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LED Indoor Garden- basil cultivation

Basil is a warm-weather, fragrant herb that tastes great in many dishes—including the beloved homemade pesto! Under LED indoor garden kit, it will yield an abundant harvest within weeks all year round. Keep harvesting the leaves to keep the plant going strong.

 

How to Grow Basil

Basil is easy to grow.

 Seedling:

Basil seeds do not need any treatment, directly take a 32-hole or 72-hole seed starter tray, spread nutrient soil in the tray, spread it all over and flatten it. The sowing depth is 0.3-0.4 cm. 2 basil seeds per hole. After sewing, watering through the bottom and place them in the germination chamber to germinate. When the basil grows four true leaves, it can be transplanted.

 Transplanting:

Generally, transplant in the afternoon. Firstly, wet the cultivation substrate(soil) with water. Secondly, fill three-quarters of the substrate in the flowerpot, then directly transplant the baby basil and fill the substrate to about one centimeter of the flowerpot mouth. Thirdly, put the transplanted potted basil under the plant light, which will provide optimized spectrum for growing. Under the careful care of the plant light, the basil will enter the vegetative growth stage.

 Cultivation management:

The cultivation of basil is relatively simple. Water it once every two days. The nutrient soil contains fertilizer which will release slowly, can last for up to three months. If the harvest frequency is too high and the harvest volume is large, the basil grows quickly, resulting in insufficient nutrient supply and pale leaves. Extra fertilizer should be properly applied.

 

How to Harvest Basil

• Start picking the leaves of basil as soon as the plants are 6 to 8 inches tall.
• Once temperatures hit 80°F (27°C), basil will really start leafing out.
• Harvest in the early morning, when leaves are at their juiciest.
• Make sure to pick the leaves regularly to encourage growth throughout the summer.
• Even if you don’t need to leaves, pick them to keep the plant going. Store them for later use!
• If you pick regularly, twelve basil plants can produce 4 to 6 cups of leaves per week.

 

How to Pruning Basil

When the basil grows to 20 cm, it is necessary to pinch the top, and cut off the top stem, leaving only the bottom 6-8 leaves, which can promote continuous branching.

 If you don't pinch the top, basil will look like the picture below: no branches, sparse leaves, and an unsightly shape.

After the first pinching, you can pinch the tops every other week (if the basil you cultivate is not growing well, the time interval of pinching the tops should be appropriately extended), and the young stems and leaves that are pinched can be eaten. Or directly cultivated by cuttings in the soil, or soaked in water for rooting, which will start new growing. Each pruning leaves only 4-6 leaves at the bottom, and new branches will continue to appear, and the new branches should also be pinched in time.

 

With the rapid growth of basil, its main stem and ramets will continue to lignify. At this time, special scissors should be pruned to promote branching, grow more twigs, and increase harvest.

Avoid letting basil bloom as much as possible, as blooming can result in reduced yield and quality of edible organs such as young stems and leaves. Cutting flowers as following picture.

How to Store Basil

• The best method for storing basil is freezing. Freezing will prevent the plant from losing a good portion of its flavor. To quick-freeze basil, package whole or chopped leaves in airtight, resealable plastic bags, then place in the freezer.
• Another storage method is drying the basil (although some of the flavor will be lost). Pinch off the leaves at the stem and place them in a well-ventilated and shady area. After 3 to 4 days, if the plants are not completely dry, place them in the oven on the lowest heat setting with the door slightly open. Remember to turn the leaves (for equal drying) and check them frequently.

 

See, so easy to grow basil. Where salt is good, so is basil.

 

Hope you will enjoy growing basil at home, you can get fresh at any time. If you are interested in growing, you can check our grow light in follow which with lots of help.