How many days after sowing basil sprouts and what should be the sprouts

Basil is a tropical plant that likes warmth and moderate humidity. The spice is grown from seeds or seedling method. If you chose the first option, it is important to know when the seedlings appear, how the seeds should look, what are the shelf life of the seed and some other subtleties.

How quickly basil rises after sowing

How many days do seeds germinate? It depends on light, watering, soil quality and seed. At a temperature of + 15 ... + 24 ° C the germination time is 10-14 days, and at + 25 ... + 35 ° C - 7-10 days.

Important! The spice seeds contain essential oils. It is they who prevent the rapid penetration of moisture into the seed and delay the appearance of the first shoots.

To speed up the germination time, before landing seeds are processed according to the following scheme:

1. Warm up to + 40 ° C on a heater or in the sun.
2. The seeds are laid out on multilayer gauze or cotton cloth, covered with it.
3. Place the cloth with seeds in a container and pour a little warm (+ 40 ° C) water.
4. Placed in a container in a warm place for 2 days, adding evaporated water 2 times a day at regular intervals.

After a few days in this mode, most of the seeds will hatch, and they can be planted in open ground or even more work on germination by placing them in a cloth soaked in a growth stimulator for an hour.

At home, where it is easy to maintain a stable temperature regime, optimal humidity and the greenhouse effect, covering the container with glass or film, even without preliminary soaking, the first shoots appear on the 5-8th day.

How basil rises

Basil loves warmth and sun regardless from the variety, and is also afraid of strong winds, so it can be grown in:

• a house or apartment all year round, for example, on a windowsill (in winter - with additional lighting);
• the greenhouse, when outside it is sunny and the temperature is about + 10 ° C;
• open ground in a sunny, windless area and only when the temperature is at least + 15 ° C.

As shoots emerge, they determine which ones to leave and which ones are better to reject. Signs of a healthy sprout:

• the shoot is elastic and strong;
• the stem is green or lilac, and the leaves at the initial stage in all varieties green;
• cotyledonous leaves are in the form of semicircles and are located in the same plane;
• after 2 weeks, real leaves appear with a shape and color corresponding to the plant variety.

Heap growing shoots are thinned out, weak shoots are removed. In order for the plant to give a bountiful harvest, it is pinched over 6-8 real leaves and the inflorescences are removed in a timely manner, if any.

Seed germination

Seed germination depends on a combination of factors, including:

1. Freshness and quality of seed. The shelf life of selected seeds is 3-4 years on average.
2. The seeding depth, which should not exceed 1 cm. The deeper the grains are planted, the more difficult it is for them to break through to the surface.
3. Ambient temperature. The warmer, the better for the plant.
4. Sunny or cloudy weather. For good germination, sunny days must prevail.
5. Wind protection. The better the beds are protected from the wind, the better the plants will feel.
6. Watering mode. In hot weather, the ground is watered at the base of the basil at least 2 times a day.
7. Plant variety.
8. Soil density. In solid soil, it is difficult for seeds to hatch and develop, so the soil must be loose, and the surface crust must be loosened between waterings.
9. Soil acidity. The best option is slightly acidic soil.
10. Saturation of the soil with nutrients. A moderate organic fertilizer content is required.

If there is an excess of organic fertilizers in the soil, some of them enter our body along with food and negatively affect the condition of the kidneys and liver.

Germination percentage

For basil, the germination rate is considered to be about 60%.

At home, you can check how many seeds will germinate:

1. Take a small amount of seeds, put them on a damp cloth, fold it in 2-3 layers and place on a saucer with a little water.
2. Cover the top with the same saucer or lid to size and place it all in a plastic bag.

If such a greenhouse is kept at a temperature of about + 20 ° C, the seeds will hatch in 7-10 days. Then the percentage of germination will be easy to calculate.

So, if 6 of 20 seeds hatch, this is 30%, the minimum threshold at which it is advisable to use seeds for planting. If the germination percentage is even lower, the seed batch is rejected.

When sowing, the percentage of germination is taken into account and 2-3 times more seeds are sown to get the required number of shoots.

Attention! Planting a basil on the same site for several years in a row is not allowed.

Conclusion

Basil's growing conditions are determined by its natural growing environment. To successfully grow a spice, it is necessary to create conditions close to the usual plant: a lot of heat, sun, sufficient moisture, loose and nutritious soil and calmness. Also important are the quality of the seeds and their storage period.

Knowing the nuances of basil germination, you can achieve the fastest possible emergence of strong shoots and a high yield of your favorite spice.