Many today are seeking to create a spicy garden on the windowsill. It is both a hobby, a decorative element of the kitchen, and a constant source of fresh greenery for food. Basil is wonderful for this purpose, but you need to know that this overseas guest is very picky.
Varieties of basil for growing on the windowsill
In general, in order to organize a basil vegetable garden on a windowsill, any variety will be suitable, but it is preferable to choose short and bunched.
- Vanilla aroma is a medium early variety (50-60 days from germination to edible greens), leaves are dark purple with a vanilla scent.
Basilisk - an early ripe grade (46-50 days), suitable for pot culture. The plant is green, compact, 18-20 cm tall. It has a clove-pepper aroma.- Clove fragrance is an ornamental plant with small green leaves and clove odor.
- Aniseed gourmet - mid-season variety (60 days), a rounded green plant with small ovate leaves and aniseed aroma.
- Mint gourmet - early ripe variety (45-50 days), with abundant dark green glossy leaves and menthol aroma.
- Marquis - mid-season variety (65 days) for pot culture. The leaves are oval with rare teeth, green, the smell is clove-pepper.
- Compatto is a mid-season variety (60 days) with a height of 20-30 cm, leaves are small and green, with pepper aroma.
- Freshness - mid-season green variety (55-60 days) with lemon flavor.
Basilisk - an early ripe grade (46-50 days), suitable for pot culture. The plant is green, compact, 18-20 cm tall. It has a clove-pepper aroma.Did you know? Ukrainian folk names of fragrant basil: fragrant cornflower, fragrant cornflowers, cornflower, cornflower, church cornflowers. "Cornflower" in the Russian language is a plant from the genus Astrovye, in Ukrainian - "voloshka".
Soil selection
Basil loves light, fertile, well-drained soil. For growing basil in a pot, it is easier to buy ready-made soil in a specialty store, but ordinary garden soil is also suitable if it is enriched with mineral fertilizers. Purchased or garden soil before planting should be calcined in the oven at a temperature of 100-120 ° for an hour to prevent the occurrence of pests. It is possible to independently prepare a substrate from one part of humus and two parts of peat or coconut fiber, it must also be watered with liquid mineral fertilizers. 
Important! Basil is a southern culture that needs appropriate conditions. Land in which seeds are sown should not be cold.
Basil Growing Tank
For growing basil at home, a pot with a depth of at least 20-30 cm or an oblong flower box will do. It is necessary to take into account that in the future the sprout will turn into a bush, and there should be enough space for it. Seeds are planted either in the main pot, or in small containers (cups), from where sprouts are transplanted when 2-3 leaves appear.
At the bottom of the pot or box must lay out the drainage layer of expanded clay, pebbles or broken bricks with a thickness of 2 cm.
Did you know? In Europe, green basil is more common, it is a popular ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine. Violet basil is more common in Asia, its sharper smell is appreciated in Eastern cooking.
Presowing seed preparation
The optimal time for sowing seeds - the beginning of March. In order to speed up the emergence of seedlings, it is recommended to soak the basil seeds before cultivation for a day in a gauze moistened with growth stimulant or simply in warm water. You need to change the water every 12 hours or earlier. Seed disinfection is carried out by two-hour soaking in manganese solution. Dry the seeds with a paper napkin.
Sowing Basil Seeds
The soil must first be well moistened. Sowing basil takes place at a depth of 1 cm. Between seeds, it is recommended to leave a distance of about 7 cm. The container is covered with a film and left in a warm place until the first shoots appear.
Conditions for germinating seeds
The optimum temperature for germination is 20-25 ° C. The film must be periodically opened for ventilation and easy spraying. Seedlings do not need watering. In such conditions, seedlings appear in about 10 days. When the seedlings grow to 5-7 cm, another 2-3 cm of soil can be added to the pot to strengthen the young shoots.
Did you know? In some central regions of Mexico, basil is placed on a shop window. It is believed that such an action reflects the state of the business: if the owner takes care of the basilica, then he is executive and just as well watching his work.
Rules care for basil at home
Temperature. Basil feels good at a temperature of + 16-25 ° C, does not tolerate drafts and low temperatures. On cold days, basil containers can be wrapped in plastic.
Shine. In the warm season, the basilica has enough natural light, but in the fall and winter it will need artificial lighting up.
Watering. Basil loves moderate moisture. Water the plant with separated water every day, it is better to do it in the morning. In the summer heat, watering is done even in the evening; spraying with room-temperature water from a spray bottle will not interfere either. Loosening the soil. It is time to start this process when the basil sprouts are strengthened and grow by about 5 cm. Once every few days, you need to loosen the soil around the plants so that it can be enriched with oxygen. For plants grown indoors, this is an important factor.
Top dressing. For feeding basil suitable universal fertilizer with humus, which is used for indoor plants. Once a month you can add 1 tsp. Fertilizer "Agrolife" on the ground surface.
Important! When the plant has flower stalks, they should be cut off immediately. Greens will be more fragrant and plentiful, and the plant itself will grow longer.
Harvesting
The first green basil can be cut in a month and a half. The upper leaves are carefully cut off, leaving at least three. When the basil appears three tiers of leaves, pinch the top, cutting off the top of the stem. This manipulation restricts growth, the plant begins to thrive abundantly, forming lush foliage. But some recommend this not to do so as not to harm the plant.
After cutting the basil leaves grow quickly, then it is desirable to make a top dressing.
Dried basil for the winter is very simple: you need to spread out the leaves in a thin layer in a ventilated place, where there is no direct sunlight. Dried leaves have a characteristic smell and taste, they can be crushed into powder. Spice is kept in hermetically sealed glass jar for several years.
Important! When cutting greens, always leave 4 leaves below so that basil does not begin to stretch upwards, losing yield.
Another way to grow basil in the house: basil from cuttings
In addition to growing basil from seeds, there is another way - grafting. Propagation of basil in this way is easy: the top of a plant or a young shoot of 7-10 cm in length is placed in a container with water before the formation of roots. Next we plant the stalk in the pot and after a few weeks we can already cut the first greens.
If you follow certain rules, basil on the windowsill will delight you with fresh greenery and decorative appearance all year round.
