Planting basil: location & procedure

If you want to plant basil, you should choose the right location. Here you can find out how to proceed correctly when sowing and planting basil.

The popular, spicy herb has its origin basil (Ocimum basilicum) probably in India or Afghanistan. However, it is famous for its frequent use in Italian cuisine, where it has been used since the 12th century. Century is known. Many different Varieties of basil differ in the individual composition of essential oils. The palette of flavors ranges from lemon to cloves to aniseed. The basil is now available as a pot herb in every supermarket. However, basil can also simply be grown in your own garden and delight the hobby gardener for several years. We'll show you how to bring the aromatic spice into your garden or on your windowsill, because growing basil yourself is actually child's play.

Sow basil

Growing basil yourself is not that difficult, you just need a little patience and a warm, light location. Since basil has a slow young development, it is seldom sown outdoors in our part of the world. We therefore only give tips for sowing basil in the house.

If you want to plant basil seeds, you can do so indoors all year round, as long as it is warm and light enough. The sowing vessel is first filled with already moistened, nutrient-poor soil, like ours Plantura organic herb & seed compost, filled. Like many herbs, basil is one of the light germs. This means that the seeds germinate best when they get light, i.e. when they are not buried in the ground. You should therefore plant basil seeds in such a way that they are only scattered superficially on the earth and lightly pressed so that there is contact with the ground. The seeds are sown at a distance of 5 cm. Now it is well moistened, the easiest way is with a spray bottle.
Germination takes about two weeks at 18-22 ° C. After germination, it is beneficial for basil to put it in a slightly cooler place, because it prefers to grow at around 16 ° C to begin with. After about four weeks, the basil can be pricked out - the individual plants can therefore be carefully lifted out of the ground with a prick stick or a wooden stick and separated. After the basil has been pricked out, it is planted at a distance of 25 to 30 cm in more nutrient-rich soil so that the plants can develop well.

• Sow seeds 5 cm apart
• Light germs
• Optimal germination temperature: 18 - 22 ° C
• Set up at around 16 ° C after germination
• Prick out after another four weeks and plant at a distance of 25-30 cm

Tip: Basil thrives particularly well on the windowsill in a mini greenhouse like ours Plantura herb set is included. This set also contains the seeds of three other great herb varieties as well as growing pots, substrate and plant labels.

The right location for basil

Basil prefers a warm, partially shaded location on nutrient-rich, loose and drained soil. The optimal pH value for the Mediterranean herb is between 6.5 and 7. The greenhouse is an ideal location, the basil can grow very large here and provide many leaves for pesto.

In addition, tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) ideal neighbors for basil. The flavorful herb keeps pests like that out Whitefly away from the vegetable plants and at the same time benefits from the shade provided by the tall nightshade plants.

At temperatures below 8 ° C it is usually life-threatening cold for the basil, but some varieties can even withstand freezing temperatures of down to -10 ° C. However, to be on the safe side, it should always spend the winter in the house or winter garden. A culture in a pot makes wintering and wintering much easier. Because that Overwintering basil Not that easy, but worthwhile, you can find all the information about this in our special article.

Plant basil

You can grow and plant basil yourself, propagate it vegetatively with cuttings or grow it as a pre-purchased plant outdoors or in a pot. Even supermarket goods can blossom into vigorous and high-yielding small shrubs with a height of half a meter in the right location. Finished herb pots always contain several plants, so when planting them out you can divide them and give them more space.

Planting basil indoors

You can grow basil yourself or continue to cultivate purchased plants indoors at any time. Pot culture on the warm window sill is ideal here. The pot should have a volume of around 3 to 5 liters, because only with sufficient substrate can you secure a long-lasting plant without deficiency symptoms. There is often confusion when it comes to which soil is suitable for basil. Basil has a medium nutritional requirement. Instead of filling the planter with a typical, rather poor herbal soil, you fill it with a vegetable soil that is more nutritious, like ours Plantura tomato & vegetable soil in organic quality.

Tip: Basil has a very high need for warmth and can even complain outdoors in cool summers. Sowing seeds on the windowsill in winter hardly leads to high-yielding plants, and even the pots from the supermarket only thrive moderately, even in the winter garden. This makes it all the more important to harvest the herb in good time and to store the basil properly to create supplies for the winter!

Plant basil outside

Basil may only be planted outdoors at the end of May, after the ice saints, as otherwise the risk of freezing is still too high. The location should be particularly warm and bright, but not full sun. A partially shaded corner on the balcony, in the raised bed or under tomatoes in the greenhouse is a good home for the basil. For pots from the supermarket, a planting distance of 25 centimeters is set; for individual, strong plants, the distance is around 10-15 centimeters.

Tip: Compared to other herbs, basil likes more nutrient-rich soils. Too much fertilization is still harmful: fungal diseases and increased pest infestation can be the result. So do not use additional fertilizer when planted in a nutrient-rich soil. Anyone who cultivates basil in good garden soil should use a slow-acting organic fertilizer like this Plantura organic tomato fertilizer To fall back on.

After the basil has been planted out, the cultivation measures are not done yet. In our special article you can find out everything about Care of basil, correct watering, fertilizing and cutting.