Basil variety “Green Fragrant”: growing from seeds, characteristics and description

Basil is a world-famous aromatic plant that is widely used in cooking and folk medicine. Growing it in the garden will not be difficult if you familiarize yourself with the nuances of cultivation in advance. Read about growing from seeds one of the best varieties of basil - Green Fragrant.

Features of the variety

Green basil is an annual plant of the Lamiaceae family.. It was first grown in the Middle East and Asian countries.

Reference. In Europe, this aromatic culture appeared in the 4th century and almost immediately became widespread.

Externally, the plant has the following features:

1. The stems are 4-sided, 30-60 cm in height, although wild varieties reach 70 cm.
2. The leaves are oblong-ovate in shape, depending on the variety, colored green or deep purple.
3. Stems, leaves and calyxes are rough to the touch. They contain essential oils, which give the plant an unusual aroma.
4. Flowering occurs from July to September.

All varieties of basil are similar to each other, but green fragrant has its own characteristics.

Firstly, this crop is excellent for growing in open ground.

Secondly, the bushes quickly grow green mass, and the leaves are large in size and have a pronounced piquant aroma. The variety is actively used in cooking and canning.

Characteristics and description

Basil is valued not only for its spicy taste and aroma of allspice. The plant has medicinal properties.

The benefits of the spice are explained by its rich chemical composition.:

1. Greens contain vitamins C, PP, B2, carotene, ascorbic acid and phytoncides.
2. The leaves contain essential oil, which strengthens the immune system and increases the body's resistance to viruses.
3. Thanks to this chemical composition, basil calms the nervous system, stimulates digestion and improves the absorption of nutrients.

Basil was originally grown in warm climates, so it is quite demanding. to the temperature regime. At the same time, it is planted with both seedlings and direct sowing of seeds, but for the first time, young shoots will have to be covered with film.

The culture does not like excessive watering and marshy soils. If in general basil is resistant to diseases and pests, in conditions of high humidity it is affected by various rots and fungi.

Application area

Green aromatic basil is grown purely for culinary purposes.. Its flowering is not of particular decorative value, but the leaves are very large, tender and fragrant. Due to this, they are actively used in cooking, fresh and dried types

Reference. Other varieties of basil are grown not only as a spice. During the flowering period, the bushes are covered with panicles with small inflorescences, so the crop is considered decorative.

Advantages and disadvantages

Basil Green aromatic – mid-season variety, therefore, no more than 50 days pass from the appearance of the first shoots to harvest.

The advantages of this variety are considered:

1. Unpretentiousness. With proper care, the bushes are not affected by diseases and pests.
2. Easy to grow.The variety is suitable for open ground and for growing on a windowsill.
3. High taste qualities. The leaves of Green aromatic basil have a characteristic smell and pleasant taste, which is why this variety is most often used in cooking.

The disadvantages of the variety are minor. Basil does not tolerate excessive watering and waterlogged soils, so the site for planting it is selected especially carefully. You can get a rich harvest only on fertile soil with neutral acidity.

Growing technology

Basil is unfairly considered a capricious crop. It was originally grown in the south, but under certain conditions, the spice develops quite successfully in temperate climates. The main thing is to provide it with optimal conditions for growth and follow the planting rules.

Optimal conditions

In order for the bushes of Green aromatic basil to fully develop, they the following conditions are required:

1. Optimal humidity. The crop does not tolerate swampy and waterlogged areas, so it is planted in places with deep groundwater or on hills.
2. Temperature regime. The crop is considered heat-loving, therefore in temperate climates it is grown only by seedlings, and planting in open ground is carried out after the threat of return frosts has passed.
3. Light mode. For full development, basil needs intense lighting, so it is planted in open areas.
4. The soil. It should be light and high in humus. On poor soils, the culture develops much worse.

It is better to grow basil using the seedling method.. It allows you to quickly get well-developed bushes.

This cultivation method has its own nuances:

1. Seeds sown for seedlings at the end of March or beginning of April. They are embedded in the soil to a depth of 1 cm in a common container. For the first 10 days, the temperature is maintained at +25...+27°C, after which the seedlings are planted in separate cups.
2. Pots of seedlings are grown and hardened in a greenhouse. Hardening is carried out approximately a week before the intended planting in open ground. To do this, watering the plants is limited, and the room is regularly ventilated to reduce the temperature.
3. Planting in open ground is carried out in early June, when warm weather stabilizes. To give the plants enough space to grow and develop, they are planted at a distance of 25 cm from each other. The space between rows is 30 cm.
4. Planting is carried out in small holes up to 8 cm deep. 1 liter of water is poured into each hole, and the plant is transferred into the soil directly with a lump of earth and sprinkled with soil so that the young leaves and the central bud remain on the surface.

Further care

The success of growing basil depends not only on proper planting, but also on further care of the plant.

Note! Agricultural technology comes down to standard measures: watering, weeding, loosening and fertilizing.

Each stage of care is carried out taking into account these recommendations:

1. Watering. Young plants that have just begun to take root in the garden are watered daily, but in moderation. Stronger bushes do not need moisture as much. It is added as the top layer of soil dries. For irrigation, use warm (about +25°C) settled water.
2. Loosening and weeding. These procedures are carried out as needed. Weeds are removed regularly, and the soil is loosened after each watering or heavy rain.This procedure destroys the crust on the soil surface and stimulates the flow of moisture and nutrients to the roots.
3. Feeding. To actively increase green mass, basil is fed once a month. The first feeding is carried out 2 weeks after planting the seedlings in open ground. For this purpose, use a solution of “Nitrophoska” (2 tablespoons per 12 liters of water). For 1 m² of bed you will need 3-4 liters of ready-made solution. In the future, the same fertilizer is used, but about 3 weeks before harvesting, fertilizing is completely stopped.

Possible problems, diseases, pests

Green aromatic basil is not difficult to grow, as this crop tolerates replanting well and is resistant to drought and pest attacks.

But, if the rules of agricultural technology were violated or the crop was initially planted in the wrong place, problems may still arise:

1. Blue-red spots on the leaves. This indicates that the plants do not have enough nutrients. To eliminate the problem, extraordinary fertilizing is carried out using complex mineral fertilizers.
2. Leaves dry out or curl. This problem arises when growing spices at home. Drying leaves indicate that the room is too hot and dry. To eliminate the problem, the pots are moved to a cooler place, ventilated and the watering schedule is revised. If the leaf blades curl, it means the plant is suffering from a draft and needs to be rearranged.
3. The basil began to bloom. This is an absolutely natural process, but it degrades the quality of the leaves that are used for food. To preserve them, the inflorescences are simply cut off.

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What are the benefits of basil essential oil and how to use it?

Pests rarely attack Green aromatic basil due to its pronounced characteristic odor. The culture has immunity to diseases, but if the bushes are not properly cared for, some diseases develop:

1. Blackleg. Fungal pathology affecting seedlings. It occurs when watering too often and too much. The stem of the affected plant becomes thin, soft and turns black. It is impossible to save such a seedling, so it is simply thrown away.
2. Fusarium. Another fungal disease that occurs in conditions of high temperature and humidity. The stems of young plants become thin and brown, and the tops of adults dry out. If measures are not taken in time, the plant dies.
3. Gray rot. Dry spots of light brown color form on the lower leaves. Gradually they spread to the entire bush.

To combat gray mold and fusarium in the initial stages, use infusion of onion peel (1 part to 4 parts water). The product is infused for a day, and then filtered and sprayed on the plant.

If the disease progresses, use the fungicide "Fitosporin". 1.5 g of the drug (powder) is diluted in 1 liter of water and sprayed on diseased bushes.

Features of growing seeds and seedlings

In regions with a temperate climate in open ground, Green aromatic basil is grown only by seedlings.. In greenhouses and at home, direct sowing into the ground is practiced.

Reference. The advantage of the seedling method is that it allows you to quickly obtain developed bushes. But with direct sowing in the ground, it is easy to grow basil in a small greenhouse or on a windowsill.

Growing basil at home is the same as cultivating seedlings.. The seeds are first planted shallowly in the ground in a large container, and in the phase of 2 true leaves they are planted in separate pots. In a greenhouse they do almost the same thing. The only difference is that you will have to leave free space in the garden bed, where the grown seedlings will grow in the future.

Reviews from summer residents

Real reviews from summer residents who have already grown the Green Fragrant basil variety will help you fully appreciate the merits of the crop.

Arina, Samara: “I read on the packaging that the variety is suitable for partial shade, and planted it in the circle of cherry trees. It came up, developed normally and even bloomed, although I didn’t take care of it in any special way.”.

Sergey Anatolyevich, Krasnodar: “I’ve been growing basil for many years, but I recently tried this variety on the advice of friends. I was pleased with the taste and smell, although in appearance I prefer varieties with purple leaves.”.

Conclusion

Green aromatic basil is an unpretentious crop with high nutritional value. The plant is light- and heat-loving and grows well in light, fertile soils. If you know these features, growing it at home or in the country will not be difficult. Even gourmets will enjoy the pleasant taste and aroma of this spicy plant.