Variety of green vegetable basil "Tonus": growing from seeds for beginners

Basil is not only a medicinal plant, but also a favorite spice of many culinary experts. To grow it at home from seeds, you must choose a suitable variety (for example, Tonus) and follow the rules of agricultural technology; then even a novice gardener can do it. We will talk about the rules of sowing and care in the article.

Everything about the Basilica Tonus

Basil Tonus is an annual herb with a spicy flavor... It has green, succulent leaves and white inflorescences. It is a mid-season variety that ripens within 76 days (from first germination to flowering). Belongs to the Lamb family.

History of origin and distribution

Asian countries - Iran, India, Sri Lanka - worshiped basil. It was believed that a spicy aroma is able to lead the deceased to the afterlife. In European countries, they treated this plant with fear, believing that it was cursed.

It took several centuries for basil to be appreciated and grown in Europe. In the 16th century, Greece was the first to surrender, then Italy and France. The seasoning was added to meat dishes, drinks, desserts. Fragrant basil gained fame and became a symbol of family well-being and fertility.

Basil Tonus was first cultivated in northwestern Italy, near the city of Genoa. From the place of origin, it got its other name - Genoese basil.

Differences from other varieties

The main distinguishing features of the Tonus variety are:

1. Bright green leaf color... Most varieties are violet, black-violet, or purplish-violet.
2. Soft taste, thanks to which it is used in cooking for the preparation of sweet dishes. Purple varieties have a pungent, full-bodied flavor and are used as a condiment to meat dishes and fish.
3. Delicate scent... The tonus is used for the preparation of refreshing drinks. Other varieties have a pungent odor.

Advantages and disadvantages

The main advantages of the Tonus variety:

1. Pleasant aroma and soft taste.
2. Growing from seeds and seedlings will not be difficult for both experienced and novice gardeners.
3. The small size of the bush allows you to grow a plant on a windowsill and always have fresh greens at hand for preparing various dishes, pickles, drinks, rolling for future use.
4. Easy to use for making face masks, add to hair rinse decoction.

Disadvantages of the Tonus variety:

1. Due to its mild taste, it is not suitable for cooking spicy dishes.
2. The plant does not like strong moisture and heavy soil.
3. Poorly tolerates temperature changes, especially in early spring.

Feature and Description

Vegetable basil Tonus reaches a height of 35-50 cm... The plant has medium-sized light green leaves with finely toothed edges, reaching a length of 5.5-7 cm. It grows as a neat spreading bush oriented vertically.

Basil Tonus has a delicate, spicy aroma. Leaves with a soft, slightly tart taste.

Features of the chemical composition

Basil is rich in chemical elements. 100 g of green leaves contain vitamins and minerals:

• A - 264 μg;
• B1 - 0.034 mg;
• B2 - 0.076 mg;
• B4 - 11.4 mg;
• B9 - 68 mcg;
• C - 18 mg;
• K - 414.8 mcg;
• PP - 0.902 mg;
• potassium - 295 mg;
• magnesium - 64 mg;
• sodium - 4 mg;
• phosphorus - 56 mg;
• manganese - 1.148 mg;
• copper - 385 mcg;
• iron - 3.17 mcg.

The calorie content of fresh basil is 23 kcal per 100 g of product.

Persistence

The variety tolerates air temperatures above + 25 ° C well... Resistant to fusarium and gray rot. The spicy scent repels various pests such as caterpillars and spider mites. Therefore, gardeners try to plant basil next to other plants on the site, using its aroma to protect them.

On a note! At temperatures above + 20 ° C, basil does not bloom for a long time - this is a characteristic feature of the Tonus variety.

Application area

The main area of ​​application of the plant is in cooking. Aromatic spice is used:

• as a seasoning for meat and fish dishes;
• as an ingredient in refreshing drinks;
• when baking sweets, cakes;
• for pickling and pickling vegetables.

Contained in the basilica essential oils have been successfully used in hair care products... Vitamins saturate the hair follicle, accelerate hair growth, and prevent hair loss.

Basil oil prevents the formation of premature wrinkles, nourishes and moisturizes the skin, which is why it is added to skin care products.

Green basil - it is a natural antibiotic... It relieves toothache and menstrual pain.

Features of growing by seeds / seedlings

For strong basil seedlings Tonus practice growing from seed... No special preparation for germination is required.

In the ground

Sowing basil seeds in open ground begins in mid-April... Prepare the soil in advance from:

• compost - 4 parts;
• humus - 2 parts;
• river sand - 1 part.

Seeds are sown in moist shallow grooves up to 1 cm, sprinkle with soil and lightly slap with your hand. The distance between the holes is 5 cm. Cover with glass or dense polyethylene, creating a greenhouse effect. The first shoots will appear in 1014 days.

Important! The air temperature must be at least + 20 ° C.

In the greenhouse

When the first 2-3 true leaves appear, the seedlings dive and planted in a greenhouse. Care consists in timely watering. It is important not to allow waterlogging or drying out, since this will have a bad effect on the seedlings.

Grown up basil seedlings, after the appearance of 6-8 leaves, pinch... This stimulates the plant to release new green shoots.

Seedlings must be hardened 14 days before the planned planting in open ground... To do this, open the greenhouse for several hours in the daytime, provide fresh air. The air temperature inside the greenhouse is reduced by 5-7 ° C.

At home

If there is no land, basil is grown at home on a windowsill... Seed planting is carried out regardless of weather conditions in late February - early March.

For seedlings, you will need a small container, box or flower pot:

1. Basil seeds are pre-soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for germination sprouts and disinfection.
2. The seeds are sown in peat pots, sprinkled with earth. Sowing depth - 1 cm.
3. The soil is light, fertilized, fertile black soil.
4. When the first shoots appear, the peat pot is placed in a large container (box, flower pot) with drainage at the bottom in the form of small pebbles or expanded clay. Free spaces on the sides are covered with soil.
5. Placed on a well-lit windowsill and watered periodically.

The soil is loosened 2 times a week... When the bushes reach a height of 10-12 cm, they are cut and used in cooking. New shoots will appear in place of the cut ones.

Growing technology

For successful cultivation of basil at home basic care rules must be followed.

Optimal conditions

The most favorable conditions for growth:

1. The soil. The soil should be fertile, loose, moisture and air permeable. Sour, clayey, heavy soil is not suitable for basil.
2. Choosing a landing site. The plant loves open, well-lit areas.There should be no strong gusts of wind and prolonged exposure to sunlight. The interval between replanting in the old place is 5 years.
3. Air humidity - not less than 35%.
4. The plant does not develop well if the soil is very wet, but does not tolerate drought either.
5. They are planted in the ground only with the onset of stable warm days. Basil does not tolerate frosts, changes in night and day temperatures. The minimum temperature for disembarkation is + 16 ° C, the maximum is + 20 ° C.

Terms and rules of landing

Planting seedlings in open ground is carried out from late May to early June... A month before planting, it is necessary to prepare the soil - dig up and remove the rhizomes of herbs, add deciduous compost, humus.

Following actions:

1. Make small grooves or holes 35 cm deep.The distance between the seedlings is 15-20 cm, between the beds is 50-60 cm.
2. Pour the wells with warm, settled water.
3. Plant seedlings and sprinkle with earth, pressing down slightly.

It is recommended to plant seedlings in the evening or cloudy day.... Then young seedlings will root better.

Further care

Water the basil as the soil dries... Since the plant does not like too much moisture and stagnant water, in the summer, watering is carried out 2 times a week with settled warm water.

2 weeks after planting, the basil is fed "Nitrofoskoy" - 2 tbsp. l. on a bucket with a volume of 12 liters. A month after planting, nitrogen fertilizer is applied to stimulate the growth of greenery.

It is important to loosen the soil in a timely manner between the rows and under the bush. They do this after each watering the next day so that the soil does not become a crust and allows air to flow well to the roots.

For dense greens, it is recommended regularly pinch the upper shoots at the level of 6-8 leaves and remove new inflorescences.

On a note! The first greens are cut as soon as the shoots reach a height of 10-12 cm. New ones will grow in their place. During the season, the harvest is obtained from 3 to 5 times.

Possible problems, diseases, pests

If you do not follow the rules of care, basil will get sick:

1. Fusarium - brown spots on the leaves. The reason is that the soil is depleted. It is necessary to apply potash fertilizers.
2. Blackleg - the stem rots at the base. Appears from waterlogged soil. For treatment, they are treated with potassium permanganate or copper sulfate. The solution is prepared at the rate of 1 tsp. vitriol per 1 liter of water.
3. Gray rot - gray spots appear on the leaves, the stem becomes thinner. Processed with onion peel infusion.

Due to a decrease in air temperature to + 15 ° C or fluctuations in the night and daytime, the shoots are stretched in height, become weak, thin, the leaves become smaller.

Pests that pose a danger to basil - aphids and bedbugs... Aphids densely sit on the stem and leaves of the plant and suck out all the juice. This causes the leaves to curl, the plant stops growing and dies.

To combat bugs and aphids, use:

1. Ash solution... 300 g of wood ash is poured with hot water and boiled for 30 minutes. The resulting infusion is diluted in 10 liters of water and sprayed on the plant.
2. Tar solution... 100 g of tar soap is grated and stirred well in 10 liters of warm water.

Interesting on the site:

When to harvest and how to dry basil properly

What to plant next to basil and why is it important

Reviews of summer residents

How easy it is to grow basil from seeds will help you understand the feedback from people who are already successfully growing it.

Elena Ivanovna, Tyumen: “I don't have a summer cottage. But I grow basil on my windowsill in my apartment, right in a flower pot. I love to please my husband with delicious pastries in winter, I add a few leaves to the pie ".

Oksana, Moscow: “I planted basil in the garden. I bought seeds at the nearest store. I prepared the soil, sowed the seeds and covered it with glass. Only I don't have a greenhouse, so my husband made a homemade one: he bent arcs from thick wire and deepened into the ground. She covered the seedlings with foil.2 weeks after sowing, every day in the morning I open my mini-greenhouse so that fresh air strengthens the basil. I will be harvesting the first crop soon! "

Evgeniy, Tver: “My wife insisted on planting basil in the garden. He says it helps well against pests in order to protect other vegetables. I had to make deciduous compost and fertilizer, prepare the soil before planting. We planted small rows between cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers. Indeed, there are fewer pests, you see, the specific smell scares them away ".

Conclusion

It is not difficult to grow a variety of green basil Tonus. It is enough to follow the rules of sowing and care. Then fresh herbs will saturate the body with useful vitamins, regardless of the time of year and the weather outside.