How and when to plant basil seedlings correctly in the Moscow region

Basil is an aromatic and healthy spice. Its leaves are added to meat and fish dishes, desserts, teas and soft drinks. Many summer residents want to plant it on their plots, but the spicy relative of mint is very thermophilic. The culture grows wild in the subtropics of Asia, Africa and America. Basil is afraid of recurrent spring frosts and cold weather. In the Moscow region, it is grown through seedlings. Read about when to plant and how to care for a crop in our article.

When to plant basil for seedlings in the suburbs

It is better not to rush with the timing of sowing basil for seedlings. The time when you can start sowing depends on the selected variety and the method of growing (seedling or seedling).

In a greenhouse or at home

The heated greenhouse has the most favorable conditions for growing seedlings. There is constant warmth, light and humidity here. Sowing is carried out at the earliest possible date - March 15-23.

In a film greenhouse, basil is sown when the soil warms up - by the end of April-beginning of May.

Reference! The earliest basil greens are obtained in the greenhouse. By May, the area occupied by a spicy crop may be needed for other vegetables (peppers, tomatoes), so basil seedlings are planted in open ground. If there is a lot of space, basil is left in the greenhouse as a crop.neighborby regularly cutting off the growing greens.

At home, sowing basil begins at the time recommended for the varieties:

• early (40-50 days) - in early April;
• mid-season (60-70 days) - in the second half of March;
• late (80-90 days) - March 5-12 (including 1 pick).

At home on the windowsill, the seedlings are not threatened by frost, but here the plants suffer from insufficient light. If you grow seedlings annually, the purchase of special phytolamps will be a useful acquisition that solves the problem of pulling seedlings.

How to calculate the optimal sowing time

The average growing season of a plant (from sowing to harvest) is 130-150 days.

It takes 70-75 days to get seedlings ready for planting:

• 7-10 days - emergence of seedlings;
• 49 days - the growth and formation of the basil;
• 10-12 days - adaptation after a pick.

Therefore, the sowing time for regions with a warm climate (for example, in Lipetsk, Tambov regions) differs from the sowing time in central Russia.

Sowing with seeds directly into open ground in the Moscow region is possible, but the plants will not have time to form lush bushes, which means the harvest will be more scarce.

Preference is given to early-maturing varieties (for example, the Pearl of the Moscow Region). Sowing is done with dry seeds when the soil and air warms up - in early June.

Landing

Before sowing basil for seedlings in February, it is important to decide on the varieties and outline how they will be placed landing spices in the garden.

By the time of sowing, a comfortable workplace is organized in the room (on a free table or on the floor), seeds and soil are prepared.

Soil selection

A large assortment of ready-made soil for seedlings is sold in a flower shop, but if desired, it is easy to prepare it yourself.

To do this, take the following components:

• peat - 4 parts;
• humus - 2 parts;
• sand - 1 part.

Early and mid-season basil varieties are grown without picking... Individual containers are chosen for them: pots with a diameter of 5-8 cm, cups from dairy products or peat tablets. Late varieties of spices are sown in boxes or low containers.

Any soil (purchased or prepared independently) needs disinfection. To do this, take a strong solution of potassium permanganate and shed the prepared soil 2-3 hours before sowing.

Seed preparation

While the cultivated land is "resting", it's time to start preparing the seeds. They are poured out of the package and soaked in a growth stimulator ("Epin" or "Zircon"). Dosage - 2 drops / 100 ml of water.

The process of germination of the culture is also accelerated by warming up the seeds for 20 minutes to a temperature of + 40 ° C in a preheated electric oven with a temperature sensor or on a hot battery. After the seeds are allowed to cool down and sowing is started.

Sowing seeds

Before sowing, pots and other containers are washed and disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate.

All technology boils down to the following activities:

1. At the bottom of the planting tank, drainage is laid in the form of expanded clay or broken brick with a layer of 1-1.5 cm.
2. The container is filled with soil. There should be a distance of 2-2.5 cm from the edge of the container to the surface of the filled earth.
3. The soil surface is lightly tamped by hand and moistened with a sprayer.
4. When sowing in a common container, shallow grooves are made using a ruler. The row spacing is 3 cm, the distance between the seeds is 2-3 cm.
5. If sowing is carried out in separate pots, then 2 seeds are placed in each.
6. From above, the crops are covered with the same soil with a layer of 0.5 cm.
7. After that, the soil is moistened with water from a spray bottle.
8. The containers are covered with foil to create a greenhouse effect and transferred to a warm place with a constant temperature of 22-24 ° C.

It is important to water crops only with warm and settled water. Cold slows down the emergence of seedlings and negatively affects the health of the thermophilic basil.

Attention! Seedlings will appear on the 7-10th day.

Seedling care

Young seedlings are afraid of drafts and temperature fluctuations. In the first weeks, seedlings grow slowly. This is normal and is due to the physiological nature of the culture.

To get healthy seedlings, she needs care and attention:

1. The seedlings are provided with daily ventilation: in the morning and in the evening, remove the film and leave the crops completely open for 20 minutes.
2. When shoots appear, the film is completely removed.
3. At the stage of growth, the level of light is very important for seedlings. In March-April, the basilica lacks daylight hours. Turning on phytolamps for 2-3 hours (from 6.00 to 8.00 and from 18.00 to 20.00) over the seedlings will solve the problem of light deficiency.
4. When the plants have a second pair of true leaves, they start picking. Before the procedure, the container with seedlings is moistened. Young plants are planted in individual pots. The soil mixture is used the same as for sowing seeds.
5. After the pick, the plants are regularly watered and sprayed.
6. If they are healthy and grow normally, a week after the pick they are fertilized with complex mineral fertilizer. For example, nitroammophos. The recommended dose for the preparation of the working solution is 5-7 g / 1 l of water.
7. When 5-6 leaves appear, the growth point is pinched so that the plant begins to bush.

By the time of planting, with proper care, basil looks like a neat lush round bush.

When to plant in open ground in the Moscow region

Basil seedlings cannot stand frosts (they die immediately) and a sharp cold snap. Plants stop growing and start to hurt.

In the regions of central Russia, basil is planted in open ground only when the threat of return frosts has passed. In the Moscow region it is mid-May - early June.

It is interesting:

How to properly prepare basil for the winter at home in different ways.

How to properly freeze basil for the winter: a selection of the best ways.

The best ways to store basil for the winter at home.

Conclusion

Adult basil bushes do not require complex care measures from the summer resident. It is enough to water on time, feed the plant, weed weeds and harvest.

The main secret of the success of growing this greenery in the Moscow region is to correctly determine the planting time and the place where the basil will grow. Having picked up varieties with different colors of foliage, you can decorate garden plantings by turning ordinary beds into a vegetable flower garden.