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Sweet basil "Greco a Palla" (compact)
Sweet basil "Greco a Palla" (for pots and containers) - Ocimum americanum L.
Highly aromatic.
Mid-season and compact basil variety. The leaf is small, green, the flowers are white. Plant height 18-20 cm. Weight of one plant 15-20 g.
Suitable for growing in pot culture.
Highly aromatic.
Mid-season and compact basil variety. The leaf is small, green, the flowers are white. Plant height 18-20 cm. Weight of one plant 15-20 g.
Suitable for growing in pot culture.
* Good precursors for basil are crops that have been heavily fertilized, such as cucumbers, and also legumes. Under the autumn digging, organic fertilizers are applied (5 kg / m2 of rotted manure), and when digging, ridges are formed, on which the soil warms up faster in spring.
Basil has rather large plants, they are placed according to the scheme of 45 x 25-35 cm. When sowing seeds, the bed is laid out according to this scheme and 3 - 5 nut seeds are sown in each nest. After the emergence of seedlings, thinning is carried out.
Sowing is carried out only when the soil warms up to + 15 + 16 ° С. In areas with a temperate climate, it is advisable to plant this crop with seedlings, this will allow you to get an earlier crop of greenery, and, if necessary, full-fledged seeds. Seedlings are planted when the threat of frost has passed, simultaneously with pumpkin crops or 3 to 4 days later.
Growing basil seedlings is easy. In the second decade of March, seeds are sown in small boxes with fertile soil and planted to a depth of about 1 cm.
After germination, the seedlings dive. It is better to do this in separate pots.
Since when growing basil seedlings it is very important to avoid stretching them, pots-glasses with an area in the upper part of at least 25 cm2 are selected for it.
Basil, and especially its seedlings, needs fertile soil. Seedlings with a lack of nutrients in the soil mixture develop poorly, and yellowness appears on the leaves. To feed the seedlings, a complex mineral fertilizer is used.
The first feeding can be given in the first true leaf phase. Basil care is usual - loosening, weeding, watering. 10-12 days after sowing, fertilizing is carried out with a complete mineral fertilizer.
Greenery harvesting can begin when the plants reach a height of 10-15 cm (more than 4 pairs of leaves). The ends of the shoots with several pairs of young leaves are the most tender and fragrant part of the plants at any age, so it is advisable to cut off the top of the shoots. At the same time, it is very important to leave at least two pairs of leaves intact, which synthesize a sufficient amount of plastic substances to support the remaining root system and form new shoots.
Loosening, abundant watering and top dressing with complete mineral fertilizer (20 g of ammonium nitrate, 50 g of superphosphate and 30 g of potassium chloride per 10 litres of water) will allow the plants to grow faster. Regular cutting (2 - 3 times per summer) and proper plant care ensure a good harvest from several plants.
If by autumn large healthy basil plants remained on the site, which were not allowed to start flowering by regular cutting, they can be carefully transplanted into a flower pot with a large clod of earth in order to have fresh greens in autumn and winter. Plants after transplantation are cut at a height of 5-8 cm from the base, put in a bright place and watered regularly.
* Basil is one of the most popular herbs.
Basil (Ocimum basilicum) has many species, subspecies and cultural variations. And they all differ from each other - in size, color, aroma. Its leaves are very small or quite large, with smooth or carved edges, and are green, green-violet or dark purple in color. And the flowers collected in inflorescences are white, pink, purple. Basil is considered to be native to Eastern India and Iran, where it has been grown for centuries as a spice and as a medicinal plant. Wreaths woven from it were found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs.
In Europe they learned about it much later. According to legend, in Jerusalem, at the Holy Sepulcher, this herb was found by Empress Helen, the mother of Constantine the Great. She was attracted by the unique aroma. Since then, for Orthodox Greeks, basil is not only a spice - they decorate churches and holy places with its branches.
There is undoubtedly something special in the basilica; it is not without reason that in the legends and traditions of many peoples of the world this plant is mentioned as a symbol of love, immortality and family happiness. Apparently, this is primarily due to its healing properties.
Basil leaves, roots and seeds are used in folk medicine to treat various diseases. In addition to the essential oil of complex composition, which has a strong bactericidal effect, it contains sugars, carotene, phytoncides, vitamins C, B1, PP, and rutin. But the aroma of the plant is especially appreciated - bright, strong, with different shades in different varieties: lemon, clove, mint, anise, pepper, camphor and others.
Basil can add a specific southern flavor to any dish. Especially in combination with cilantro (coriander). In oriental cuisine it is used fresh and dried. It is also widespread in Europe: in France, Italy, Greece, basil is added as a seasoning to vegetable, meat and fish dishes. Vinegar is infused on the twigs. And dried leaves along with rosemary are sometimes used instead of pepper. In addition, it is part of many spicy mixtures, including suneli hops.
* Basil is grown on light fertile soils, well warmed by the sun - in seedlings: the seeds are sown in a greenhouse or in pots on the windowsill, the seedlings are planted, the plants are watered moderately, and the greenhouses are regularly ventilated, since with high humidity the seedlings dry out. They are usually planted in open ground after June 10, when the soil has warmed up well and there is no longer any fear of frost.
Basil does not require special care - just remove the weeds and loosen the soil. However, very often in Estonia it still lacks warmth, grows poorly and looks weak. Therefore, if the summer is not hot, then it is better not to replant it in the ground, but leave it in a greenhouse - between peppers and cucumbers. In this case, the benefit is double: the basil grows to its full potential, and other plants, thanks to its phytoncidal properties, are protected from aphids and other pests. It is better to store the shoots and leaves of the plant, dried in the shade and ground into powder, in a hermetically sealed container in a dark place - then the aroma of the greenery will remain for a long time.
And if you want to have fresh basil all the time, then plant it on the windowsill in a regular flower pot...
