Grow basil indoors

Video: Basil, How To Grow More Than You Can Eat

Content

To step
Part 1 of 3: Sowing basil
Part 2 of 3: Taking care of the basil
Part 3 of 3: Harvesting the basil
Tips
Necessities

Basil is a wonderfully fragrant herb that is extremely popular worldwide, probably because you can use it in so many different ways. Did you know that there are more than 100 types of basil, all of which have slightly different flavors? From the famous Italian sweet basil to Thai spicy basil; all with their own culinary uses. Most basil plants do well in the garden if you plant them in the garden. But with a few small adjustments, you can also grow basil very well indoors. Wherever you want to plant your basil, in order to grow properly, it is especially important that the plant gets enough sun and water.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Sowing basil

Buy the seeds from a reliable source. Choose the basil seeds you want to plant at a nursery or garden center near you, or buy them online. Often you can buy a pack with over 100 seeds for little money.
- If you buy the seeds over the internet, do some research first to find out which websites offer the best seeds.
Plant the seeds in coarse, airy soil. In order to grow into a healthy plant, basil needs soil that is rich in nutrients and can easily drain water. You can buy potting soil that drains the water well at a garden center or online.
Fill a pot or planter for ¾ with the soil. You can use a pot or container made of earthenware, plastic, stone or concrete, as long as enough water can run out. Slightly moisten the soil with a plant sprayer and then put it in the pot or container, but not all the way to the edge.
- Check for holes in the bottom of the pot, whatever material it is made of. The holes ensure that the water can flow away properly and are therefore necessary for a healthy plant. Place a saucer under the pot so that the windowsill, or wherever you place the plant, does not get wet from the water that runs out of the holes.
- You can use a regular earthenware flower pot or plastic seed trays.
Sprinkle the seeds in the container or pot with the soil. If you are using small seedling trays, sprinkle about three seeds in each tray. If you are using a larger pot, scatter about five to seven seeds evenly spaced over the soil.
- It is important that you put more than one seed in each pot or container, in case some of the seeds don't sprout.
- Try to keep the seeds about 2-3 cm apart.
- You don't have to press the seeds into the ground.
Cover the seeds by sprinkling some loose soil over them. You are not supposed to put a thick layer of soil over the seeds. A layer of more than half a centimeter is just enough to cover the newly planted seeds. That thickness is enough to protect the seeds and help them grow at the same time.
- Once in the pot or container, do not push or press on the soil to make it more compact.
Moisten the soil with a plant sprayer. Fill a spray bottle with water and spray the soil with it to keep it moist, especially the top layer that you sprinkled over the seeds last. If you don't have a sprayer, wet your hands by running them under the tap or in a bowl of water and drizzle the soil with your fingers.
- Place the pot or container on a saucer so that water does not run through the holes at the bottom of the windowsill.
- If you want, you can put a piece of plastic over the pot or tray to keep the moisture in and create some sort of greenhouse effect.
Place the container indoors in a sunny spot. Basil does well in full sun and to grow properly, the plant needs at least six hours of sunlight a day. It is therefore best to place your basil plant near a window where the sun often shines through.
- Be careful if you put the basil directly on the windowsill. A glass window can cause the temperature for the basil plant to become too hot or too cold faster than normal.
- If you live in the Northern Hemisphere aka above the equator, a south-facing window usually works best. If you don't have a space in your home that gets at least six hours of sunshine a day, you can use an extra light source in the form of a lamp if necessary.
Watch the basil seeds germinate after five to 10 days. The exact amount of time it takes for your seeds to germinate depends on the amount of sunlight they receive, the soil temperature and the moisture available. Have patience and make sure the seeds stay warm and moist.

Part 2 of 3: Taking care of the basil

Water the basil from the base twice a week to make sure the plant stays well-hydrated. Pour the water onto the soil, never directly on the leaves or against the stem of the plant. That way, the roots can absorb the water from the base and you don't end up with dripping, wet leaves.
- Check the moisture level by sticking your finger into the soil about 2-3 cm deep. When the soil feels dry at that depth, water the plant a little.
Take extra care of the plant with the help of an artificial light source. If you can't give the plant enough natural sunlight, use fluorescent lights or specially designed fluorescent lights. Basil plants that do not receive natural light require between ten and twelve hours of artificial light per day.
- Hold regular fluorescent lights about three inches from the tops of the plants, and keep fluorescent or compact fluorescent lights about 12 inches above the plants.
- High-intensity lamps should be placed half a meter to four feet above the plants.
Once a month, check the plant's pH level. A good pH value is normally between 6.0 and 7.5. You can keep the pH level at the right level by using organic fertilizers.You can buy organic fertilizers at a garden center or online. Mix the organic fertilizer into the soil and then test the soil using pH test strips.
- Since you will mainly use the basil in cooking, it can be dangerous to use non-organic fertilizers.
Use a fan to create the most natural environment for the plant. Provide a breeze that can rustle the leaves later by directing a fan on the plant for at least two hours a day. That way you create the effect of a gentle outside breeze, and you prevent the air around the plant from becoming too still.
- Set the fan to the lowest setting.
Thin the plants as soon as the seedlings have 2 pairs of leaves. To have enough space to grow, the plants should be spaced 15 to 30 centimeters apart. You can thin them out by cutting some basil plants down to the bottom or removing them root and all.
- Dig out the soil at the base of the plant's stem with your fingers, or with a wooden popsicle stick or tongue depressor.
- Slide the wooden stick or tongue depressor underneath the young carrots, or gently "twist" the seedling root and all out of the soil with your fingers after digging it away.
- Plant the removed seedling in a different pot, or in the same pot or tray, if possible, about 6 to 12 inches away from the other seedlings.
When the plants are about 15 cm high, cut the tops off. As soon as the plants have three pairs of leaves, they are ready to be pruned. You can cut the tip off just above a set of leaves with sharp scissors.
- By cutting the tops you stimulate leaf growth and prevent the stem of the basil plant from becoming too long in proportion.
- Prune the basil every few weeks. In particular, try to remove leaves that look limp, not fully grown or damaged. You can still eat the leaves that you prune from the basil plant.
Water the basil plant when it starts to wilt. Wilting is usually a sign that the plant is thirsty, so water the plant at the base and allow the water to soak well in the soil before spraying or pouring any more. It's also a good idea to put the plant out of the sun for a few hours after you water it.
- After you water the plant and put it out of the sun, it should start to look healthier after about four hours.
- If necessary, trim the dead leaves with clean pruning shears.

Part 3 of 3: Harvesting the basil

Harvest your basil before it blooms. Then you can be sure that you will benefit from the freshest, largest possible leaves. If the basil plant does start to bloom, cut the flowers off so that the energy can flow back to the leaves of the plant.
- The flowers become clearly visible, so once the plant has started blooming, you can easily see it.
If you only need a little bit of basil, pick the leaves with your fingers. You can gently pluck the leaves from the plant with your fingers, or you can cut them off with sharp scissors. You do not damage the plant by picking off a few leaves.
- Only try not to remove more than a third of the leaves from the plant unless you plan to use all the leaves at once. That way you can be sure that the plant has enough energy left to keep growing.
To use more basil, cut right above where two large leaves meet. That way you get a whole stem with basil leaves. By cutting above the leaves, a new stem can grow, so that you will enjoy your basil plant for longer.
- By cutting the stems just below a few leaves you can prevent the stem from growing.

Tips

Turn the pots or containers every now and then as the plants grow to prevent them from growing in one direction.
If you put plastic over the soil after sowing, remove it as soon as you see the first seedlings appearing through the soil.