Basil has a special place in the cultivation of herb plants in the hobby garden. If you want to successfully grow royal herb yourself, you should take the following aspects into account. We get to the heart of all the important factors surrounding perfect planting.
How do I plant basil correctly?
To plant basil successfully, sow seeds in seed trays with peat sand (€6.00 on Amazon), coconut fiber or seed soil and keep them in a partially shaded, warm location. After germination, prick the seedlings and plant them in nutrient-rich, humus-rich and loose soil in a sunny, wind-protected location.
How is basil grown properly?
If you would like to grow the heat-loving herb plant yourself, you can grow it indoors from the end of March/beginning of April. How to proceed:
- Fill a seed tray with peat sand (€6.00 on Amazon), coconut fiber or seed soil
- sow the seeds without covering them with substrate
- moisten with a fine shower gel
- Wait for germination in a partially shaded window seat at 20-25 degrees Celsius
From a height of 5 centimeters, prick out the seedlings to keep them constantly moist until planting outdoors.
Which site conditions need to be taken into account?
In order to be able to grow basil profitably, a sunny location is primarily important. In addition, a location protected from rain and drafts is an advantage. In the bed, choose a planting site where no kingweed has been cultivated in the past 2 years to prevent fungal spores lurking there. In addition to lots of sun, good air circulation is important on the windowsill.
In which soil does basil thrive best?
One of the unexpected attributes of this herb plant is that basil is a heavy feeder. The composition of the earth therefore depends on these factors:
- nutrient-rich, humus-rich, deep soil
- loose, fresh-moist and slightly sandy
- an ideal pH value of 6.5 to 7.5
If you plant royal herb in a pot, lean herb soil is unsuitable. Instead, use compost-based potting soil optimized with sand, perlite or expanded clay.
When is planting time for kingweed?
The Mediterranean herb plant does not tolerate temperatures below 12 degrees Celsius. The second half of May is the best time for outdoor cultivation, when there is no longer any risk of delayed ground frosts. If you grow basil on the balcony, place the pot outside during the day from April onwards. From mid-May the plant also spends the night outdoors.
How do you plant in beds and pots?
If you grow basil in the garden, carefully weed the soil in the chosen location. Then rake the soil well and remove roots or stones. Then it continues like this:
- dug a planting pit with twice the volume of the root ball
- enrich the excavation with sifted compost, granulated cattle manure or humus
- Create a 3-4 cm high drainage on the sole made of grit, expanded clay or pottery shards
- fill in a handful of substrate and plant the potted basil
After planting, the young plant should not be any deeper than it was previously in the growing pot. Last but not least, pour generously. Proceed similarly when planting in a pot, although the recommended substrate should be used. Then give the young basil plants a few days to get used to the blazing sun. Place the pot in partial shade for 3-4 days and shade bedding plants with a parasol.
What methods of propagation are there?
Aside from sowing, basil is easy to propagate using offshoots. To do this, cut 10-15 cm long shoot tips from a vital mother plant and remove the leaves from the lower part. The cuttings root within a few days in a glass of water. Now you can plant them in a potting soil and sand mixture so that the cuttings quickly develop into strong young plants.
How is basil harvested?
When growing basil, it usually takes 6 to 8 weeks between sowing and a first harvest. Do not pluck individual leaves, but rather harvest entire shoots 5-7 centimeters long. If you continuously cut off the shoot tips, this measure also prevents flowering. As soon as kingweed flowers, the leaves take on a bitter taste and the plant dies.
How to harvest the seeds?
If you would like to obtain the seeds for propagation yourself, the royal herb should be allowed to bloom first. While the pretty flowers slowly wither, the small seed heads develop underneath. They pick off the withered leaves. To harvest the seeds, do the following:
- cut off the withered flower stems
- strip fruit and flowers over a bowl with your fingers
- rub the flower-seed mixture between the palms of your hands
Sift this mix repeatedly until the black seeds remain. These are left to air dry for a few more days and then stored in a dark container in the cool cellar.
Tips & Tricks
Basil is an incredibly useful planting partner in the bed. Together with tomatoes, wine, peppers, beans, kohlrabi, corn and onions, the aromatic herb plant repels annoying pests and sneaky fungal spores. The only thing the royal herb doesn't get along with is conspecifics such as dill, lemon balm, savory or thyme.
