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

Basil is a fragrant 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 heat-loving. In the wild, the culture grows in the subtropics of Asia, Africa and America. Basil is afraid of returning spring frosts and cold weather. In the Moscow region it is grown through seedlings. Read our article about when to plant and how to care for the crop.

When to plant basil seedlings in the Moscow region

It is better not to rush into the timing of sowing basil seedlings. The time when you can start sowing depends on the selected variety and method of cultivation (seedlings or non-seedlings).

In a greenhouse or at home

The heated greenhouse creates the most favorable conditions for growing seedlings. There is constant heat, light and humidity. 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 the 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 -neighbor, regularly cutting off growing greenery.

At home, sowing of 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, seedlings on the windowsill are not at risk of frost, but here the plants suffer from insufficient light. If you grow seedlings every year, purchasing special phytolamps will be a useful acquisition, solving the problem of stretching seedlings.

How to calculate the optimal sowing time

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

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

• 7-10 days – emergence of seedlings;
• 49 days – growth and formation of basil;
• 10-12 days – adaptation after picking.

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

Sowing 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 meager.

Preference is given to early ripening varieties (for example, Zhemchuzhina Podmoskovya). Sowing is done with dry seeds when the soil and air warm 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 landings spices in the garden.

At the time of sowing, a comfortable work place 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 you wish, 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 varieties of basil are grown without picking. Individual containers are chosen for them: pots with a diameter of 5-8 cm, dairy cups 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 spill 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 stimulant (Epin or Zircon). Dosage – 2 drops/100 ml of water.

The process of crop germination is also accelerated by heating 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. Afterwards, the seeds are allowed to cool and sowing begins.

Sowing seeds

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

The whole technology comes down to the following activities:

1. Drainage in the form of expanded clay or broken brick is laid at the bottom of the planting container in 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 poured earth.
3. The soil surface is lightly compacted by hand and moistened with a sprayer.
4. When sowing in a common container, shallow grooves are made using a ruler. Row spacing is 3 cm, distance between seeds is 2-3 cm.
5. If sowing is done in separate pots, then 2 seeds are placed in each.
6. The crops are covered with the same soil on top with a layer of 0.5 cm.
7. Afterwards, the soil is moistened with water from a spray bottle.
8. The containers are covered with film to create a greenhouse effect and transferred to a warm place with a constant temperature of 22-24°C.

It is important to water the crops only with warm and settled water.Cold weather inhibits the emergence of seedlings and negatively affects the health of heat-loving basil.

Attention! Shoots will appear in 7-10 days.

Seedling care

Young seedlings are afraid of drafts and temperature fluctuations. In the first weeks, seedlings grow slowly. This is normal and is explained by the physiological characteristics of the culture.

To get healthy seedlings, they need care and attention:

1. The seedlings are given daily ventilation: in the morning and evening, the film is removed and the crops are left completely open for 20 minutes.
2. When the shoots appear, the film is completely removed.
3. During the growth stage of seedlings, the level of illumination is very important. In March-April, basil does not have enough 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, begin picking. Before the procedure, the container with seedlings is moistened. Young plants are planted in individual pots. The soil mixture used is the same as when sowing seeds.
5. After picking, the plants are regularly watered and sprayed.
6. If they are healthy and growing normally, a week after picking, fertilize them with complex mineral fertilizer. For example, nitroammophoska. The recommended dose for preparing the working solution is 5-7 g/1 l of water.
7. When 5-6 leaves appear, the growing 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 do not tolerate frosts (they die immediately) and sudden cold snaps. Plants stop growing and begin to get sick.

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.

This 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 methods.

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

Conclusion

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

The main secret to 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. By selecting varieties with different foliage colors, you can decorate your garden plantings, turning ordinary beds into a vegetable flower garden.