When to sow basil for seedlings? Growing basil through seedlings. Basil: growing from seeds in the open field and on the windowsill When to sow basil seeds for seedlings

Basil is valued all over the world for its delicate aroma, pleasant taste and content. useful substances. This heat-loving plant is very demanding on soil and care, but if you wish, everyone can grow it on their site. To get early greens, basil must be grown through seedlings, and not by direct sowing in the ground. Accurate observance of the planting dates and the rules of agricultural technology of this crop will help to achieve the desired results.

Growing basil seedlings is not only early greens, but also an opportunity to get high-quality seed material for the next season. When sown in open ground, plants do not always have time to give fully matured seeds, because the growing season is 140-160 days. In the central and northern regions, direct sowing is carried out only for greenery, and when proper care before the onset of cold weather, they manage to harvest twice.

Basil seedlings - photo

From sowing to germination takes 7-14 days, depending on temperature regime. It takes about 7 more weeks for the seedlings to grow strong and grow. When the soil on the site warms up to 15 degrees and the threat of frost has passed, the seedlings are planted in open ground. This usually happens in early June, in the southern regions around mid-May. Focusing on your region, you can roughly calculate the timing of sowing seeds: from the estimated date of planting, you need to count 55-60 days (seedling age) and 10 days (germination period). When growing with a pick, you need to add another week, because the plants must adapt after transplanting into separate containers.

Calculation example: the expected date of planting seedlings is June 1. The pick is not planned, so 60 days are counted from June 1 and 10, it turns out March 23. If the growing process includes a pick, another 7 days are counted, which means that the seeds need to be sown on March 16th.

The variety of basil also affects the timing of sowing. This crop has many varieties with different terms maturation. Medium-late and late ones develop more slowly, and therefore it is necessary to sow the seeds earlier. And here are the early mid-season varieties On the contrary, it is undesirable to sow early, because overexposed seedlings take root worse and get sick more often.



On the this moment Four varieties of basil are cultivated:

  • large - a branchy plant up to 40 cm high with large green leaves. It has the taste and aroma of allspice;
  • spoon-shaped - its leaves have a concave shape resembling a spoon;
  • small-leaved - undersized plant with numerous small leaves, used as a pot culture;
  • beam - spherical bushes 15 cm high, with small and very fragrant leaves. It is also grown in open ground, and in pots.

These varieties of basil have many varieties that differ in aroma and color. By color, basil is divided into green and purple.

Popular varieties by maturity

Ripening periodVariety names

Dwarf, Green fragrant, Pearl of the Moscow Region, Lemon, Clove

Caramel, Enchanter, Moskvoretsky, Orion, Vanilla flavor

Moorish, Tabletop, Marquis, Charm, Dreamer

The composition of the soil for seedlings

For the full development of the basil requires a light, fertilized soil with good breathability. The best soil mixture is garden soil, mixed in equal parts with peat and humus.

Fertile soil - photo

Another option: 2 parts of rotted compost, 4 parts of peat, 1 part of sifted sand. Can also be used ready substrates for green crops, which are sold in all specialized stores. The soil, poor in organic matter, and also with an admixture of clay for seedlings, is completely unsuitable, as it quickly compacts, squeezes tender roots, and does not pass air well. Under such conditions, the sprouts are weak, develop more slowly and get sick more often. Subsequently, this will also affect crop yields, and therefore soil preparation should be taken responsibly.

Advice! After mixing the components, the soil mixture must be heat treated to destroy weed seeds and pathogens that may be present in the compost and soil. To do this, the mixture is heated in the oven or in a water bath for 50-60 minutes. Purchased substrates can simply be disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate or antifungal drugs.

Rules for sowing basil seeds

The seeding procedure is the most a simple step in growing basil.

Step 1. For sowing, containers are prepared with a depth of 5 to 7 cm. These can be purchased cassettes, home-made wooden boxes, or any boxes that are suitable in size.

Step 2 Take 5 liters of settled water (preferably melted or rainwater), add half a teaspoon of urea, superphosphate and potassium sulfate to it, stir. The soil substrate is moistened with this nutrient solution, poured into containers and slightly compacted. There should be at least 10 millimeters left to the edges of the container.

Step 3 Seeds are scattered evenly over the surface of the substrate, sprinkled on top with a layer of soil 5 to 10 mm thick. Water carefully so that the seeds do not wash to the surface.

Step 4 The boxes are covered with polyethylene or glass and placed on the windowsill on the south side or in another warm and bright place.

If the room temperature is kept around +20…+25°С, the first shoots should appear in 10 days. At a higher temperature, the germination time is reduced by 2-3 days. When the seeds germinate well, the glass is removed, and the temperature in the room is reduced to + 16 ... + 20 ° С. This is necessary so that the plants do not stretch. It is necessary to water the seedlings as the substrate dries up, in small portions, so that there is no water left in the pans. Excess moisture contributes to the disease of plants with a black leg, leads to the death of seedlings.

Advice! At the first signs of the disease should be diluted in two liters warm water teaspoon blue vitriol and spray all plants.

One of the main conditions for growing is good illumination of the place where the containers with seedlings are located. With a lack of light, the seedlings become paler, stretch and weaken. But also direct Sun rays undesirable because they cause burns of fragile leaves. Therefore, place the boxes of basil so that they are in the light, but protected from the bright sun.

Seedling picking

When the seedlings have two true leaves, you can start picking. This stage is optional, especially if the seeds were not sown densely. Many simply thin out seedlings in boxes, leaving 2-3 cm between them. But if planting material it is not enough or a pity to throw away extra plants, picking into separate containers is the best solution.

Compound soil mixture may be the same as for sowing seeds, with the addition of mineral fertilizers and ash. For 4 kg of substrate, you will need a couple of tablespoons of ash and a tablespoon of mineral fertilizer. All components must be thoroughly mixed so that each seedling receives the same amount. nutrients. Fill the containers, lightly compact the ground, and then make neat depressions in the center with a small spatula or stick.

The seedlings are well moistened so that the roots can be easily removed from the substrate, the seedlings are separated from each other and each of them is carefully lowered into the prepared hole. The line of deepening of the roots is clearly visible on the plants, it is along it that you need to navigate when transplanting seedlings. Next, each sprout is sprinkled with earth and lightly compacted with the same spatula. At the end, the seedlings are watered, if necessary, the lopsided plants are leveled.

Containers with basil are placed in a lighted place for 2-3 weeks. Once upper layer the substrate will begin to dry out, the seedlings are watered with warm, settled water. After 3 weeks, the basil is taken out for open air for hardening. This should be done at a temperature of + 5 ... + 10 ° С. If there is a film greenhouse on the site, it is best to keep the containers there from the day of picking.

The temperature regime in the greenhouse and the possibility of frequent ventilation allow the seedlings to be hardened faster. After about 2 weeks, seedlings can be planted in open ground. If suddenly it suddenly gets colder or it starts to rain, planting will have to be postponed. In this case, each shoot must be pinched over 7-8 leaves and fed with any nutrient mixture.

Landing in the ground

So, if the threat of frost has passed, and the soil has warmed up to + 10 ... + 15 ° С, you can plant basil on the beds. Since the plant does not respond well to cold and shading, a place is chosen sunny and protected from blowing. It is desirable that the soil is loose and rich in organic matter. Basil grows best on fertilized sandy soils.

Rows are formed: grooves are made up to 8 cm deep, row spacing is at least 30 cm. Plants are taken out of containers one by one, trying not to disturb the earthen clod, and planted every 20 cm.

So the landings will receive a sufficient amount of light and develop normally. After filling the roots with earth, the beds are watered abundantly. warm water.

Further care consists in regular watering and loosening the soil. For active growth of green mass, basil requires a lot of moisture. The timely removal of inflorescences and top dressing with nitrogen fertilizers also contributes to the growth of new shoots. Under these conditions, plants develop well and are practically not affected by diseases.

Video - Basil: when to plant seedlings

Video - Sowing basil for seedlings

Basil is a favorite spice of many people.

Whoever does not have a dacha is forced to buy it in supermarkets and bazaars, but whoever has at least a small piece of land is a sin not to grow basil.

Its maximum height reaches 70 cm, it grows well in width.

The best predecessors: potatoes, tomatoes and cucumbers.

Usually, basil is grown through seedlings to get the harvest as early as possible, but in the southern regions, seeds can be sown immediately into nutrient soil to a depth of 1.5 cm.

Growing basil seedlings

To do this, at the end of March, you need to sow the seeds in a nutritious and loose soil mixture of peat, humus and clean, washed sand in a ratio of 4:2:1. The soil mixture must first be sieved and steamed for 60 minutes for disinfection. If this item on soil preparation is omitted, then in the future it is possible. Can be used purchased soil, in this case, treatment with a solution of potassium permanganate or Fitosporin will be sufficient.

For growing basil seedlings, use shallow containers (up to 7 cm). Fill the container with soil, compacting it a little, spread the seeds over the surface and cover them with earth so that they are at a depth of up to 1 cm. place. If you are planting several varieties of basil at once, then do not forget to immediately set markers with the name of the variety.

When shoots appear, approximately 10-14 days after sowing, remove the shelter and lower the temperature to 16-20 ° C, then the seedlings will not stretch. Basil does not like waterlogging, so when pouring warm water, make sure that no water remains in the pan. Since it photophilous plant, then, if possible, organize additional illumination, especially in the first month, increasing the daylight hours for seedlings to 6-8 hours.

Basil is carried out when 2 true leaves appear, in separate cups (pots):

  • The soil mixture is slightly improved by mixing with ash and complex mineral fertilizer(for 5 liters of soil mixture 2 tablespoons of ash and fertilizer 1 tablespoon to the detriment).
  • After filling the pots with the improved composition of the soil, compact, make a hole in the center, place the seedling at the same depth, cover with earth, lightly compact and carefully water.
  • If the seedlings bend down, correct them immediately.
  • Water only with warm water.

2 weeks before the proposed planting of seedlings, begin to harden the plants, gradually lowering the air temperature, but not below + 10 ° C. Basil seedlings are ready for planting in open ground 40-50 days after germination, when the soil temperature reaches 15 ° C, approximately the end of May.

If weather conditions prevent you from landing at necessary period, then pinch the shoots over the 6-8th leaf.

Planting basil in open ground

Under the cultivation of basil, take a place protected from the wind, preferably loose and nutritious soil, light sandy loam soil rich in organic matter. AT clay soil add sand and peat.

Young plants are planted in holes to a depth of 6-8 cm with an earthen clod at a distance of 25-30 cm, keeping a distance between rows of 30-40 cm. When planting, make sure that the central kidney is not buried.

Water in a timely manner, avoiding drought. Feed during the growing season with ammonium nitrate 20 g per 1 sq.m. When re-feeding, add superphosphate 15-20 g per 1 sq.m.

To build up more green mass, flower buds are removed, and the top shoot is pinched.

To combat basil diseases (fusarium, gray rot) chemicals do not use. Sick plants are removed and the soil is dug up onto a shovel bayonet after the entire crop has been harvested.

Cut shoots begin at a length of 10-12 cm, and for drying during the flowering period above 10 cm from the soil surface. Lay out in one layer and dry in dry, sunny weather under a canopy. A well-dried basil shoot breaks easily, and the leaves are ground to dust.

As you know, a plant can be planted in several ways. AT this case practice planting seeds and seedlings. The second method is the simplest, correct, especially if you are growing basil in the open field. But if you need speed, practicality, and a minimum of effort on this process, then seeds are exactly what you need. But you are mistaken if you think that it will be enough just to put them in the ground and water them.

In fact, basil is a tropical herb that needs special care. If it is simply sown, the germination rate will be no more than 30%. Humidity, temperature, planting depth, pre-soak, germination are not only desirable steps before sowing. These are mandatory measures, which we will now consider in more detail in the step-by-step instructions.

  1. Heating grains. The birthplace of these spices is central India, where the temperature during the growing season of the plant is not lower than +28 degrees. Cells are activated only when the seed gets into the sun, when they warm up to + 35-40 degrees. If the temperature is below this, they can lie in the ground for 1, 2 or even 3 weeks, which will not satisfy the requirements of many gardeners. What should be done? Just put in the sun, let the grains warm up to +40 degrees. If it is cold outside, you can do this with a boiler or any object that can maintain + 40C.
  2. Soak. This is the most important step which cannot be skipped. After you warm up the seed a little, it needs to be properly saturated with moisture. Soak for at least 20 hours, and the water should be relatively warm, preferably +40 degrees. There is no need for this step if basil is planted before winter - the seeds need a little rest there, it is not worth stimulating the intensive growth of the vegetative mass. The length of the day will not meet the needs of the plant, even if the temperature is high.
  3. Seeding in the soil. If you want to grow productive, healthy basil, planting should be carried out at a temperature of at least 20 degrees. That is, it should get into the open ground in the third decade of May, not earlier. Seeds can germinate, sprout even at +10 degrees during the day, but do not forget that even +5 at night can destroy your entire crop - this culture is very whimsical, it does not tolerate cold.

Now let's figure out how to plant basil and what is needed for this. Loosening the soil, adding sand to it is the key to obtaining good seedlings. Do not forget to mulch the ground with humus so that it does not crack - 2 centimeters of mulch will be enough to close the moisture, make optimal conditions for seedlings. The soil must be pre-fertilized with manure for 3-4 months, so that it has time to decompose, to separate all the microelements and acids necessary for the plant.

There are several ways to sow. The most popular is to scatter the grains over the entire area and rake the area. Of course, there is a risk that a lot of seeds will be on top and disappear over time, but if you can afford such costs, then it is better to do so. The effort required will be minimal. Many gardeners practice pulling out small furrows - grooves of 3-4 centimeters with row spacing of 30 centimeters. Such laughter is very effective, saves your time, has little loss of material, in comparison with the first method.

There is also a chess seeding method. Each grain deepens (you can do it with a finger, a match or garden tool for loosening the soil) by 1.5-2 centimeters at a distance of 15 centimeters in diameter from each "neighbor". The advantage of the method is a solid area saving, high yield due to the equal remoteness of plants. There is, perhaps, only one drawback - a lot of work and time will be spent on this process.

After you have done everything and leveled the ground from above (it is advisable to compact it with something), you can wait for shoots, which you can actually get within 12 days, if the air temperature does not fall below + 15C. To speed up this process and help the seedlings break through to the top, you can cover the entire bed with polyethylene or any other material to create Greenhouse effect. In such an "incubator" the plants will feel great, the main thing is not to forget to remove the film.

Breeding with seedlings

It is very difficult to achieve friendly shoots and big harvest from a small seed, but a healthy plant grown on a windowsill gives a much better chance. That is why seedlings are so popular when cultivating crops in open ground. Let's say you already have it purchased or obtained as a result of cultivation own seeds. What to do next - consider in more detail.

  1. We loosen the earth in the garden. The fraction should be as in . It is advisable to use rollers so that the soil is compacted and the roots easily absorb water from the soil and the basil develops fully.
  2. We dig holes 10x10x20 centimeters, where the last indicator is depth. We pour 5 grams of saltpeter at the bottom, a little soil on top, place the plant and fill it with water so that everything dissolves well, and the root system immediately receives a large number of fertilizers.
  3. We mulch the earth from above with humus so that it does not crack. This is desirable for beds that are just in the shade and a must for areas in the open sun. It is best to avoid direct rays - there may be plant burns and growth retardation, spices grow best under a 30% shade.

Subsequent care of seedlings is very simple. 1 foliar application of carbamide or dilute saltpeter every 2 weeks. Pinching is necessary after the fifth pair of leaves is formed on the plant. You can mow seedlings after 3 weeks - at the discretion of gardeners.

Breeding by cuttings - advantages and features

While sowing basil is extremely beneficial in terms of saving time and effort, propagating from cuttings offers many other benefits to the grower. It is especially important to grow rare and valuable varieties of spices using this method, because from one mother bush you can get dozens of new plants, each of which will be relatively large and with good resistance to environment. Let's take a closer look at this process.

  1. We take the usual flower pot, pour boiling water over it to kill the infection, and install drainage. Large gravel, sand, fertile soil are suitable for this. Pre-moisten the resulting soil and let it brew for a couple of days.
  2. Branches of no more than 8 centimeters should be taken from the mother plant, as in all other plants, an oblique cut should be made to increase the absorption area. The first few pairs of leaves are best cut to keep macronutrient and water intake to a minimum. They will grow back quickly if spicy herb take root.
  3. For 5 days, place in a container with water (use plastic liter bottle, after cutting off the top). With luck, in 5 days the basil will take root and be ready to be transplanted into the soil. At adverse conditions(cold, lack of minerals, lack of light) this can happen much later, for example after 20 days.
  4. Drop off. It is advisable to do this under the film, similarly


Basil is valued for its unique spicy aroma and beneficial features, however, in stores it costs much more 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 where the gardener lives and the variety that he wants to grow on his site. Residents of the southern regions of Russia may not spend energy on growing seedlings, but simply sow seeds immediately in open ground– experience shows that they germinate well and give a good harvest. For medium-sized regions, growing from seeds is a risky choice. Inhabitants northern regions will be able to grow this culture only by seedlings.

Much depends on the type of herb chosen. Some varieties can be considered persistent and picky, while 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 take risks - growing seedlings in this case will give much more chances of getting good harvest.

If seedling cultivation is chosen, then the seeds are planted 50-60 days before the time comes when it is time to transplant the sprout to permanent place residence. When the first two leaves appear, the plant dives. You can dive in . When the fifth leaf appears, pinch the top shoot to make the plant more bushy.


Landing dates for a permanent place

Basil is a very heat-loving plant, afraid of even the slightest frost. If he is planted in open ground before they have completely passed, then the very first cold snap will destroy him. 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.

It does not happen year after year, but most often warm weather occurs at about the same time in various latitudes. 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 drop below 20 degrees, but if it drops to 15 degrees for a couple of days, nothing bad should happen.


The place where the beds with basil 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 on the problem side.

Already in the fall, the soil must be dug up, at the same time introducing into it organic fertilizers. For example, on square meter you can add from two to five kilograms of humus or compost, 10 g of potassium salt and 20 g of superphosphate. It should be borne in mind that spicy grass feels most comfortable on sandy soils. If the soil in the area is clayey, then when digging, peat and sandstone should be added.

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 have 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 to a depth of 10 to 12 centimeters. When the soil is prepared, it remains to prepare the holes and plant the sprouts.


How to plant in the beds?

Before planting in open ground, seedlings must be hardened off. To do this, two weeks before disembarkation, it must begin to be taken out daily on Fresh air: first for 10-15 minutes, then for half an hour, an hour, several hours. Otherwise, the plant will be pampered, vulnerable, and may die when transplanted to a permanent place of residence.

Basil can be planted in rows or in bands. If the first option is chosen, the distance between the rows should be made quite large - 30-40 centimeters, between the holes in the row - 20-25 centimeters. The tape method involves landing with ribbons, each of which has three lines. The distance between the tapes is 50-60 centimeters, between the lines - 15-25 centimeters. The sprouts themselves should be planted in lines at a distance of 20-25 cm from each other.

If you live in the southern regions, then make the distance between the bushes and lines 5-10 centimeters larger, since in sunny places spicy grass grows strongly.

The depth of the hole in which you will plant the sprouts should be approximately 6-8 centimeters. In each hole you need to put a little nitrogen fertilizers, pour using about a liter of water. When the well is prepared, care must be taken not to damage root system, remove the plant from the pot and place it in the hole, sprinkle with earth so that the lower bud remains on the surface.

If, after picking, the plant is planted in a peat cup, then it should be planted in open ground along with the container, without taking it out. In this case, the pot itself must be completely underground.


How to care?

Planting the plant correctly is important, but this is not the only condition for obtaining a good harvest. It is necessary to provide the plant and proper care.

  1. Temperature regime. A young plant, just planted in a garden bed, 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 it is necessary to cover the basil at night, even if weather forecasters promise high temperature all day long. In the future, the plant will have to be covered only if a cold snap is expected.
  2. Watering. The irrigation regime is best determined by focusing 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, contributes to the development of pathogenic microflora, as a result of which the basil can get sick.
  3. Lure. The first time the plant is fed 12-14 days after planting in the garden. The best choice- ammonium nitrate, which is applied at the rate of 20 g per square meter. The second top dressing is made in two weeks. Apart from ammonium nitrate this time, superphosphate will also be required - it is added 15 g per square meter.
  4. Weeding. Loosen the ground 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.
  5. Pinching. It is necessary to pinch the top 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 landing on the garden. Emerging flowers must be cut.

After the flowers appear, it's time to harvest the first crop - at this time the leaves are most fragrant and juicy. At the same time, at least three leaves should be left on each branch. In September, the bush should be completely removed and used for harvesting for the winter.


Conclusion

Grow basil in your country house and personal plot Maybe. It is preferable to grow it not by seeds, but by seedlings, this is the most reliable way 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 according to a three-line tape pattern, leaving a sufficient distance between the holes.

Proper care is also great importance. It involves protecting the plant from bad weather, proper watering, bait, pinching and weeding. If the basilica is properly cared for, the spicy greens on the table will all year round.

Of course you use basil in the composition ready-made kits spices, perhaps add fresh herbs of this beautiful plant in salads and marinades. Have you tried growing your own basil? It's very simple. It can grow all year round in an apartment on the windowsill. But still largest stock fragrant leaves can only be made when grown in summer time in open ground. I propose to grow seedlings of any variety of basil easily and with pleasure.

Basil is an annual spicy herb, widely known for its medicinal properties also used in cooking. It is noted for its rich content of carotene, vitamins C, B1, B2, PP, but of course the greatest value is essential oils, due to which the plant has a special spicy aroma. Growing basil in temperate climates was difficult for a long time. its homeland is hot India. However, now breeders have already bred varieties that can take root on our summer cottages. So don't be afraid, choose suitable variety this wonderful plant and, observing some subtleties when planting, you can please yourself and your loved ones with many delicious meals with a spicy touch of basil.

Soaking basil seeds

Essential oils create a very tight shell on the seeds, therefore, when sown in the ground, they should never be soaked, because. they stick together, and we simply cannot evenly distribute them over the surface of the earth. But when planting basil for seedlings, when you have time and comfortable conditions at home, it is better to soak the seeds. You can do this from the end of February to the end of March, the main thing is to choose the time when steady heat sets in in your region.
For soaking, a small amount of basil seeds should be wrapped with a piece of cloth and tied with a thread. Then fold the resulting bags into a container with well-warm water (about 40 ° C), leave for 20 minutes to cool. This procedure must be done three times, after which the seed bags are folded into a plastic bag and left for two days in a warm place at 25-28 degrees, aired from time to time.

Sowing basil for seedlings

Planting basil seeds

Before opening the bag, it must be rinsed in clean water. Basil seeds can be planted both in a common bath with further picking, and in separate cups of three. Seedlings that sprouted in separate containers do not need to be seated. When they grow up, they can be immediately planted in the ground, the bushes will turn out lush and will perfectly cover each other.
So, let's proceed directly to planting seeds. The soil should be very light, but nutritious, so humus can be added to the mixture of earth and sand.
Before planting, the ground must be well watered with warm water, the heat-loving basil will be grateful to you for this. In the future, when watering seedlings, it is also better to use warm water.
Pre-soaked seeds should be evenly distributed over the surface of the earth and sprinkled with earth, a maximum of half a centimeter will be enough, cover the container with foil and put in a warm place, you can on the battery. After three days, the bath will need to be ventilated. It is important not to miss the moment when the seeds germinate, and move them to a bright place in time or turn on additional light so that the seedlings do not stretch out. On average, the first seedlings of soaked seeds appear after 5-7 days. And dry seeds germinate up to two weeks.

Basil pick

The basil is ready to pick when the first two true leaves are well developed. This is about 20 days later. When picking, we deepen the seedling to the cotyledons. We start the elongated stalk with a spiral. Don't forget to water when dry.

How to dive basil

It takes about two months for basil seedlings to reach the stage ready for planting. If you increase the lighting, this period is reduced.
It must be remembered that basil is a real southern plant, therefore it is better not to rush with its planting in open ground, wait more warm weather. It will be possible to start planting it a little later peppers and eggplant.
In the ground, choose a place protected from the wind. the earth should be light, but well fertilized. The distance between plants is 20-25 cm and about the same row spacing.