Basil is not only a beautiful little herb, but also a useful aromatic spice. If you have a warm climate, you can grow basil in your garden or on your veranda. This plant does not like the cold, so in a cold area it is better to transfer the pot to the house. Basil is not capricious, so its progress will not be a problem for you.
When the plant grows, you can add the natural spice to meat, fish, vegetables, salads, and so on. I am planning to plant basil this season, so I am carefully studying its preferences and will share them with you.
How to Grow Basil from Seeds
I learned that basil can be grown in soil and can be planted even in cooler weather, but it needs to be covered with agrofiber.
Choose a location in the open sun because the plant may stop growing in the shade.
- Watering should be done moderately, without swamp, but not too dry. I do not have a sultry heat so I plan to water it once every 4-5 days;
- Definitely, basil is not against the neighbors. It grows well with tomatoes or cucumbers. The seeds can be planted between seedlings; you will cover this for the winter while covering the basil;
- Some sources write that you need to soak the seeds before planting. This is not true! After soaking, the seeds will stick together into one jelly mass;
- I will pinch off the leaves after 4-5 pieces so that the plant is more a bush than a tall one;
- If you want grow indoor basil as a spice and not for decoration, then take care of complementary foods.
There are special mixes for spicy plants.
Regrow Basil from Kitchen Scraps
In fact, I always throw in plant and herb scraps when I cook. But some of them can be grown again. It’s not just lettuce leaves that we can cut almost endlessly. How to grow basil from kitchen waste. I always buy a fresh plant for cooking. If you also do that then it will be not easy to regrow basil.
You can take a small, healthy stem with leaves (about 10 cm high). It is better to remove the lower moldings and make an oblique cut from the stem. Put this in a glass and leave it on the windowsill. Better to change the water every 2-3 days. Thin roots will appear in 2 weeks but you need to wait until they become about 5 cm. Now it’s time to plant them in a pot of soil.
How to Cultivate Basil
Cultivating basil is easy, at least no more difficult than other plants in your window or garden. You can find ready-made seedlings, purchase seeds, or grow basil from kitchen waste.
Find suitable flower pots for home growing or choose a suitable place in your garden. Outdoor cultivation requires special attention – watering, feeding, removing weeds, loosening the soil surface and protecting against disease. Home growing is easier, don’t forget to water this. I don’t have a garden so I plan to plant basil on my kitchen’s balcony.
Benefits of Basil
Basil is used not only as a spice for various meat and fish dishes, salads or vegetables. If you brew the leaves of this plant, then you will get a good decoction for sore throat and for the treatment of bronchi. Also, this tea can be drunk as an antipyretic agent.
Basil has rutin, carotene, and a large set of vitamins in its composition, so its leaves can be brewed as a drink to enhance immunity. Consuming this plant regularly will help reduce the risk of cancer.
Finally, you can prepare tasty homemade pizza with basil leaves You can drink cool basil tea to strengthen your gums and heal bleeding gums. I add some honey to hot basil tea. A couple of months ago I learned that you shouldn’t chew basil leaves in large quantities because they contain a lot of mercury when fresh.
