It happens more and more often in recent times to see on windowsills, balconies and gardens a variety of herb seedlings. Especially basil, which at this time of year is one of the stars of many seasonal dishes.
There is also a trend and use fresh basil instead of dried or frozen. The fastest way to give our recipes aroma, freshness and flavor is to have it on hand and take the leaves directly from the seedling. Hence the increasingly common choice of growing it in pots or in the garden. Those who live in apartments can use the balcony for this purpose.
For a healthy and lush basil
However, basil does not always stay viable for a long time. Often the leaves darken, yellow or even rot, until the seedling dies.
One cause of this can be watering. Not everyone knows how to take proper care of this type of plant. So, here we need to look at how the experts, that is, those who grow these plants by trade, regulate themselves. They can give us very good advice.
Watering properly
First of all, one should place the pot of basil in a place in the house that is shady and airy. This applies even if you grow it in the garden. After that, basil needs a lot of water, especially in warm weather.
When it is very hot, it needs a minimum of two daily waterings. To ascertain whether the seedling has too little or too much water, we should not wait for the leaves to tell us: rather, we need to touch the soil of the pot or the surrounding soil, if we are growing it in the garden: if we feel that it is dry, we need to water, if it is wet, no. It should be pointed out that too much water can also cause the leaves and the plant to blacken and rot.
If the basil has received too much water or got too wet during a downpour, it should be put under cover and then exposed to air to dry. If it has many yellow leaves, they should be removed.
If basil grows in the garden, it can benefit from mulching. This involves spreading straw or other similar material around the seedling so that the right amount of moisture is maintained in the soil.
If you then notice that the plant, alas, is dying, the extreme remedy is pruning, leaving only those nodes from where new leaflets can grow.
