Growing basil by sowing it on the windowsill gives the tropical herb plant an advantageous growth advantage. Correct sowing sets the stage for a magnificent royal herb and a rich harvest. The following instructions show how it works.
How can you sow basil successfully?
Sowing basil is best done on the windowsill from the beginning of April by soaking seeds in chamomile tea for a few hours and then lightly pressing them in seed pots with seed soil. At a constant temperature of 20-25 degrees, the first cotyledons appear after 5-14 days.
Choose the sowing date carefully
With the brighter lighting conditions from the beginning of April, nature enters the ideal phase for sowing basil seeds. In the weeks before, there is a lack of brightness on the windowsill, blocking vital photosynthesis. The result is long, weak shoots with which the plants desperately search for sunlight.
The choice of this time is also supported by the fact that the small plants are strong enough to be moved to the bed or onto the balcony by mid-May.
Sowing basil correctly – explained step-by-step
So that the royal herb seeds can really work right from the start, they are soaked in chamomile tea for a few hours. Knowledgeable hobby gardeners put the seeds in a germination mood and prevent harmful mold formation. Follow these steps to tackle sowing:
- fill small cultivation pots or a bowl with seed soil or an alternative, low-nutrient substrate
- moisten this soil with water from the spray bottle, but do not soak it
- sow the prepared seeds
- as a light germinator, just press on and do not over-sift
- Place in a heated indoor greenhouse (€24.00 on Amazon), cover with foil or glass
- A warm, humid microclimate has a beneficial effect on germination
At a constant temperature of 20-25 degrees on the partially shaded windowsill, you can look forward to the first germination leaves after 5-14 days. Any cover has now fulfilled its task. While the first true basil leaves are developing, ideally water the seeds from below. To do this, place the vessels in a larger bowl with a 2-3 cm high water level.
Direct sowing is not recommended
In contrast to a large number of other crops, sowing basil seeds directly into the bed has considerable disadvantages. Even in mild wine-growing regions, the earliest possible date is the beginning of June. If you want to take on this challenge, do this:
- deeply loosen the nutrient-rich soil in a sunny, warm location
- Weeding, removing stones and roots to smooth the ground with the rake
- sow the seeds at a distance of 20-25 cm
- the row spacing is 30-40 cm
- press the sowing with a small board and do not cover it
Water the bed with a fine spray so that the delicate seeds don't float away again. A close-meshed net protects the sowing from pecking birds and voracious pests.
Tips & Tricks
Life-threatening fungal spores or insect eggs can lurk in every substrate. This would be fatal for sensitive basil seeds. Disinfecting the potting soil is therefore strongly recommended. Fill the soil into a fireproof bowl and place it in the oven at 150 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes or in the microwave at 800 watts for 10 minutes.