Learning How To Grow Basil Both Indoors And Out
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Basil is a favorite herb used in meals from casseroles to sandwiches and learning how to grow basil yourself assures you a fresh supply for your culinary needs.
Basil is an easy herb to grow provided you give it plenty of sunlight and warm temperature. Basil seeds grow quickly with plenty of water and rich soil. If you really want to go the easy route, you can buy a simple herb kit which contains what you need to get started growing basil.
Basil requires excellent drainage so choose a flower pot that has holes drilled in it. You can also use rocks, clay or charcoal in the pot before adding the soil so the water has a place to pool up.
If you are planting the seeds directly into the garden, be sure to delay planting until after the last frost and sow the seeds thinly. When planting seeds in pots, sow enough seeds to yield several plants and later thin the smallest plants. Wherever you plant the seeds, cover them with a little soil and water them well.
Sunlight requirements are pretty important when learning how to grow basil. This herb needs 6 - 8 hours of sunlight a day. If you are growing your basil indoors, place the pot in a sunny location. When growing basil in your garden, select a spot where it will get sun for most of the day but will also be sheltered from strong wind.
Basil plants need to be watered two or three times a week. They also need to be fertilized each month. Try to keep the water at the base of the plant because if they get on the leaves it allows fungi to set in.
Remove any flowers from your basil plant, because this will produce better flavors. The flowers use up all of the plant’s energy, but removing them allows the plant to use the energy to produce very flavorful basil leaves.
Once you learn how to grow basil properly, you will be rewarded with a constant fresh supply. Grown in a container, basil will flourish all year round. Be sure to have several plants growing. To harvest it, pick the upper leaves of each plant. This way, the plants will always keep growing.
