A balanced water balance plays a central role in the successful care of basil. Find out here which water is particularly suitable for watering and how often to water. There are also tips on casting technology.
How and when should basil be watered?
To water basil properly, do the thumb test in the morning and water when the soil is dry. Watering should be done directly at the root without wetting the foliage, or from below with a water bowl; if the water is hard, prefer aquarium or pond water.
How to keep basil in balance
If you want to water royal herb correctly, you should avoid rashes in one direction or the other. In order for the herb plant to thrive, the substrate must neither dry out nor stand in water. There is no fixed schedule that determines how often you reach for the watering can. How to do it right:
- press your thumb 2-3 centimeters into the substrate early in the morning
- if the soil feels dry, there is a need for watering
- give the water directly to the roots and not over the leaves
The thumb test provides information about the moisture content of the substrate both in the bed and in the pot.
Watering correctly from below – this is how it works
Since basil does not want to be watered overhead, the following option is the ideal watering technique for the pot:
- place the herb pot in a bowl filled with 5 centimeters of water
- the capillary action of the roots automatically draws the water into the substrate
- when the moisture has reached the surface, the pot is removed from the bowl
How often you use this casting technique can be determined by a thumb test. Since the soil is completely soaked with water, watering is usually done from below once a week.
Tips & Tricks
Where very hard water flows from the tap, lime-sensitive basil should be watered with an alternative. Aquarium or pond water is ideal. The lime content here is very low and contains valuable nutrients that promote the growth of royal herb.
