Just walk around the supermarket to find basil plants with lots of green, fragrant leaves. Inviting home and growing a seedling of this aromatic plant is very practical. This allows us to have it at hand ready to flavor our dishes but also to decorate the windowsill of the house or the balcony. Find out how to have a lush and healthy plant with these invaluable tips.
While it is a common plant, caring for this plant is not always easy. And for good reason, basil is one of the most “capricious” aromatic plants and we often make gardening mistakes when growing it.
Give it 6 Hours of Light
Any gardener or plant expert will tell you to expose basil to light, but more specific advice will help you grow it.
The ideal is to provide at least 6 hours of indirect sunlight per day for this plant. Indirect sunlight should be bright, so keeping this plant outdoors or on a windowsill is essential.
It is also important to protect it from direct sunlight which can burn the more delicate leaves, causing the plant to slowly shed its foliage.
Warning: if despite care, this plant wilts or does not grow leaves, seek professional advice.
Keep it at the Rright Temperature
Ensuring the right temperature for the plant is essential to ensure that it will have abundant leaves. The secret is to provide this plant with a minimum temperature of 20°C each season of the year. In summer, it’s quite simple: you just have to remember to keep the plant outside.
In autumn and winter, on the other hand, we must bring the basil into the home, taking care not to put it in rooms that are too cold and humid.
Mulch the Ground
Mulching the soil is a gesture that we often adopt with larger plants, but it can be of great help for this aromatic plant.
To do this, use dry leaves and bark, spreading them on the earth. They will guarantee a fairly constant temperature to the soil and, therefore, prevent the roots from cooling.
Measure the Water
Evaluating the amount of water our plant needs is obviously not only necessary for basil! Unlike other aromatic plants, basil has great hydration needs.
In spring and summer, watering should be regular. When temperatures exceed 25°C, it can even be daily!
The secret to not making a mistake is to always keep the soil moist, but never wet.
Therefore, whenever you notice that the soil is drying out, do not wait and water right away. It is always better to use distilled water because tap water is often too hard.
Problems with dry leaves? Here is the solution
- Use expanded clay
One of the least favorable places for basil to grow is an area where water stagnation is observed which, in a short time, can cause the roots to rot and the entire plant to wilt.
The secret to reducing the risk of stagnation is to put expanded clay at the bottom of the pot. This will help drain excess water, preventing it from accumulating.
- Use a terracotta pot
In most cases, basil is sold in small plastic pots. You will need to use a different pot to keep this green plant alive for a long time.
Choose a pot approximately 20 cm in diameter, preferably terracotta.
Be sure to repot every two years in early spring. This way you will allow the plant to grow and prevent its roots from tightening.
