How to get juicy greens during the winter months? Tips for growing basil on a windowsill. How to grow basil at home: tips for novice gardeners Growing basil on a windowsill at home

Gaining widespread popularity and basil is no exception. But in order for the end result to meet expectations, it is necessary to know in advance the rules for growing basil at home, carefully study the needs of the plant, the rules for sowing or rooting cuttings, and also familiarize yourself with the further conditions for keeping and caring for a spicy green plant in an apartment.

Basil is an indispensable ingredient for people who care about their health and maintain their figure. At the same time, it is enough to eat only a few branches of greens a day in order to provide the body with useful vitamins and microelements.

To grow basil on a windowsill, you need to carefully prepare, as this will require:

decide on a variety and purchase seeds or cut fresh cuttings from an adult plant;
choose a suitable place (window sill) in the apartment;
prepare planting containers and nutrient substrate;
to carry out pre-sowing preparation and seed treatment;
to study the features of watering and feeding;
get acquainted with possible diseases and measures to combat them.

Important! Basil on the windowsill is very responsive to care and therefore requires increased attention, since it cannot stand ignoring the rules of its maintenance.

Without a doubt, basil can be successfully grown on a windowsill and enjoy its taste for a long time only if its planting and further care are carried out according to the rules.

Video: how to grow basil at home

Choosing the Right Basil Varieties for Home Growing

To successfully grow basil in an apartment, you need to choose the right plant variety, since not all varieties can adapt and grow on the windowsill. Optimally select small-leaved and compact species.

In addition to its excellent taste and aroma, basil attracts home gardeners with its decorative properties, therefore, by planting greens with different shades of foliage, you can create a special comfort in the house.

Thus, for growing basil on the windowsill, varieties such as Basilisk, Delight, Clove, Marquis, Dwarf, Yerevan, Orion, Lemon, Purple glitter, Thai Queen, Philosopher, Green scent, Tabletop, Red Ruby and others are suitable.

The variety of plant varieties allows you to choose a variety based on your individual preferences, and the best option may be to grow several varieties of basil on the windowsill at once.

Growing basil from seeds on a windowsill: step by step instructions

Before sowing seeds, you should choose a suitable container, soil, and only if you wish, you can prepare - soak and germinate the planting material itself.

In what container to grow

For the initial sowing of basil seeds on seedlings, it is recommended to use any flat containers or bowls.

It is very convenient to grow basil seedlings in individual cassettes.

In the future, for planting seedlings, it is necessary to find already more spacious pots, at least 15 cm deep.

Do not forget about drainage: at the bottom of the planting containers there should be at least holes so that excess water is drained into the pan, and a 3 cm layer of expanded clay is poured in permanent pots.

Required potting mix

A substrate for sowing basil seeds or rooting cuttings at home is suitable for the most common - universal for growing seedlings, which you can buy at any gardening store. The main thing is that it must meet the basic requirement - to be light and loose, which means that it allows air to pass to the root system and does not retain moisture.

Prepare soil for growing basil in the following ways from the following components:

humus, garden soil and peat (1: 1: 1);
humus and coconut fibers (2: 1).

Important! Before sowing seeds or rooting cuttings, the soil should be disinfected, and any, even purchased. This can be done by steaming it in a double boiler or roasting it in the oven. In addition, it is additionally recommended to shed the soil with a pink solution of potassium permanganate or.

Seed preparation

Before sowing, it is required to prepare the planting material, which will improve germination and promote uniform seed germination.

But! It is believed that basil grows well on moist soil even without any pre-sowing preparation (soaking).

For example, you can first soak basil seeds in hot water (about 70 degrees) for 15 minutes, and then put them on a damp cloth (or cotton pads). As a rule, seeds hatch within 1-2 days.

After that, you can additionally process (disinfect) the seeds in a pink solution of potassium permanganate for 10-20 minutes.

Advice! The hatched seeds can be planted at some distance from each other, so that later they do not dive or thin out.

Direct sowing of seeds

The successful cultivation of basil at home largely depends on the correct sowing.

Step-by-step instructions for sowing basil seeds for further cultivation on a windowsill:

Pour the substrate into the prepared pots (at the same time, you should not fill it completely, somewhere 2/3 will be quite enough).
Level the ground surface and compact.
Moisten the soil with a spray bottle.
Spread the prepared seeds evenly, slightly pressing them into the soil (no more than 0.5-1 cm).

Dry seeds are sown superficially, and already sprouted seeds can be lightly sprinkled with earth (1-1.5 cm).

Moisten crops by spraying from a sprayer.
Cover the container with a transparent lid or plastic wrap to create a greenhouse effect.
Place the container in a dark and warm place (optimum temperature +25 degrees) until shoots appear.

Transplanting basil from open ground to a pot

Advice! It is optimal to transplant at the end of the summer cottage season (in September), so to speak, taking the plant home for the winter.

In general, the easiest way is to dig up and transplant a young basil bush from open ground into a pot. It is more than easy to do this: they dug it out with a lump of earth, put the plant in a pot, at the bottom of which there is already drainage (holes and a layer of expanded clay), poured earth on the sides, watered it and put it on a light windowsill.

By the way! In order for the bush to renew itself, after transplanting, cut off its top, which you can use as a cutting.

Interesting! The author of the next video suggests growing basil on a windowsill (or any other greens) by purchasing greens in a pot in a supermarket, and then planting its rhizomes in the ground, first treating (sprinkling) them with one of the root stimulants (zircon or root).

Video: growing greens at home on a windowsill - parsley and basil

Growing basil from cuttings on a windowsill

Cutting is perhaps the fastest way to get basil greens in just a few weeks.

Where to get cuttings? They can be cut directly from the basil bush, if you have one on the site. Or just buy packaging at the supermarket. The main thing is that the greens are not sluggish.

The stalk should be 5 centimeters long. All the extra lower leaves should be cut off from him, or you can additionally cut off the upper leaves by half.

The very rooting of basil cuttings is carried out in the standard way: put the cuttings in water, and the container itself in a bright place, for example, on the same windowsill.

Advice! The water in the container should be changed as often as possible, optimally every day.

After 7-10 days, you will already notice small roots on the cuttings, and as soon as they reach a length of 3-4 cm, the sprouted basil cuttings can be transplanted into a pot with soil.

Further cultivation of basil is carried out in the same way as planted with seeds.

Or you can do it differently: first, as usual, cut the cuttings, cut off the excess leaves. Then immediately plant them in containers with earth (humus) and cover them with something on top, for example, a plastic bag or a plastic lid to create a greenhouse effect.

Video: how to grow basil at home by planting cuttings directly into the ground

Taking care of basil on the windowsill

When friendly shoots appear (with the method of growing from seeds) the container should be placed in a bright place (window) and the temperature should be lowered to +20 degrees, which will prevent stretching of the plants.

Also, if you wish, you can begin to adapt the seedlings to environmental conditions. To do this, you need to start gradually removing the shelter from the container (first for 30 minutes a day, then for an hour), which will allow the seedlings to gradually get used to the new conditions. After 7-10 days, the shelter must be completely removed.

By the way! Many do not carry out any adaptation, and the shelter is removed immediately after germination.

By the way! When the basil grows a little (up to 5-7 in height), pour 2-3 cm of earth under the elongated sprouts.

Pick or thinning

As soon as the seedlings get stronger, they will significantly increase in growth, and they will have 1-2 real leaves, you can spend pick plants in separate, more spacious containers, if you originally planted in a common and shallow one.

Video: sowing basil and picking seedlings

By the way! Otherwise, if you sowed immediately into a permanent container of the optimal size, you can simply thin out the seedlings, leaving the strongest ones so that there is a sufficient distance between them (5-10 cm).

Choosing a suitable place and conditions of detention: lighting, temperature

Basil prefers to grow naturally in open areas and at elevated temperatures, in other words, the place should be warm and sunny. Therefore, in order to grow basil at home, on the windowsill, it is imperative to take these preferences into account and choose a place that is as close as possible to the natural conditions for the growth of aromatic greens.

Best for growing basil at home south sill, but, in principle, you can place greenery on the east or west window. In a sense, this is an even more profitable place, because during the period of excessively active sun in the spring and on hot summer days, if the plant is located on the south window, you will absolutely need to shade the basil to avoid burning the foliage.

Important! This tropical greenery does not tolerate drafts very well. Therefore, be sure to seal the cracks in the window frames for the winter.

Since the plant loves warmth, the air temperature should not fall below + 18-20 degrees, otherwise it will slow down its growth and stop developing. Optimally, the temperature is kept within + 22-25 degrees.

By the way! When it becomes warm enough outside, the basil pots can be taken out to the balcony or loggia.

For the full growth of the basil at home on the windowsill you need at least 12 hours of daylight hours, and preferably 14-16 hours, therefore, during the period of short days (especially in late autumn, winter and early spring), it is recommended to provide the plant with additional lighting, illuminating it with the help of special phytolamps or full-spectrum LED lamps.

Important! In winter, in the morning and evening hours, as well as when it is cloudy, it is worth turning on the phytolamps so that the daylight hours are at least 12 hours.

Watering

Watering is carried out as needed, avoiding drying out and excessive moisture of the earthen coma.

Watering itself should be carried out with settled water at room temperature.

The regularity of moistening the soil in the pot directly depends on the temperature regime: the higher the temperature, the more often watering.

In winter, if you have a special cool place for greenery, watering should be significantly reduced.

Also, basil grown at home needs high humidity, therefore, if the room is dry, then the foliage of the plant must be sprayed additionally. This is especially true in the cold period of time, when central heating batteries are "fried".

On especially hot days, a pot of basil can be placed in a container filled with expanded clay filled with water. This will increase the evaporation of moisture and thus increase the humidity in the air.

By the way! If you notice that after watering, due to excessively dry air, a crust forms on the surface of the soil, then you should loosening.

Top dressing

After transplanting the basil seedlings into a permanent pot, it is worth starting to carry out regular feeding, using any universal fertilizer for this. Will do: "Barrel", "Agricola", "Energen".

Pinching

In order for the plant to bush better when the basil is still small (1-1.5 months after sowing, when it has 4-6 true leaves), its top should be pinched so that the plant grows not only upward, but also gives side shoots.

Important! When peduncles appear on the plant, they must be promptly cut off with scissors, since after flowering, the basil greens become tough and lose their aroma.

When to Harvest Homemade Basil

Basil leaves can be used for food when the plant reaches 15 cm in height. At this stage, as a rule, the formation of the main stem of the plant is completed, so the loss of leaves will not affect the development of the basil.

Note! However, you cannot break off the stems, otherwise the plant will dry out. You can only collect the leaves (lateral), and it is the top ones. It is better to cut them off with scissors, and not open them, because this can damage the stem.

Naturally, when growing basil from seeds, ripening and harvesting will occur much later than when planting by cuttings:

when grown from cuttings - 3-4 weeks after rooting;
from seeds - after 3-4 months.

Video: growing herbs at home - parsley and basil on the windowsill

Having mastered the technique of growing basil on the windowsill, you can provide yourself and your family with fresh greens all year round, including in winter. And then the cooked dishes will have a special taste and aroma no matter what time of year it is outside the window.

Video: growing basil on a windowsill

In contact with

It's no secret that you can grow basil in a pot on a windowsill for a whole year. Still, practice often disagrees with theory, and once again, without waiting for the shoots or pulling out the "long-legged" dried seedlings, the gardener gives up - not destiny.

The fact is that basil is a light and thermophilic plant, and for its full growth you need: a long daylight hours, a sufficiently high temperature (20-25 ° C), fertilized soil with drainage and regular "water procedures": watering and spraying.

3 ways to grow basil in pots:

- Transferring a mature plant from an open field to a pot. This method is used by gardeners who grow basil in their beds in summer. In this case, the youngest bushes that did not have time to bloom are dug out together with a lump of earth and transplanted into a pot. The growing season of these plants is short-lived - soon enough they will bloom, and you will need to cut off the shoots or cut the peduncles into cuttings to plant a new plant.

- Growing basil from a cuttings from a previous bush. The tops from an existing bush or side shoots of basil (or from one purchased on the market) are placed in water for 1-2 weeks in order for them to give roots, and then they are planted in pots. After about half a month, it will be possible to cut the first greens. Such a bush will serve you 3-4 months.

- Growing a new basil bush from seeds. When planted with seeds, a basil bush will take 8-12 months to finally form, but it will also supply you with fresh herbs much longer than basil grown from a cuttings.

Growing basil from seeds: basic steps

In principle, any variety of basil is suitable for growing in pots, but, as a rule, low-growing, bundle-forming varieties are chosen.

At the initial stage, small pots, plastic cups or buckets can serve as containers. Then, some time after the formation of several true leaves in the basil, the plants will need to be carefully transplanted into large containers without damaging the roots. In order to bypass this procedure, it is better to immediately plant seeds in liter containers.

The soil must be fertile, light, with high permeability. You can use humus mixed with coconut fiber in a ratio of 1: 2, you can take a mixture of garden soil with ready-made, completely decomposed compost, you can prepare a soil from 2 parts of peat and 1 part of humus, which you can then pour with a solution of mineral fertilizers (1/8 teaspoon of urea , superphosphate and potassium sulfate per 1 liter of water). And don't forget about drainage - it is a must for the basil. Therefore, before filling the containers with soil, lay a layer of expanded clay, broken foam or broken brick 2-3 centimeters high on the bottom.

Before planting, basil seeds are soaked in a saturated solution of potassium permanganate for two hours. Then they are planted in prepared moist soil to a depth of 1 centimeter at a distance of 7-10 cm from each other and covered with a bag or cling film, which is not removed until the very shoots.

The best temperature for germination of basil seeds is from 22 ° C to 28 ° C, in such conditions the first shoots will appear in 5-8 days.

Containers with young plants are immediately placed in a bright, warm place and supplied with systematic watering. Watering basil is recommended in the morning once a day (on very hot summer days, you need to water it twice - in the morning and in the afternoon) with water at room temperature. It will not be superfluous to spray the plants with water from time to time (you can do this daily in summer).

The homeland of the basil is the subtropics, therefore it cannot survive without heat and light. In order for the basil to grow, branch and bush, on our windowsill the air temperature must be at least 20 ° C (or even better 25 ° C), and the sun must shine no more than 3-4 hours a day. Basil is afraid of drafts.

In containers with adult plants, the soil is loosened every two to three days to enrich it with oxygen. If the soil for growing basil is not very fertile, the bushes must be fertilized once a month. For feeding, universal fertilizers based on organic gummates or compost are perfect.

After 1.5 months, you will begin to pick off the first spicy leaves from the side shoots. When cutting greens later, keep at least three leaves on the stem - new lateral shoots will begin to form in their axils. When the bush has grown enough, you can pinch the top so that it grows in breadth.

Best time to grow basil in pots

Basil can, of course, be grown at home all year round, but its increased sensitivity to light and heat requires additional efforts from you in the autumn-winter period.

To prevent drafts and create the optimal temperature in autumn and winter, you will probably have to wrap the pots with transparent cellophane wrap.

In addition, from October to February, plants need additional lighting in the evening hours (about 3-4 hours) in order to lengthen the daylight hours. On gloomy days, extra light is needed throughout the day.

For this reason, basil is usually planted in late February - early March, so that the period of intensive growth will pass with increasing daylight hours. And in the summer, the natural warmth and light for the grown bush will be quite enough.

We wish you success and good harvests!

Basil is an annual plant, it is very warm and photophilous, since its homeland is the tropics. In our climatic zone, in an open area, it grows only in the summer season, but at home - all year round. Therefore, if you decide to plant basil on the windowsill, then you will have the opportunity to pamper yourself and your loved ones with fresh vitamins, because this bush is a real "storehouse" of useful substances for the body. In addition, it has unique taste, so the leaves are added to various dishes (soups, meat, fish, salads). Basil food takes on a special mouth-watering aroma. How to grow basil on a windowsill? It is not at all difficult, but you should remember some planting rules and features of caring for this crop.

Lighting and temperature control

It is best to place the container with the plant near the sunniest window. The best temperature is 21-25 degrees. The temperature should not be allowed to drop below 20 degrees, then growth will be inhibited. If the basil grows at home on the balcony, then in the cold season it is necessary to cover it with cellophane wrap to prevent hypothermia. Basil does not like drafts, try to eliminate this possibility. Sunlight should hit the leaves and stems for at least 3-5 hours a day.

Planting capacity and soil for basil

For growing a basil bush at home, long wooden containers or elongated clay flower pots are ideal, the main thing is that they are sufficiently voluminous, since the root system grows abundantly.

It is best to warm up the soil before planting and fertilize with mineral fertilizing or humic concentrate.

The container chosen should be well drained to prevent fluid stagnation. For planting this plant, black soil and sandy loam are suitable.

Fertilization and watering

The plant likes regular and moderate watering. Water the basil as the soil drains, about once every five days. The soil should be slightly moist. If you are growing a crop at home, then you do not need to water too much, since this can only harm the basil. If you do flood the soil and your plant begins to grow moldy, then you should immediately take appropriate action. Eliminate infected leaves and stems to avoid further spread of disease to healthy parts. Then dust the ground with ash and loosen it well.
Basil should be watered daily, preferably in the morning. In hot summertime, you can water it 2 times a day (during daylight hours). Spray the bush sometimes, and in the summer, do this procedure every day.

You can use top dressing once every 30 days for a bush. Feed your basil with an all-purpose fertilizer that includes gummates or organic compost.

In caring for the plant, it is important to regularly loosen the soil every 3 days. Thanks to this procedure, a sufficient amount of oxygen enters the ground, which is so lacking for a plant living at home.

Basil breeding methods

By growing basil at home, you can get great results. But how do you do this and where to start? First of all, let's start with the methods of propagation of this plant, there are several of them:

A young bush from a cutting. Basil propagates by cuttings, and this is the most convenient and fastest method of obtaining a new bush. Just take a few shoots or tops from an adult bush and place them in a container of water for 7-14 days. The cuttings must take root, then they can be planted in pots. After 40-50 days, the first greens will already appear, which can be eaten. Such a plant will bring you green leaves for 3-4 months.
Growing a new plant from seeds. This is a longer and more painstaking way, but such a bush will last you much longer than the one that grew through cuttings. It will take eight months to a year for a young basil to fully form from the seed.

How to grow a basil bush from seeds?

Any type of plant is suitable for growing at home, but it is better to choose varieties with a relatively short stem length. You can start with a small pot or plastic cup. Later, when several real leaves appear at the young shoot, it will need to be carefully planted in a larger container without damaging the root system. Although it is possible to immediately plant the seeds in large pots.

The soil needs fertile and light. Ordinary black earth with compost will do. For fertilization, take a mineral dressing. Provide high drainage properties of the soil, because this is very important for the plant. For this purpose, foam or broken brick is suitable. In front of the soil layer, lay out the selected material with a layer thickness of 2-4 cm.
Basil seeds must be soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate before planting in the ground. Then you should plant the seeds in watered soil, pressing them about 1 cm. Make an interval of 10 cm between the seeds. When you are done planting, cover the pot with cellophane, do not remove it until germination.

In order for the seeds to germinate as quickly as possible (after 5-7 days), a temperature of 23-27 degrees is required. After about 40-50 days, the first spicy leaves will begin to appear, which can be eaten. When you cut the greens, leave 3-4 leaves on the stem to ensure the growth of new shoots in the future. While the bush has not yet bloomed, remove the top so that it grows in breadth.

Instructions for planting and caring for basil at home

1. The beginning of March is most suitable for planting, then you do not have to highlight the plants. Take the seeds and soak them in a potassium permanganate solution for a couple of hours. Prepare a pot of potting soil as described above. Plant the seeds, retreating from each other by 3-5 centimeters, sprinkle them with about one centimeter of earth.
2. Then close the pot with a plastic bag or cap, remove this "greenhouse" only when the first shoots appear. Keep the seed pot in a warm place.
3. After removing the lid, transfer the sprouts to a well-lit area. If you planted seeds in the autumn, artificial lighting is needed for a young bush. To do this, use a fluorescent lamp, directing it to the sprouts for 8-10 hours a day. This procedure will speed up the growth of plants.
4. When the sprouts grow longer and a second corolla of leaves appears, plant the plants in separate larger containers.
5. From this stage it is necessary to increase the time of artificial illumination up to 12 hours. Plants should not be watered and fed too abundantly. When the third corolla of leaves appears, spray the young basil with water at a comfortable temperature every 7 days in the morning or in the afternoon.

Basil varieties

For growing at home, you can use any kind of basil, but it is best to take varieties with miniature leaves (Dwarf, Marquis, Basilisk).

Cultivars vary in color and leaf aroma, so pick a plant that suits your taste. Basil gives cooked dishes a special aroma, the notes of which are different according to the variety.
Yerevan. Its leaves are a deep blue hue, smell of tea and allspice.
Baku. The leaves are purple-brown, giving the food a clove and mint flavor.
Spoon-shaped. The leaves are green, smell like laurel and cloves.

Now you know how to grow basil on a windowsill. Growing a basil bush at home will not be difficult if you adhere to the above rules of care. Do not be lazy to take care of the plant, then it will delight you with an excellent harvest of spicy leaves!

Green onion feathers on the window will surprise no one, but the "indoor gardeners" have long gone further. They also successfully grow other garden crops in pots on the windows, from dill and parsley to aromatic basil. The latter is an almost ideal culture for the home, as it feels great in a warm room. Even in winter, fragrant bushes grow well a lush deciduous mass without losing their characteristic smell. If you know how to grow basil on a windowsill, you can harvest all year round. And to do this is completely easy, as you will see after reading this article.

The subtleties of sowing seeds

Under indoor conditions, basil is most often grown from seeds. Firstly, planting material is always available in stores. Secondly, it grows better and longer than plants obtained by vegetative means.

For home cultivation, it is better to use undersized and small-leaved varieties of basil. They grow faster than, for example, the purple and Greek species.

You can sow both dry and pre-soaked seeds. They sprout equally well, but the latter are simply faster. The seeds are soaked in plain warm water for a couple of days, periodically changing it. The swollen seeds are disinfected by standing for 1.5-2 hours in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and dried.

Basil soil should be airy and nutritious. You can use one of the following soil mixtures to choose from:

cocoa soil and vermicompost (2: 1);
universal soil for indoor plants and garden soil and (1: 1);
universal soil for indoor plants and biohumus (4: 1).

Expanded clay should be poured on the bottom of the pots or boxes for drainage, on top - soil and shed. Spread the seeds over the surface, trying to maintain a distance of a couple of centimeters, and cover them with soil a little. It remains to cover with foil and put in a warm and bright place. When seedlings appear, the film is removed, and the basil itself is thinned out, leaving at least 10 cm between the seedlings. After a few days, you need to add some earth to the grown bushes.

How to grow basil on a windowsill: the basics of room spice care

Indoor basil is an unpretentious plant, but some rules still need to be followed. In order for it to turn into lush bushes and give a good harvest, you must:

Maintain a comfortable temperature of at least 20 ° C warmth. In a cooler room, the grass will not disappear, but its bright specific aroma will begin to lose.
Avoid drafts.
Water daily in summer and twice a week in winter.
In the autumn-winter season, supplement the planting with light, otherwise the bushes will stretch out.
If necessary (if the land is poor), feed the basil once a month with vermicompost.
Periodically, about every 2 weeks, prune the bushes to stimulate branching. The first pruning of the tops is done at the 4-leaf stage, then when 3 pairs have grown.

You cannot pluck all the lower leaves from the bush - at least 4 things must remain. Otherwise, the basil will begin to stretch and produce fewer side branches. Accordingly, the harvest will be less. In addition, flowering should not be allowed - the buds must be cut off at an early stage.