Obtain seeds yourself and sow them skillfully - this is how it works
If you want to collect the seeds yourself, you can allow the basil blossom. After the stems have faded, pluck them. Use your fingers to wipe off the flower-seed mixture over a bowl. It is then sifted until the black seeds remain. Keep the seeds dry and dark until the date for sowing. In March / April you proceed as follows:
- fill a seed tray with potting soil or peat sand
- Moisten the substrate with a fine shower head
- sow the seeds and, as a light germinator, simply press on the cultivation container cover with foil or in
- a heated mini greenhouse (€ 6.96 at Amazon *)
- expect germination in the partially shaded window seat at 20-25 degrees Celsius
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The cotyledons protrude from the seed within 1-2 weeks. The foil can now be removed. While the seedlings are kept slightly moist, they quickly reach a height of 5 centimeters. Pricked in a mixture of potting soil and sand, the plants are strong enough by mid-May to be planted in the bed or in the pot.
Instructions for propagation by cuttings
Every vital basil has what it takes to become a mother plant for 10, 20 or more new plants. Cut off the desired number of shoot tips over a length of 10 to 15 centimeters. If you start the cut just above a leaf axilla, the royal herb will sprout again here. Proceed in these steps:
- Defoliate the cuttings in the lower half and place in a glass of water
- let it take root in the partially shaded, warm place
- the process is complete when the root strands are 4-5 centimeters long
- fill a large pot with potting soil and sand, perlite (€ 32.90 on Amazon *) or coconut fibers for permeability
Plant one basil at a time down to the lower pair of leaves and water generously.
Multiply purchased basil by dividing it
Ready-to-use basil plants from the supermarket are packed so closely together in their pots that they can paint the sails within a week. Clever hobby gardeners make a virtue out of necessity and multiply the royal herb by dividing it. That's how it's done:
- Drain the basil you bought and cut into four parts with a sharp knife
- Plant each segment in its own pot with a mixture of potting soil, compost and sand
Drainage on the bottom of the pot prevents damaging waterlogging. Alternatively, you can plant the sections directly in the garden bed.
Tips & Tricks
Does the basil taste completely different from the mother plant? Then it was one of the numerous varieties. In contrast to wild basil, with seeds of one variety it is always a guessing game which properties of the parent plants will prevail. Hobby gardeners who like to experiment can create their very own personal basil variety.
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