slightest frost. If it is planted in open ground before they have completely passed, then the very first cold snap will destroy it. Therefore, regardless of the region of residence, gardeners should study the weather forecast to make sure: the warming is not temporary, cold weather is not expected.
Year after year is not necessary, but most often in certain latitudes, warm weather occurs at about the same time. In the southern regions, it becomes quite warm in mid-May, in the central regions - a week later, in more northern regions - at the beginning of summer. It is best that the temperature does not go below 20 degrees, but if it drops to 15 degrees for a couple of days, nothing terrible should happen.
Soil preparation
The place where the basil beds will be located should be determined in advance - in the fall. It is necessary to provide for it to be sunny, so that it is very light and warm here for at least 5 hours a day. The second condition is that the place must be protected from the wind. In order to increase its security, unpretentious flowers can be planted from the problem side.
Already in autumn, the soil must be dug up, at the same time adding organic fertilizers to it. For example, from two to five kilograms of humus or compost, 10 g of potassium salt and 20 g of superphosphate can be applied per square meter. It should be borne in mind that the spicy grass feels most comfortable on sandy loam soils. If the soil on the site is clayey, then peat and sandstone should be added during digging.
Basil is undemanding to neighboring plants and predecessor plants. He can "inherit" the garden from any vegetables. A place where tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes or legumes were previously grown is especially suitable.
In the spring, preparation should be completed by forming a bed and loosening the soil. It is necessary to loosen it to a depth of 10 to 12 centimeters.When the soil is prepared, it remains to prepare the holes and plant the shoots.
How to plant in the beds?
Before planting in open ground, seedlings must be hardened. To do this, two weeks before disembarking, you need to start taking it out into the fresh air every day: first for 10-15 minutes, then for half an hour, an hour, a few hours. Otherwise, the plant will be pampered, vulnerable; if transplanted to a permanent place of residence, it may die.
Basil can be planted in rows or in a ribbon manner. If the first option is chosen, the distance between the rows should be quite large - 30-40 centimeters, between the holes in a row - 20-25 centimeters. The tape method involves landing with tapes, each of which has three lines. The distance between the ribbons is 50-60 centimeters, between the lines - 15-25 centimeters. The sprouts themselves must be planted in lines at a distance of 20-25 cm from each other.
Advice
If you live in the southern regions, then make the distance between the bushes and lines 5-10 centimeters larger, since in sunny places the spicy grass grows strongly.
The depth of the hole in which you will plant the sprouts should be about 6-8 centimeters. You need to add a little nitrogen fertilizer to each hole, water it using about a liter of water. When the hole is prepared, you should carefully, so as not to damage the root system, remove the plant from the pot and place it in the hole, sprinkle it with earth so that the lower bud remains on the surface.
Advice
If, after a pick, the plant is planted in a peat cup, then it must be planted in open ground together with the container, without removing it. In this case, the pot itself must be completely underground.
How to care?
Planting the plant correctly is important, but it is not the only condition for a good harvest. It is necessary to provide the plant with proper care.
- Temperature conditions. A young plant that has just been planted in a garden should be covered to protect it from the cold. If the weather is very sunny and warm, the temperature is above 20 degrees all day, then it is enough to cover only at night. However, for the first two weeks at night, basil must be sheltered, even if forecasters promise high temperatures around the clock. In the future, the plant will have to be covered only if a cold snap is expected.
- Watering. The watering regime is best determined based on the degree of soil moisture. It should not dry out, but it is also not worth turning the garden into a swamp. Moreover, excessive watering, due to which the soil becomes wet, promotes the development of pathogenic microflora, as a result of which the basil can get sick.
- Lure. The first time the plant is fed 12-14 days after planting in the garden. The best choice is ammonium nitrate, which is applied at the rate of 20 g per square meter. The second feeding is done in two weeks. In addition to ammonium nitrate, this time superphosphate is also required - it is brought in 15 g per square meter.
- Weeding. It is necessary to loosen the soil and remove weeds every two weeks. This is very important as weeds not only interfere with the growth of basil, but also spoil its taste and aroma.
- Pinching. It is imperative to pinch the upper shoot of the plant, only in this case it will be bushy. They do this when the first five leaves appear, in extreme cases - immediately after disembarking in the garden. The emerging flowers must be cut off.
After the flowers appear, it is time to harvest the first crop - at this time the leaves are most fragrant and juicy. In this case, at least three leaves should be left on each branch. In September, the bush should be removed completely and used for harvesting for the winter.
Output
It is possible to grow basil in your summer cottage and garden plot. It is preferable to grow it not by seeds, but by seedlings, this is the most reliable way to get a rich harvest.
The timing of planting seedlings in open ground depends on the region, but the basic rules are identical. The plant should be planted in previously prepared soil in rows or in a three-line strip pattern, leaving a sufficient distance between the holes.
Proper care is also important. It involves protecting the plant from bad weather, proper watering, bait, pinching and weeding. If the basil is properly cared for, spicy herbs will be on the table all year round.
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