If you are looking for an authentic and robust type of herb, you cannot ignore wild basil. With dark red foliage and pink flowers, the plant is also a feast for the eyes. Read here how to properly plant and care for this gem.

Sowing on the windowsill creates vital young plants

The window for sowing basil seeds behind glass opens at the beginning of April. Compared to direct sowing, this form of cultivation scores with strong young plants that move into the bed with an advantageous growth advantage. How to proceed:

  • fill a seed tray with lean substrate
  • Spray with water and sow the seeds 5 centimeters apart
  • just press the light germs
  • at 20-25 degrees Celsius, the germination time is only a few days

If the seed pot is tight, the seedlings are transplanted into individual pots. Until the beginning of the planting season from mid-May, they stay in the bright window seat to be kept constantly slightly moist.

Planting wild basil outdoors - this is how it works

If wild basil finds a sunny, warm location in the bed, the hardy herbal plant does its best. This applies all the more if the soil is rich in nutrients and fresh and moist. The planting itself is very easy:

  • soak the potted young plant with water until no more air bubbles rise
  • dig a planting pit with twice the volume of the root ball
  • enrich the excavation with compost or granulated cattle manure
  • Pot, plant and water the basil

Of course, the wild basil also unfolds its full aroma in the bucket. Potting soil is a good substrate here, optimized with sand or expanded clay.(19.73€) Drainage at the bottom of the pot prevents harmful waterlogging.

It is this care that counts

Choosing the ideal location and planting it professionally is half the way to beautiful basil. Throughout the summer, the focus is on regular water and nutrient supply. Spoil the heavy feeder weekly with an organic fertilizer. If the temperatures drop below 10 degrees, the plant moves indoors for the winter.

tips and tricks

Wild basil impresses with an inimitable aroma composition of cinnamon, aniseed, pepper and cloves, rounded off with a fine sweetness. With this seasoning, the royal herb gives fresh salads and Asian dishes a special twist.

GTH

Category:

Vegetable garden