How to plant basil for seedlings: the secrets of the pros. How and when to plant basil for seedlings at home When to plant basil for seedlings in

Basil is a favorite spice culture. It is added to meat dishes, soups, salads, desserts, when pickling vegetables. Due to the compactness of the bush, various shades of leaves, it is used to decorate the site. Decorated with pink, white, white and purple flowers, basil looks great among garden plantings. Fragrant greens growing close to berry bushes repel insect pests. To get early greens, it is grown through seedlings. Knowing how to plant it correctly, you can achieve excellent results.

To get early greens, it is grown through seedlings.

Sowing dates

Sow basil at the end of March. 35–50 days after germination, seedlings are planted on the site.

Soil selection for planting

The soil is used light, loose, without lumps. You can buy ready-made soil mix. It is shed with a solution of manganese or Fitosporin. If you prepare the earth mixture yourself, you should steam it for 1 hour. The soil should consist of peat, compost and sand (4:2:1).

Soil for basil seedlings can be prepared by yourself

Basil does not like waterlogging. To avoid stagnant water, expanded clay, crushed polystyrene with a layer of 3 cm are laid out at the bottom of the tank.

Drainage is laid at the bottom of the tank

Selection of containers

For growing seedlings, shallow containers (up to 7 cm) with a pallet are used. However, it is preferable to immediately plant the seeds in separate cells, since when grown in a common container, followed by a pick, the seedlings will take an extra week to adapt to new conditions.

Shallow containers with cells are suitable for growing seedlings.

Advice! It is better to use peat pots. When transplanting into the ground, the plant is planted together with the container, without damaging the young roots.

Seed preparation

For better germination, the seeds are kept in a solution of a growth stimulator - Zircon. Then let them dry a little.

Basil is grown from seeds

Seeds in the shell are wrapped in gauze and placed for an hour in water or for 15 minutes in a solution of hydrogen peroxide.

Seeds are disinfected before sowing

How to plant at home: a step by step process

Pots with sown seeds are placed in a greenhouse

Moisture, heat and air access are the main conditions for seed germination. The greenhouse is regularly ventilated, condensate is removed, and watering is carried out.

Sprouts will appear in 7-14 days. Shelter is removed - high temperature is no longer needed. To prevent seedlings from pulling out, they withstand a temperature of + 16 ... + 20 ° С.

To prevent seedlings from stretching, maintain a temperature of + 16–20 degrees

How seeding is done: video tips

seedling growing conditions

It is not difficult to grow strong seedlings, providing it with favorable conditions: choose suitable soil and good seed material, observe light and temperature conditions, regularly water and fertilize.

You can grow healthy seedlings by creating comfortable conditions for them.

Lighting

Small seedlings are in great need of light. Basil does not grow well in areas with little sun exposure. Seedlings are placed on the southern windowsill and additional lighting is turned on, especially in the first five days. It is best to use Reflux lamps that are installed above the plants. They have a built-in mirror reflector that allows all the light to be directed to the plant. It is necessary to carry out supplementary illumination of seedlings until it is planted in the ground.

For additional lighting, lamps are installed on top

Watering

This crop is demanding on moisture, especially during seed germination. But basil is watered very carefully, once every 3-4 days. And only warm water. Make sure that the water in the pan does not stagnate. Waterlogging of the soil leads to the decay of the roots, increases the risk of black leg disease. After watering, be sure to loosen the earth.

Water the basil very carefully

top dressing

Basil is very responsive to fertilizers: the introduction of nitrogen contributes to the growth of green mass, phosphorus and potassium - increases the content of essential oil in the leaves.

7 days after germination, top dressing is carried out with a solution of ash (10 g / 1 l).

A week after picking, a solution of complex fertilizer is applied. After feeding, seedlings are watered with clean water from a watering can to prevent burns.

In the future, the plants are fed after each cut.

Dive

At the age of 20–25 days, when the first two true leaves grow, the seedlings dive into pots. Seedlings are not heavily buried, watered. Plants will take time to get used to the new environment.

When diving, seedlings do not deepen much

When sowing seeds in individual cells, the plants are thinned out as they grow.

After the appearance of 5-6 pairs of leaves, the top of the seedling can be pinched, which will allow the plant to bush and not form flower stalks for a long time.

Cutting greens can be carried out a month after sowing, by which time the plants will rise 10–12 cm in height.

Basil. Seedling in a snail - video

Possible problems with basil seedlings

Seedlings are practically not affected by pests, but under adverse conditions they can get sick, which will immediately affect their appearance.

Pulling

With a lack of light and heat, too dense planting, seedlings wither and stretch. It is necessary to move the plants to a warmer and brighter place, use additional lighting. Densely planted plants should be thinned out.

In adverse conditions, basil seedlings are pulled out

When pulling out seedlings, a long stalk is placed in a small depression next to the plant, sprinkled with earth, watered. Soon, small roots will appear on the buried part.

Blackleg

With excessive moisture or watering with cold water, seedlings may suffer from a black leg. The root neck becomes thin, blackens, the plant disappears.

The soil must be moderately watered with warm water and monitor the temperature regime.

To avoid such problems, plants are not planted too densely. Then they do not interfere with each other to develop, receive the necessary nutrition and light. To prevent the black leg, the soil is sprinkled with ash before watering, which not only disinfects the soil, but also nourishes it due to the content of potassium and phosphorus.

Yellowing leaves

Yellowing and drying of seedlings can be caused by a lack of trace elements. In nutrient soil, the plant has bright green leaves. You can correct the situation by adding Fitosporin.

Yellowed leaves - a signal that the plant needs to be fed

Spots on the leaves

Spots may appear on the leaves - this is a sunburn received by the plant when it is under too bright spring sun. It is necessary to shade young seedlings on a hot afternoon with blinds or curtains.

Healthy basil seedlings are stocky, with 4-6 true leaves and rich color typical of the species.

Strong basil seedlings ready for planting in the ground

2 weeks before planting, they begin to harden it in the fresh air at a temperature not lower than + 5–10 ° С.

Seedlings are planted on the site in late May - early June, when the soil warms up to + 15 ° C. Choose a place protected from the wind, illuminated most of the day. Planted at a distance of 30 cm from each other - for tall varieties, and 15 cm - for compact specimens.

At the end of May, seedlings are planted in the ground.

After planting, watering is carried out. Basil will quickly grow green mass.

This is a unique quote.

On a note. The ancient Romans considered basil a symbol of success: for prosperity and longevity, you need to use it as much as possible.

Basil grows quickly after planting in the ground

Growing basil seedlings requires attention, accuracy and patience. Only by creating the necessary conditions and carrying out preventive measures to protect against diseases, it is possible to grow strong, viable, healthy seedlings.

Basil is one of the most beloved and popular spices that came to us from distant India. Despite the fact that the homeland of the plant is a country with a warm climate, it can be grown in almost any region. In the southern regions, the spice can be sown directly in open ground, while in the northern and middle lane it can be planted with seedlings. Growing from seeds, as well as caring for the plant, is quite simple. Let's figure out how the basil is planted for seedlings at home.

Description of culture

Basil is known and loved by many for its spicy taste and vibrant aroma. It grows into a lush bush of medium size, sometimes reaching almost a meter in height. Being a southern plant, it loves heat and sun, does not tolerate cold. Loose soil with good drainage properties is best suited for planting so that water does not stagnate. Optimally - black soil and slurry.

Basil grown in Russia is an annual plant. Its root system does not lie deep, and the spice, along with the roots, is easy to remove from the garden and transplant into a pot. Planting basil for seedlings at home will not be difficult even for a novice gardener.

Regardless of the variety of basil, the time when to plant basil for seedlings is the same: March.

Flowering occurs in August, in place of white or pink small flowers, small black fruits later appear. The plant during flowering attracts pollinating insects, being a honey plant. Because often it is also planted in order to attract them.

Planting seeds for seedlings

If you want to get strong plants, you need to know how to plant basil seedlings correctly. You need to sow the seeds in the second half of March, two months before planting the plant in the ground. The spice is ready for transplanting into the beds 35-30 days after the shoots have appeared.

Prepare containers for planting seeds, on the bottom of which be sure to place a layer of drainage material. The seeds themselves, before sowing seedlings, must be soaked in water for at least three hours to remove the essential oil, which will prevent them from germinating. Buy ready-made or make your own earthen mix for planting basil. It should be loose and consist of:

• rotted compost (2 parts);
• peat (4 parts);
• washed sand (1 part).

Be sure to sift the resulting composition. After steam it in a water bath to destroy fungal spores and weed seeds that could be in the compost or humus. Store-bought seedling mix can be shed with a solution of potassium permanganate or an antifungal agent, such as Fitosporin.

How to plant basil for seedlings:

• place the earth mixture in prepared containers;
• compact it so that a centimeter remains to the edge;
• make small grooves and put seeds in them to a depth of no more than one centimeter;
• Lightly compact the top of the soil again and water gently.

Seeds should not be on the surface of the soil.

After that, cover the containers with a film, plastic bag or glass and place in a warm, well-lit place. This is necessary in order to create a greenhouse effect inside, which will allow seedlings to appear faster. On this, the sowing of basil for seedlings is completed, now it remains to wait for seedlings.

Seedling care and picking

Seedlings germinate ten days later at a temperature of 20-25 degrees. When the basil has risen, the covering material must be removed. In order to prevent young shoots from stretching, growing basil from seeds for seedlings takes place at a temperature of no more than 20 degrees. Waterlogging of the soil should not be allowed, the water in the pan after watering should not stagnate. Otherwise, black leg damage is likely, due to which all seedlings may die.

After the basil has a couple of true leaves, it can be dived. To do this, use the same mixture as when sowing, with the addition of two tablespoons of ash and a tablespoon per 5 liters of soil. Fill the containers for seedlings with this composition, make recesses in which you place the seedlings, carefully distributing the roots in the hole. Cover with earth and compact.

Often the question arises whether it is possible to deepen the basil when picking. No, this is a mistake, after picking the seedlings should remain at the same planting depth as the seedlings had.

The main care for seedlings is regular watering with warm water. When the fifth leaf appears on the seedlings, pinch it to prevent stretching and provoke the growth of foliage. Further, the seedlings are regularly watered with warm water until planting in open ground. Basils can be planted in the beds as early as May.

That's all the rules for planting basil for seedlings at home, following which you will get strong, healthy seedlings of your favorite spice.

The subtleties of sowing basil seeds for seedlings - video

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

Popular varieties of basil

• "Anise aroma" - such a name because of the bright anise flavor. It flaunts with its branched stems and spreading crown. It grows up to 50-60 centimeters.
• "Broad-leaved" - basil with large green leaves. Used fresh and dried
• 'Yerevan' has purple leaves and matures quickly. Twenty days later they are already eaten.
• "Lemon flavor" - thanks to its citrus aroma, it is widely used to flavor dishes, but the variety is rare.
• "Basilisk" - peppery-clove smell and taste. Early maturing. Grows up to 25 cm in height. "Philosopher" - purple foliage and clove aroma. Grows up to 30cm.
• "Troll" - small purple-green foliage. Grows up to 40 cm.

Preparation and sowing of basil seeds

Both the soil and the seeds need to be prepared. Self-prepared soil must be disinfected by heating in the oven for up to an hour, the soil purchased in specialized stores is being processed. Immediately before sowing, the soil is heated to room temperature and enriched with mineral fertilizers or humic concentrate.

In the prepared soil, grooves are made 0.5-1 cm deep with row spacing of 10 cm, prepared seeds are sown in them, the distance between the seeds should also be at least 7 cm. The grooves are sprinkled with earth, the soil is moistened and covered with a transparent film or glass to preserve moisture . The boxes need to be kept in a warm place, it usually takes 5-7 days for the seeds to germinate.

Care and harvest of basil

Approximately in the second week after planting the seeds, the first shoots begin to appear. At this time, the film can be gradually removed, and the temperature can be lowered to 20-22 degrees. Basil does not tolerate drafts - this must be taken into account when placing pots with seedlings on the balcony.

Basil is a very photophilous crop, and without sufficient heat and light, its cultivation at home is impossible. But how to grow basil on the windowsill if the windows of the house face north, and also in winter, when daylight hours are very short? In this case, you will need additional lighting with the help of special lamps or other lighting devices. Basil needs at least 15 hours of light daily to grow normally. If it is impossible to provide such conditions, it is better to sow the spice no earlier than February.

Further cultivation and care of basil at home consists in regular watering and loosening the soil. Young plants should be watered daily in the morning, in extreme heat, you can additionally water in the evening. Water for irrigation should be relatively warm (about 30 ° C). Loosening is carried out 1 time / 2 weeks. With the advent of lateral shoots, the plants must be fed with an organic complex mixture.

After a few weeks, the young plant will turn into a fragrant bush, from which you can harvest the first crop. For use in food, it is recommended to pluck the tops of young shoots. So the plant will branch better and will not be able to bloom - a blooming basil bush is unsuitable for consumption.

3 Alternative Ways to Grow Basil in Pots

1 All the same method, but with the germination of seeds in a temporary container and with subsequent picking into a permanent one

In our instructions, we talked about sowing seeds immediately into a permanent pot, which is convenient because the plant does not need to be replanted after the first shoots. But if for the first 1.5 months you don’t want to clutter up the window sill with a large pot, then you can first sow the seeds in a small container (for example, in cups of sour cream) and only after reaching a shoot growth of 5-7 cm, transplant them into a big pot.

2 Transplanting basil from open ground to a pot

If you are growing basil in the garden, then you can simply transplant the young plant into a pot. Such a basil will bring a crop faster, but will not last long, as it will bloom soon.

3 Growing basil from cuttings

Another way to accelerate and simplify the cultivation of basil is by planting cuttings. To do this, you need to cut off the tops or side shoots from an adult plant (you can even buy basil), germinate them in water for 1-2 weeks (changing it every day), and then plant them in a pot. Such seedlings will give the first harvest in 2-3 weeks, but will last only 3-4 months.

cleaning basil

When the greenness of the basil reaches 10-12 cm, it can be removed little by little. The leaves are tied into bunches and dried, then finely ground and used as a seasoning for a variety of dishes.

Modern cooking is unthinkable without spices. This is an unconditional taste decoration of many dishes. Therefore, it is not surprising that the cultivation of herbs in home gardens has become a popular pastime. But not all of them can be planted immediately on the beds. Such a whimsical culture as basil is grown by seedlings.

Growing spicy leaves

Any cultivated plant needs constant care. But basil is considered especially demanding and behaves very biased towards soil and ambient temperature, although it has strong immunity.

To grow basil and get a good harvest, it needs to be given more time to develop, especially in the conditions of central Russia and Siberia. And here you can not do without a seedling method.

In central Russia, varieties such as Anise and Lemon have taken root well, the leaves of which have an interesting rich aroma, summer residents are happy to grow them for home-made spice mixtures and as an additive to tea.

Sowing dates

Sowing seeds for seedlings should be done approximately 5-6 weeks before the end of spring frosts. This is usually done in late March or early April. Someone will say: too early for the grass. But the fact is that the first three weeks, the basil develops very slowly, and he needs to have time to get stronger by May.

Capacity and soil

You can sow basil both in a common box and in separate pots. These can be peat tablets, peat or plastic cups, as well as seedling cassettes. But most often, in the old fashioned way, boxes are filled with planting mix.

In shape and size, the boxes are taken so that they fit on the windowsill of a window facing south.

The selected container is filled with soil, consisting of equal parts of vermiculite, peat and perlite or humus, sand and soddy soil. The soil is compacted a little, removing air pockets, and moistened with a nutrient solution of potassium chloride, potassium sulfate, superphosphate and urea (3–4 g of each preparation per five liters of water).

Landing stages

1. Before sowing, basil seeds are soaked in a weak nutrient solution of Epin, Zircon or humate.
2. For sowing basil seedlings, containers with a depth of no more than 6-7 cm with drainage holes are best suited.
3. A drainage layer of expanded clay or small pebbles is laid at the bottom of the containers.
4. Sow basil in a soil rich in peat or sand mixed with humus and garden soil.
5. Seeds are laid out on the soil surface 4–5 cm apart in a row, with a distance between rows of 10 cm, and covered with a centimeter layer of soil.
6. Crops are carefully shed with warm water and covered with glass or a transparent film.
7. Covered containers are placed in a warm place with a constant temperature of 20-25 ° C, crops are watered and aired daily.
8. A few days after the emergence of seedlings, the glass or film is removed from the seedling containers, the temperature is reduced by 3-4 ° C.

   Subject to all conditions, seedlings will appear on the fifth day, and seedlings will be ready for planting in open ground or a separate pot in about 40–50 days.

Video: sowing basil

The original way to get seedlings in the "snail"

This method is gaining more and more followers. It is also applicable for obtaining seedlings of basil.

1. Cut tapes from polyethylene or isolon.
2. Lay toilet paper folded in several layers on them, moisten with water with the addition of Epin or another similar agent, carefully tamp the ground onto this substrate.
3. It is necessary to lay out the seeds with an interval of 1.5–2 cm, stepping back at least 1 cm from the edge and from the top of the tape.
4. Top the seeds with another layer of toilet paper moistened with a spray bottle. Put another strip of polyethylene on it.
5. Now you can twist the snail roll.
6. After placing the snail with seeds in any suitable container and adding a little water, cover with cling film and put in a warm place. Shoots will appear in 5 days or even earlier. Immediately rearrange the "snails" in a bright place.
7. When there are 2-3 true leaves on the seedlings, you can carefully unroll the snail-roll and transplant each plant into a separate cup.

Video: growing basil in a "snail"

Features of care

The process of growing basil seedlings is not easy. Unlike sowing, it requires trouble and attention: the temperature and watering regimes must be constantly monitored. Basil is especially demanding on heat and moisture. A box with crops should be placed in a room where the average daily temperature does not fall below 20 ° C.

Watering

Watering should be after drying the top soil layer, but it should not dry out completely.

After the appearance of the first sprouts, when the covering material is removed, watering should be a little more frequent, as the moisture will evaporate more intensively. Watering should be twice a day, not allowing the soil to dry out.

picking

When the shoots reach 6 cm, they dive into a more capacious container.

When picking, do not bury basil seedlings. The planting depth should be the same as that of the seedlings.

A pot for a single shoot should be well-drained, as you have to water often, but if the water stagnates, the basil will get sick and die. It is best to moisten the soil under the pickled seedlings once a day, in the morning, so that during the day the water can be well absorbed and the excess evaporated.

Pinching

After the development of the fifth true leaf, the shoots can be pinched. The plant will branch, it will have more leaves, for which basil is grown.

At the moment when the basil seedlings begin to bloom, it is recommended to pinch off the flowers and a couple more leaves under the buds. The fact is that flowering provokes the plant body to hormonal changes, and this does not have the best effect on the taste of herbs and reduces the number of leaves. If the basil is allowed to bloom, the bush will stretch up, become lanky and almost naked.

top dressing

An important factor for obtaining a healthy basil bush is the fertility of the soil.

Basil seedlings need to be fed. In the phase of the very first leaf, mineral fertilizers are already applied, however, only if the shoots are sluggish, lifeless. To do this, potash, nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers are diluted in a liter of settled water by 3, 2 and 5 grams, respectively. The resulting mixture is consumed per square meter, and the remains are reused, in the fourth week of plant development. If the basil shoots develop normally, the seedlings need to be fed immediately after picking, then the basil is fertilized every 10 days.

Do not forget that the basil at the beginning of its growth develops very slowly, and in the future it does not grow as fast as in the open field, so do not rush it and fertilize it excessively. An excess of nutrients can be more detrimental than a starvation of a plant.

Difficulties of care

Caring for seedlings is a laborious task that requires a lot of effort and time, since young plants experience stress and can get sick from any sudden change in environmental parameters. But knowing what difficulties occur when growing seedlings, some problems can be prevented, and those that have arisen can be eliminated.

Plants are very elongated

When the plants do not have enough light, the shoots begin to stretch strongly, because the balance of soil and leaf nutrition is disturbed. An elongated plant is greatly weakened. In such cases, stop feeding and increase lighting.

Young shoots are also stretched when the temperature rises. Greenhouse conditions for grown seedlings, unlike barely hatched seedlings, are not needed. Basil grows well at an average daily temperature of 17–23 °C. If trouble occurs, lower the temperature and increase the lighting again. You can apply artificial lighting landings.

If planted too early, it can also stretch unnecessarily. Elongated seedlings of an already capricious culture require special attention, and this is extra labor. So it is better to observe reasonable sowing dates.

If the plantings are too dense or if the picking is late, the seedlings again stretch upwards, as in crowded shoots begin to obscure each other. Therefore, do not be greedy, sow basil at an acceptable distance according to the 5x10 cm pattern.

Busting with nitrogen fertilizers will also inevitably make the seedlings stretch. In this case, we lower the temperature, stop feeding and reduce watering.

Video: dive overgrown basil seedlings

Seeds don't germinate

Some growers of flower soil, which is often used for seedlings, may use herbicides to kill weeds. These chemicals can prevent seeds from germinating or inhibit the development of seeds that have already sprouted. Keep this in mind when purchasing soil. When buying seeds, you should carefully check the expiration date, old seeds often do not germinate at all.

seedlings fall

With frequent watering, troubles such as mold and rot can occur. This can be avoided by adjusting the density of plantings and increasing the intensity of lighting at the first sign of trouble. If waterlogging could not be avoided and the basil fell ill with a black leg, it is necessary to treat the plantings with a solution of copper sulfate, diluting a teaspoon of the substance in two liters of water.

Young shoots suffer from excess moisture precisely at the initial stage of their development; still fragile plants cannot resist the black leg. To prevent the disease, it is necessary to monitor the removal of excess moisture and not thicken the plantings. But we should not forget that basil seedlings suffer from drought no less than from the bay.

A common reason for the death of the lower roots of seedlings is spraying plantings, which does not moisten the soil to the desired depth, and in dry soil, young roots suffocate. Sprinkled soil gives the illusion of moisture, when in fact it is not. The soil should be evenly wet both outside and inside. If, nevertheless, a bay has occurred, then you can save the shoots that have not yet died by transplanting them into a new soil, having previously processed the roots in a solution of Fitosporin or manganese.

Often, bays occur when the drainage holes are clogged.

Plants stopped growing

Seedling growth retardation can happen if the roots of the shoots are damaged during picking. You can avoid this trouble by transplanting plants along with an earthen clod. When picking, air plugs sometimes accidentally remain near the roots, if it is bad to compress the soil around the stem. To avoid this, gently tamp the soil with your fingers and water generously. Often, plants are transplanted into a hole already filled with water, and then sprinkled with earth. This method also avoids airing.

Lack or excess of nutrients can stop the growth of seedlings. It is necessary to draw up a feeding schedule in order to fertilize on time and not overfeed your plantings. The use of high-moor peat instead of a soil mixture also leads to fading of seedlings.

The fact is that in such a substrate, plants quickly grow, and then, when the peat dries out, moisture does not linger in it, the seedlings die from drought. In such cases, the dried peat ball should be soaked in water, and then the seedlings should be planted in a nutrient mixture in which peat is only an integral part.

The origin of the basil is Asian. It still grows wild in India, Iran, and China. Presumably, the plant was brought to Europe by the troops of Alexander the Great from Asian campaigns, and now it is difficult to imagine European, especially Mediterranean, cuisine without this delicious-smelling and tart greens.

In addition to its use in cooking, basil has medicinal properties. It is very rich in essential oil and contains a high percentage of tannins. The composition of the plant includes B vitamins, vitamins C, A, PP, carotene, sugar. The essential oil contained in basil has bactericidal properties and is useful for disinfecting the oral cavity, it is used in the prevention of caries, strengthening the gums. It is a strong antioxidant, useful in protecting the body from environmental damage and protecting the body from cancer. Basil is also used in the treatment of respiratory and viral diseases, a decoction is used to treat coughs, remove mucus from the lungs and bronchi.

Basil is a heat-loving plant, but many of its varieties are adapted to our climatic conditions of the middle zone and are completely picky. Caring for this crop is not difficult at all, warm weather and abundant watering are enough. But still, not everyone manages to get a good harvest with lush green leaves, the smell of which dissipates far from the planting itself. It happens that several owners have seeds from the same store, and careful care, and abundant watering, and the weather conditions did not disappoint, but one collects basil in rich bunches, while the other has only thin stems with small, barely smelling leaves in the beds. What is the problem of insufficient harvest?

The meaning of the lunar calendar

Traditional signs are known that inform gardeners that the time has come to plant seeds for seedlings: increased daylight hours, the onset of heat. Recently, to calculate the time for planting seeds for seedlings, summer residents also take into account the lunar calendar and take this very seriously. The movement and relative position of celestial bodies have a strong impact on what is happening on Earth, and scientists are paying more and more attention to this. The knowledge gained gives a practical result that affects the yield of planted crops.
The lunar calendar is built on the basis of several parameters: the position of the Moon in the sign of the zodiac, lunar phases, lunar and solar eclipses. All of them, in the right combination, affect all processes on Earth, including the sowing of seeds. The lunar calendar has become a desktop calendar for gardeners and gardeners.

Favorable days for planting basil for seedlings

Auspicious days in the lunar calendar are the days when the growing moon is in the constellation of Sagittarius, Leo or Aries. Basil still prefers heat, so it is worth sowing seeds for seedlings no earlier than March-April.

Having studied the lunar calendar for 2019, there are several dates that are favorable for planting basil seeds for seedlings:

In March – 1, 3, 7, 8, 30.
In April – 4, 16, 22, 30.

There are not many days, and you need to prepare in advance in order to land on these dates. If you failed to do this for some important reason, do not be upset. Landing can be carried out on neutral days on the growing moon, the period of this phase of the moon is favorable for all creative actions, which, of course, is planting. Following the lunar calendar, you will not only get a good harvest, find harmony when working with plants in your garden, but also maintain a positive attitude and strength for further achievements.

Preparing basil seeds for seedlings

To plant seeds for seedlings on a certain day, you need to purchase seeds in advance, prepare the soil and a container for planting. The soil should consist of earth, humus and peat. Before planting, it can be fertilized with a solution of urea and superphosphate prepared according to the instructions.
Seeds are placed at a depth of 1-1.5 cm in the soil and lightly tamped, removing excess air. The seed germination temperature should be 23-25 ​​degrees. Shoots will appear in 7-10 days. The box with them should now be in a well-lit place. Over time, when 2 leaves appear on the stem, you need to thin out the seedlings, leaving only the strongest and healthiest plants.