Nothing is as satisfying as growing your own healthy herbs. You get a whole new dimension of happiness by growing a tiny seed into a fully grown, nutritious plant.

One of the most delicious and nutritious culinary herbs is basil. Basil is perfect for garnishing and enhancing the nutrient content of your dish. Basil is a herb that belongs to a well-known mint family. Scientifically basil is known as Ocimum basilicum. Every type is used for some special reason in different dishes.

The appearance of the small leaves of the basil plant looks very beautiful to the eyes. The most favorable month for growing basil is May. If you are planning to grow basil indoors on your own then growing this herb in a pot would be easy.

STEPS TO GROW BASIL IN POT:

Growing basil indoors is fairly easy with the right amount of information in mind. For planting basil in a pot you will need the following material:

Seeds(you can grow any variety of basil plant)
Pots (you can use any type of pot depending upon the space available in your home or garden)
Soil mixture (would be best to use that is enriched with organic material)
Spray bottle
Germination tray with dome

For growing the basil plant in a pot you need to gather all the materials needed for it. Once you have everything in your hand you can start your procedure.

CONTAINER/POT:

The container for basil should have a drainage system. If someone wants to grow basil in a pot then the presence of an airflow system is compulsory. The fungus can easily attack basil plants so there should be enough space to let air circulate between plants.

If you are planning to use more pots for growing basil then put each basil pot away from each other. The minimum distance between each plant ranges from 10 to 12 inches at least for the safest growth.

SUNLIGHT:

The ideal weather for growing basil is warm weather because basil is considered to be sensitive to cold. The location for planting the basil in a pot should be decided very carefully. It is better to place the pots at a place where the sunlight falls directly.

The sunlight requirements by the basil plant are a minimum of 7 to 8 hours daily. The minimum requirement of temperature is 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit for a basil plant to grow successfully.

People living in hot areas should put the pots in a location where some shade falls on the plants in afternoons.

SOIL MIXTURE:

The soil to be used for growing the basil in pots should be chosen carefully. Basil does not like to be too wet or too dry there should be a moderate amount of moisture given to the basil.

When it comes to the PH value of the soil, basil plants will grow best if the pH of the soil is neutral. Compost and manure can be used to enrich the soil. If someone has a non-availability of compost and manure then organic materials can be used. Using good quality potting soil will be beneficial for your basil plants.

GROWING BASIL FROM SEED:

It is vital to keep in mind that the last frost date of the basil seeds plays a critical role in the successful growth of this herb. There should be a gap of at least 4 to 7 weeks before sowing the basil seeds indoors. You can sow the basil seeds indoors before the start of the growing season. In this way, you can save your time. Temperature plays a significant role in the germination of basil seeds. Basil seeds will take up to 5 to 10 days to germinate.

Place the potting soil in the germination tray. Moist the soil with the spray bottle.

Place 8 to 10 seeds of a basil plant in each section of the germination tray. Remember to keep some space between the seeds. Not every seed will grow up into a seedling. so placing the extra seeds will help you to have enough seedlings for transplanting into pots.

Spray some amount of water on the seeds with the spray bottle and then add some soil into it. Cover the germination tray with a dome. Now, wait for some days to let the seeds germinate. You do not need to water the seeds until they germinate.

TRANSPLANTING THE SEEDLINGS:

Within 1 to 2 weeks the seedlings from basil seeds will emerge out. Once the seedlings have emerged, remove the Dome from the germination tray. From now keep the germination tray in a place where some amount of sunlight falls. Keep watering the seedlings with a spray bottle to keep them moist. Remember, do not water them too much because it will harsh the basil seedlings.

Within some days true leaves will appear on the basil seedlings. At this point, you can select the best seedlings for transplanting into pots. Remove the infected and weaker seedlings without disturbing the main basil seedlings. The remaining basil seedlings can be transplanted into main pots. You can add some fertilizer to the pots to boost the nutritional value of seedlings.

When a seedling of basil has at least three pairs of leaves, this is the time to take them outdoors to face the harsh conditions of temperature. Keep an eye on the increasing temperature, once it gets on peak remember to move the pots under shade location.

HOW TO GROW BASIL FROM CUTTINGS:

Basil plants can also be grown by using the cutting of basil. For this method, you need to choose a healthy growing plant of basil. Cut off the section of required length from a plant and then dip it into the water from the lower side. The roots will emerge in some days and then you can transplant them into a pot filled with good quality soil. Keep in mind that the basil plant is not yet flowered can only be used for section cutting.

CARE TIPS TO GROW BASIL IN A POT:

Although it is not difficult to grow basil in a pot, there are still some things you need to take care of. There are few tips by which you can easily grow your basil plant at home and get a lavish harvest.

Water plays the most significant role in growing the successful basil plant in a pot. You need to take care of the amount of water which you are given to your basil plant. If the basil plant is grown in a pot then it needs to be water regularly. The best time for watering the basil plant is in the morning.
Add fertilizer for boosting the nutritional value of the plant. But if someone is growing the basil plant in a pot, then a minimal amount of fertilizer is more than enough. Fertilizer should not be given directly to the basil plant. It should be given in the form of liquid to prevent loss of flavor.
When the basil plant develops two pairs of fully grown true leaves then it is time to remove the leaves regularly to promote growth.
In the hotter days of summer, the basil plant can produce flowers. If you want a significant amount of basil leaves from your basil plants then keep an eye on your plant to prevent the growth of flowers.
The technique of using companion plants with your basil plants helps to have better flavor. Some of the best companion plants for basil are tomatoes, lettuce, and peppers.

DISEASE PREVENTION:

Few diseases can easily attack the basil plants when growing in a pot. Some of them are powdery mildew and aphids. Some kinds of bacteria and fungi are also responsible for affecting the basil leaves. They are responsible for developing diseases in the stem, roots, and leaves of basil plants.

HARVESTING THE BASIL:

You can harvest the basil plant once it reaches the height of about 8 inches. The technique of harvesting the basil plant is very simple. You just need to pick up the leaves of the basil plants according to your use daily. If you pluck up the leaves daily, the growth of the basil plants will be promoted in a very positive way. The best time for harvesting the basil leaves is in the morning because at that time the juice present leaves have a high amount.

STORING THE BASIL LEAVES FOR THE FUTURE:

The leaves of the basil plant can also be stored for later use. For storing the basil leaves you can freeze them. By freezing them you will keep them safe from losing the good flavor. Simply cut the leaves as a whole or you can also chop them into small pieces, then store them in plastic bags. Freeze the plastic bags in the freezer.

Another method of storing the basil leaves is drying them out. Just pluck out basil plants from the soil and let them air dry for some days. Check out after some days if the plants are still not fully dried then put them in the oven to dry them completely. These dry basil plants can be stored for later use.

How To Grow Basil in a Pot?