Vegetable garden all year round: is it possible to plant basil before winter and how to do it correctly

Basil is a heat-loving herb that is popular among chefs all over the world. The need for it continues all year round. The fragrant plant is planted as seedlings in the winter and on the site in early summer. To use the spice throughout the year, starting in early spring, many gardeners plant basil for winter.

Is it possible to plant basil before winter?

Since basil is a heat-loving, delicate plant, planting seeds in open ground before winter is possible only in the southern regions, where winters are warm and snowless.. Autumn plantings are insulated for the winter. In spring, with the establishment of warm weather, seedlings appear.

In other climatic zones, winter plantings of fragrant spices are done only at home. In garden plots in winter, a heat-loving crop will not withstand soil temperatures dropping to sub-zero values. Therefore, the best option is to sprout basil at home.

Advantages and disadvantages of winter sowing

The advantages of winter sowing include:

• getting greenery in early spring;
• easier care when growing at home;
• containers with crops are easy to move to a suitable place;
• Basil sown in open soil in the southern regions undergoes hardening in the soil.

Disadvantages of winter sowing:

• if the temperature drops significantly, the basil grown on the site may die;
• If there is insufficient sunlight in early spring, the seedlings will be elongated and thin.

Suitable varieties

The most common varieties for winter cultivation include:

1. Vegetable basil Marquis - mid-season cold-resistant variety. The ripening period is 55-60 days. The variety is distinguished by an abundantly branched, semi-spreading bush with a strong, erect stem. The height of the bush is 22-25 cm. The leaves are rich green, small, smooth, and elliptical in shape. The edges of the leaves are slightly toothed. The flowers are white. The weight of the bushes reaches 140-150 g. The yield of vegetable basil is 1.3-1.5 kg/m². The variety is characterized by a strong peppery-clove aroma. Approved for cultivation in all regions of the country.
2. Clove - an early ripening variety, 35-40 days pass before the first cutting. The bush is compact, well-leafed, height 30-37 cm. The leaves are bright green, elongated, serrated edges. The flowers are small, white, collected in clusters. The leaves exude a clove aroma with notes of anise. The variety is grown by seedlings in a greenhouse and transplanted into open ground in June. When grown at home, flowering continues all year round.
3. Yerevan (Mexican) purple - basil that has the aroma of freshly brewed tea with notes of allspice black pepper. This is a high-yielding variety, yielding up to 3 kg/m². The growing season lasts 140-150 days, which allows you to cut the leaves 2-3 times per season. The strong aroma of purple basil is not tolerated by mosquitoes and midges. Planted near the house, Yerevan basil serves as a good remedy for repelling blood-sucking insects.

Thanks to regular removal of flower stalks and pinching of young shoots, the plant turns into a well-leafed, strong bush. The variety is used fresh, as a seasoning for salads. The combination of purple leaves and pink flowers looks beautiful when decorating lawns.

Landing dates

In warm climates and mild winters, autumn sowing of spices in open ground is carried out in October-November. For home cultivation in all other regions, seed planting begins in December, and the resulting seedlings are planted in greenhouses at the end of March - April.

Young bushes are planted in open ground at the end of May - June, when the soil warms up to +15°C and the threat of return frosts disappears. The timing of planting depends on the weather conditions of the growing region.

Preparation of planting material and soil

For planting basil, choose long plastic containers, wooden boxes, flowerpots. The container should be 25-28 cm high and spacious so that the basil bushes do not obscure each other. First, a drainage layer of expanded clay is poured onto the bottom of the containers, then fertile, light soil.

Ready-made substrate can be purchased at garden centers or prepared independently. To do this, take garden soil, peat, humus, sand in a ratio of 1:4:1:1. To disinfect the substrate from pathogens and parasitic insect larvae located in it, it is heated in the oven for 30-40 minutes.

Before planting, seeds are soaked for 3-4 hours in warm water to dissolve the essential oils covering the seeds. The presence of these oils will make it difficult for the seeds to germinate. Then the seeds are immersed for 1 hour in a pink solution of potassium permanganate to disinfect and eliminate pathogenic fungi.

Sowing technology

When planting in open ground before winter, the seeds are planted dry, without soaking, since the wet ones will freeze in the cold soil and lose their ability to germinate. If planting seeds is carried out at home, use treated seed material.

Seeds

When planting spice seeds in an open area before winter, make beds 2-2.5 cm deep so that the layer of soil does not allow them to freeze. The seeds are placed at a distance of 8 cm from each other. Leave a gap of 15-20 cm between the rows.

The soil is not watered so that the seeds do not germinate before spring; a layer of mulch is laid out on it. A shelter is made of agrofibre over the beds, stretching it over a frame installed around the site. This will create an air gap to prevent the seeds from freezing.

When grown at home, the seeds, processed and dried on a paper napkin, are placed in prepared containers with a nutrient substrate. Make grooves 1 cm deep in the soil, moisten with warm water, place seeds at a distance of 2 cm, and maintain a gap of 7-8 cm between rows.

The seeds are covered with a thin layer of substrate and compacted slightly by hand. The container is covered with transparent plastic film and moved to a warm, bright place. The best place for seedling germination is a windowsill, under which there are warm radiators. To eliminate condensation, the film is periodically lifted to provide air access.

Attention! To moisten the soil, use a spray bottle, since a stream of water will wash away a thin layer of soil and wash the seeds out.

After emergence of shoots, the film is removed. Seedlings continue to be grown on sunny windowsills or under LED lamps. Thickened basil plantings are thinned out, increasing the distance between sprouts to 8-10 cm. Weaker specimens are planted in separate peat pots, where they will gain strength for subsequent planting in greenhouses.

Through seedlings

The strengthened seedlings are planted on the beds in the greenhouse in early April. The seedlings are carefully removed from the common container along with the soil so as not to damage the root system. Each plant is placed in a separate moistened hole, deepened to the first lower leaves. A gap of 15 cm is left between seedlings, and 25 cm between rows.

The temperature in the greenhouse is maintained at +23…+25°C. The room is regularly ventilated. Water young plants with warm, settled water. Every 2 weeks they are fed with complex fertilizers. The introduction of nitrogen promotes rapid growth of green mass. For feeding, 15 g of urea is diluted in 10 liters of water. Water with a non-cold solution under the root.

The addition of potassium and phosphorus stimulates the active production of essential oils. Phosphorus-potassium fertilizing is carried out 15 days after nitrogen fertilizing. To do this, use the following composition: 20 g of superphosphate, 15 g of potassium sulfate are diluted in 10 liters of water. Mineral fertilizing alternates with the addition of organic matter. Prepare solutions of bird droppings, manure, and wood ash. After watering, the beds are loosened and weeds are removed.

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Further care

Basil is planted in open ground in early June. A sunny area is allocated for the culture. The soil is prepared in the fall by digging it up with the addition of wood ash, dry manure (1.5 kg/m²), superphosphate (40 g/m²), potassium nitrate (20 g/m²).

Watering is carried out in the morning with warm water. Periodic spraying of the leaves with a spray bottle is beneficial for the plant. Watering is carried out as the top layer of soil dries.Basil requires regular pinching to encourage the growth of additional shoots.

Important! After cutting off the apical shoots, the plant requires additional watering.

The crop is fed with organic matter: solutions of chicken manure (1:20), dry mullein (1:10). Fertilizing is carried out only on moist soil. During the growth of basil, weeds are regularly removed and the beds are loosened. The buds that appear are removed, as the greens begin to taste bitter when they bloom.

Protection from diseases and pests

The most common diseases of basil:

1. Yellowing of leaves - bright green leaves turn yellow. The reason lies in the lack of nutrients in the soil. The problem is eliminated by applying complex fertilizers.
2. Curling leaves observed with excessive watering.
3. Leaf fall occurs as a result of soil drying out.
4. Blackleg appears in conditions of waterlogging of the soil. The stem of the plant at the soil level darkens, becomes soft, and the plant falls. The affected sprouts are removed, the remaining ones are treated with a solution of copper sulfate (5g/2l of water).
5. Fusarium - appears as black dots on the leaves. The disease occurs in conditions of high temperature and high humidity. The leaves curl, turn black, and the stem gradually darkens. In the initial stage, the disease is treated with an infusion of onion peels (1:4), it is prepared for 24 hours, and the bushes are sprayed.

Dangerous plant pests:

1. Aphid - feeds on the juice of leaves and stems. Signs of its appearance are curling of the edges of the leaves, slow growth of the stem, sugary discharge on the leaves. To combat the parasite, infusions of garlic, onions, tomato tops, and yarrow are used. Treatments are carried out every 7 days.
2. Slugs - eat young shoots.To eliminate slugs, sprinkle grated eggshells and dry coffee grounds between the bushes.

The nuances of growing in a greenhouse and open ground

The conditions for growing basil in open ground differ from greenhouse cultivation. The microclimate of the greenhouse allows you to plant spices, regardless of the climatic conditions of the region.

In greenhouse conditions, the spice actively grows and develops, since it is not affected by differences in day and night temperatures.

The greenhouse allows harvesting throughout the year.

Basil planted in open ground needs shelter when the temperature drops at night. Its cultivation directly depends on weather conditions.

Harvesting

Basil begins to bloom in mid-July. At this point, the plant turns into a well-leafed bush.

The greens of the spicy plant are cut selectively. To do this, select the longest shoots with well-developed leaves. The apical part of the stem, 3-4 cm long, is carefully cut off with scissors. Pruning stimulates the bush to grow new side shoots. Thus, farmers harvest three times per season.

Spices are collected before flowering, since at this time the greatest concentration of essential oils and nutrients is concentrated in the leaves. Cut shoots are consumed fresh or dried for long-term storage. The greens are washed with water, tied into a bouquet with thread, and hung by the stems in a dry room.

Some housewives dry the fragrant plant in the oven for an hour at +40°C. The main thing is not to overdo it so that the basil does not lose its beneficial properties. The degree of drying of the leaves is determined by a slight crunch when squeezed.The dried spice is placed in a glass jar with an airtight lid and placed in a dry place for storage. The dried plant retains its aroma for a long time.

Conclusion

Basil is a popular healthy spice. Fragrant greens are added to salads, meat and fish side dishes. The need for fresh greens exists at any time of the year. Many gardeners have mastered winter planting of basil.

If you follow the correct cultivation techniques, the fragrant spice will produce healthy greens until late autumn.