Basil is one of the plants that is not missing in any home, it gives off a perfume, so having it on the windowsill, especially when the window is open, is very pleasant.

It can also be used on a thousand occasions, to  prepare a multitude of dishes,  one better than the other, simply starting from pasta with tomato sauce. There are also dried basil leaves that can be purchased at the supermarket but there is a significant difference in taste and smell between the two products.

Anyone who has a real passion for plants and has a green thumb  probably has a fantastic basil plant at home  , full of leaves, lush, beautiful to look at. But there are also those who don’t have a green thumb and don’t really know how to care for it even though they would like to have beautiful fresh and fragrant basil.

Watering Tips

To obtain good results  it is necessary to follow some instructions  that have to do with irrigation. This seems to be a very simple operation, in reality there are some  small things to pay attention to.  The first important thing is not to exceed the amount of water. The more water you give the plant, the more damage you can cause because in some way you are making its roots suffer.

You simply need  to wet the soil, keeping it moist  , without weighing it down too much. The heavier it is,  the more the plant suffers  . In the summer and spring months, basil should be watered very early in the morning, when temperatures are still low, before the sun rises. This is because when  it is still fresh the plant is able to absorb all the water  which allows it to grow well. The longer it takes, the higher the temperatures will be and the less water the seedling will be able to absorb,  because it tends to evaporate. 

If the plant appears to be in pain, to get it to recover it is better to seek the advice of professionals rather than resorting to DIY methods, especially if you do not have experience or knowledge in the field.

Feeding basil, here’s how and with what.

So,  it is useful to feed the basil from time to time,  using coffee grounds, which we usually throw away because we think they are of no use. In reality  , coffee grounds are like fertilizer  , instead of buying them at the nursery and spending money, they are recovered every time the drink is prepared. Three crumbles are enough, spread over the ground, these will release the nitrogen that stimulates plant growth.

If you don’t have ground coffee,  you can use wood ash  , which you spread on the floor in the same way.

leaf care

If, on the other hand, the leaves begin to lose their smell  , to keep them alive, simply spray fresh water directly on them, without exaggerating. With water sprinkled on top,  the leaves stay fresh and smell good longer.

The operation should be repeated only once or at most twice a week. Here are a couple of secrets that can make a difference. The first is to add a few drops of neem oil to the water,  which repels parasites and insects  that could attack the plant and dry it out.

Where to place the basil seedling so that it grows well

The second secret is to place  the seedling in a strategic point  , since even the position can be fatal for it. Basil should never be exposed to sunlight and direct light, these can kill it by first drying out the leaves and then slowly drying out everything else. A seedling that begins to dry out is difficult to recover. This does not mean that it has to be kept inside the house in the dark or in the shade, it can remain outside on the balcony or on the windowsill, the important thing is that it is not always exposed directly to the sun.

On the other hand,  a plant that is really healthy  , that is grown in the right way,  immediately shows very small flowers  , which are also beautiful to look at. When they sprout they give a great feeling of satisfaction, but unfortunately they take away so much energy that the plant probably does not have.

Therefore, if there are too many, it is better to cut some, perhaps with scissors, or doing so slowly with your hands, with extreme delicacy.  These little flowers are so beautiful and cute  that they weaken the leaves.