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The Ocinum basilicum, commonly called basil, is a aromatic plant native to some tropical regions of Asia that has been cultivated by human hands for millennia. It is a widely used plant, both culinary and medicinal, and whose use has now spread to practically the whole world.
If you want to learn how to sow and plant basil To grow it at home, keep reading us in this Green Ecologist article in which we show you a practical guide for it.
How to sow basil - step by step
To have this plant at home from scratch, first make a note of how to plant basil seeds so that they grow. If you want to plant the basil seeds, it is advisable to do it in seedbeds. It is possible to sow it directly in soil or pot, but its opportunities to grow will be much greater in a hotbed with proper care.
- Prepare a seedbed with substrate for seedlings, you can buy it or make it yourself with one of the ecological mixtures that we ourselves recommend on our page, such as coconut fiber and earthworm humus, which you can find in these links Coconut fiber for plants : properties and how to make it and How to make worm castings.
- Distribute the small basil seeds on the substrate, spaced about 2 cm apart.
- Water carefully with a watering can with fine jets, thus preventing the water itself from displacing the seeds or burying them. Water to keep the seedbed substrate moist but never waterlogged.
- Locate it where it receives abundant natural light but not drafts, from which you must keep it protected. Furthermore, the temperature of the environment in which the seedbed is located must never fall below 15ºC.
- Over time, you will see how the seeds change color, adopting a bluish tone, to begin to germinate a few days later. Between 20 and 30 days after sowing, when the seedlings already have between 4 and 6 true leaves, the basil will be ready for transplanting.
How to plant basil - tips
Once the process of sprout basil, you can go on to transplant it to a larger pot or outside. To know how to plant basil, that is, how to transplant your seedlings or the small plant, follow these tips:
- You must perform the transplant very carefully, carrying the small basil seedlings together with their root ball, without removing the soil or damaging the roots.
- If they are very close to each other, you can transplant them in small groups at once, taking larger root balls to make sure not to damage them.
- For the new pot or outdoor area you can use universal substrate or outdoor plants, although it is worth adding 10% of clay-textured field soil. In addition, a slightly acidic pH is recommended, between 5.7 and 6.2.
How to care for basil and grow it
The basil care they are quite basic, since it is a very undemanding plant.
Location
When talking about how to care for a basil plant, the most important thing is to keep it in a location with as stable a temperature as possible and, above all, away from strong drafts.
Temperature
Since it is a plant of tropical origin, basil stops its growth when it is in low temperatures, so you should not expose it to temperatures below 15ºC.
Light for the basil plant
Regarding lighting, put it in a place where it receives plenty of natural light, but be careful if the sun is very strong in your area, as an excess of direct and intense sunlight could dry it out. In that case, it is best to find a semi-shady location, especially in summer.
How to water the basil
In addition, you should water this plant whenever you notice dry soil or substrate. Water regularly, but without abusing the quantities, since a ponding is never beneficial for the plant. In the hottest months, it is recommended to do a moderate watering twice a day.
Compost and pruning
You can also fertilize your basil once a month. We recommend using natural and ecological compost, such as worm castings or compost.
This plant must be pruned. To find out how to prune basil, carefully trim its longest stems every two to three weeks, giving it a bushy but controlled size shape. Also, unless you want to get seeds it is good that you eliminate the flowers.
In addition, to complete this knowledge, we recommend reading this other Guide to care for basil in a pot.
How to preserve basil
For keep basil fresh, it is best to freeze it. For this, it is necessary to keep the leaves, clean and dried, in an airtight container and store it in the freezer. You can too freeze basil as part of a pesto sauce, crushed and mixed with olive oil and salt.
Another option, if you don't want to freeze it, is to store it in water, but away from direct sunlight. This way you can extend the life of the leaves up to about a week, without affecting them as much as if you were freezing them.
If you want to read more articles similar to How to sow and plant basil, we recommend that you enter our category of Cultivation and care of plants.
