Basil plants are not hardy, but with a little skill they can be overwintered. We reveal 7 valuable tips with which you can bring the popular herb plant safely through the winter.
variety
The choice of basil variety has a decisive influence on the chances of success in wintering, because some varieties are better suited for this than others. Hibernating annual varieties and plants from the supermarket is not very promising. It is therefore worthwhile to overwinter only robust specimens. These include the following types of basil:
- Green-leaved African B. 'African Green'
- Garden B.
- Red-Blue African B. 'African Blue'
- African tree basil
Pot | Transplanting
If you want to overwinter basil plants, you must definitely bring them to the protected indoor area. Because basil is not hardy and would not survive the winter months outdoors. It is therefore advisable to take the plant out of the vegetable patch and put it in a pot. Here, too, there are a few things to consider:
- Pot size min. 20 cm in diameter
- Apply drainage
- Expanded clay or gravel (grain size 8-16 mm)
- Cut the garden fleece to size and place it over the drainage system
Substrate
There are also a few things to consider when choosing the right substrate: Ordinary herbal soil is not recommended because it is too lean. Soil for flowers or potted plants are more suitable. Because this has the optimal properties to make the winter months the best
to be able to survive. These include the following features:- Nutrient-rich
- Humos
- Fresh
- Moist
- Well permeable
- pH value: 6.5-7.5
Location
So that the basil also feels comfortable in winter, it should be placed in a location that is as bright as possible. A south-facing window sill is particularly suitable for this. However, it is essential to ensure that the location is draft-free. Leakages should therefore be repaired in good time using suitable measures. Alternatively, the herb plant can also spend the cold season in the winter garden. In any case, the winter quarters should have the following properties:
- sunny and bright
- provide artificial light if necessary
- Temperature between 15-20 degrees
- both during the day and at night
It is possible to overwinter basil at temperatures between 10 and 12 degrees, but the plant stops growing. If that doesn't bother you, you can get one
look forward to less maintenance. Because in this case it does not have to be watered or fertilized.Fertilize
The range of nutrients in the pot is significantly more limited than in the vegetable patch, which is why the herb plant should be fertilized regularly. An organic slow release fertilizer, such as herbal fertilizer or nettle liquid manure, is best suited for this. The plant should be fertilized every four to six weeks over the winter.
to water
The basil should be watered as regularly as possible so that the soil is best always moist. However, waterlogging should be avoided in any case. There are also a few things to consider when casting:
- only ever pour on the ground
- or pour over the trivet
- or dip the root ball in a bucket of water
Note: If the plant lets its leaves droop limply, it means it has not enough water and should definitely be watered!
Cut
Cutting during the winter time is not required. But if you want, you can also harvest the herbs in winter. It is advisable to cut off the shoots about 5 centimeters, as this stimulates growth.
