Learn about the properties of basil and get tips on how to sow and grow this flavorful herb in your garden. Start growing basil for a fresh addition to your culinary creations!
One of the most widespread and cultivated aromatic herbs in our country is undoubtedly basil . This very fragrant plant is in fact used very often in Italian cuisine and is a representative flavor of Mediterranean nutrition, from Ligurian pesto to Caprese salad.Precisely for this reason we can find it as a vegetable garden plant, but also very often grown in pots on balconies and terraces, or even on windowsills.
The basil plant adapts very well to any type of container, although obviously it remains smaller if we put it in a small pot. Growing it is not difficult, it requires some precautions that we see below, other useful advice can be found in the guides on aromatic herbs of Orto Da Coltivare .
In terms of properties, this plant is a medicinal plant rich in benefits: in its leaves we find a good source of vitamins for our body and also magnesium. Basil has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, in ancient times it was widely used in pharmacies for this very reason.
Sowing operations
Basil must be sown every year, unlike many other aromatic herbs (such as thyme, rosemary and sage for example), which are perennial plants. This means that the plant must be sown every year, which will then die with the arrival of the first cold weather .
The best time to sow in the open field is late spring, you need to be very careful that the cold is completely behind you because late frosts could kill the young plants. If you sow in trays kept warm in a seedbed greenhouse we can start a few weeks earlier, gaining a bit of time and bringing our aromatic herb to the table a bit earlier.
The soil where basil is grown must be prepared with a medium-deep digging and refined with a hoe and rake on the surface. The soil where basil is grown must be prepared with a medium-deep digging and refined with a hoe and rake on the surface.
When working the soil, it is also a good idea to add a few handfuls of compost or other organic fertilizer, which provides the crop with nutrients and improves the soil by adding matter.
Soil quality, irrigation and location
The root system of basil is not very deep, a quality that allows it to adapt to all types of soil, from clay to sand, but which also makes it delicate and not very suitable for drought conditions. For this reason, it is often necessary to intervene by irrigating, we will have to be careful to avoid stagnant water, but in periods of extreme heat we will water our plants even twice a day, perhaps with a drip system, so as to save water and avoid wetting the leaves.
Basil loves light so we will be careful to place it where it can have good exposure that allows it to absorb the sun’s rays and not be covered by other plants, this improves the content of essential oils in the leaves and consequently the quality of the aroma obtained.
Improving treatments
To improve the quality of our plants, lengthen their growing cycle and increase their aromatic qualities, we can perform a light apical pruning to delay the development of the flowers, which take energy away from the production of leaves and therefore go against the interests of those who grow.
It is recommended to cover the soil with a natural mulch that will perform various functions from slowing down the emergence of spontaneous herbs, to a greater conservation of the soil quality, less subject to the effects of the sun or rain; alternatively it is recommended to carry out a weeding, useful to prevent spontaneous herbs from depriving our basil of nutrients and light.
Insect and disease treatments
In particular thermal and environmental conditions our basil could be a victim of Peronospora belbahri, a fungus that manifests itself with dark spots on the leaves. For this type of problem, prevention is necessary, guaranteeing the plant the right heat and as little humidity as possible.
Other basil diseases can be mold, for which heat and at most a solution of water and bicarbonate are needed. To defend ourselves from insects, it is better to avoid the use of chemical insecticides, we can instead experiment with various macerates of natural origin, such as nettle or garlic. If we use chemical synthesis products, such as pesticides or fungicides, we will no longer be able to pick basil leaves for several days.
Basil varieties
Basil is not just one type, we all generally know the classic Genoese one, with beautiful green leaves and a fine aroma, but there are also other varieties, characterized by different leaf shapes, flavors and colors. Some varieties are unusual and ornamental: for example, the Greek ball basil or the red basil. There are also types that have more exotic aromas, such as cinnamon basil and lemon basil, for those who want to amaze their guests they are excellent ideas.
Harvest
Basil leaves are always edible, so you can harvest them at any time during their life. Obviously, we don’t have to completely defoliate a plant, depriving it of photosynthesis; it’s better to just remove a few whole sprigs, or to prune some of them.
However, when winter is about to arrive, which would kill the basil, it is worth picking the leaves entirely, and this will be the occasion to chop them into an excellent pesto. Once picked, basil is generally consumed fresh, with drying unfortunately it loses most of its precious organoleptic and nutritional properties. Instead we can choose to freeze the leaves or prepare the pesto which can always be frozen.
Pot cultivation
Keeping basil in a pot is possible, indeed very simple, and allows you to have one of the most frequently used aromas in recipes directly at hand in the kitchen. If we choose a medium-small sized container we will have a double disadvantage: more frequent watering will be needed and the plant will remain smaller in size. For this reason, if possible, it is ideal to use pots of at least 25 cm in depth, where space allows.
Growing in pots differs from growing in the garden simply because it requires more water, since the soil is limited and the roots have no way of finding water resources on their own