Basil: The King of HerbsGet Landscape and Gardening Info on mps-landscaping-gardening.com. Basil: The King of Herbs topic will increase your understanding on Landscape and Gardening Info. We at mps-landscaping-gardening.com only provide news, articles, information in Landscape and Gardening Info. Landscape and Gardening Info at mps-landscaping-gardening.com provides the most up to date news and articles. If you have questions please do not hesitate to contact us.
One of the most popular herbs is Ocimum basilicum commonly called sweet basil. Often called the ‘king of herbs,’ basil can be grown indoors or out. Sweet basil has inch-long, oval-pointed, dark green leaves and a clove-pepperish odour and taste. Sweet basil makes a handsome, bushy small plant, growing to a foot or more indoors. A purple-leafed variety, ‘Dark Opal’ is decorative, makes a lovely houseplant, and is equally useful in cookery. Do not let basil bloom, or it will go to seed. Instead, pinch out the plant tops and they will grow into compact little bushes. Basil is an annual and grows 12 – 24 inches (30 – 60 cm) as the height varies according to the variety. Cultivation requirements for growing basil: full sun; light, well-drained, nutrient rich, slightly acidic soil; frequent watering (don’t waterlog); will not tolerate cold; pinch off flower stalks for a longer season of leaf production. Basil can be easily started from seed or can be brought indoors at the end of the growing season. If you are bringing basil indoors, choose the most robust plants. Before the first frost, dig them out of the garden and pot them up in fresh potting soil. Basil can also be grown in pots outdoors and treated the same way when bringing them in for winter. Check for insects and if there is an infestation, spray with a soap and water spray. Gradually reverse the hardening off process by keeping the pots out of direct sunlight for about a week. The plants will become acclimatised to the lower light conditions they will experience indoors. Bring them inside and provide the conditions they need to continue growing. Basil requires at least five hours of sunlight a day to stay healthy and flavourful. If you are growing basil on the windowsill, turn regularly to ensure every side receives light. Don’t let basil leaves touch the cold glass. Basil grows even better under fluorescent lights in the winter. Hang the lights 6 inches (15 cm) from plants and leave lights on for 14 hours a day. There are many cultivars of basil. Two that are particularly popular are: O. basilicum ‘Dark Opal’- only herb to win the All American Award of Excellence – can be used the same as sweet basil; O. basilicum ‘Citriodorum’- strong lemon scent – nice for tea and with chicken and fish. In the garden, basil can be planted with tomatoes as it helps to overcome both insects and disease. Basil also repels flies and mosquitoes. In the kitchen, use basil in tomato dishes (both raw and cooked), pesto, sauces, salad dressings, soups, fish dishes, mushroom dishes, egg and rice dishes, mixed with other herbs, omelettes, pasta dishes, vegetables such as carrots, eggplant, cabbage, squash, and zucchini. Use fresh leaves in salads and add fresh leaves to vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Basil can be used fresh, frozen, or dried. Use basil with discretion, as it is one of the few herbs that increase in flavour when heated. Home Remedies For Better Health. - Offering the complete health guide to self healing, HomeMadeMedicine.com shows you how to treat any disease, with herbs, herbal. The Migraine And Headache Program! - Get Permanent Relief From Migraine And Headaches Without Using Drugs, Herbs Or Supplements! Article Index: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 |
More Articles:1. Planning a Water Garden... By Gordon Goh A water garden is the area of your landscape that will provide you with relaxing sounds of the water, while adding to the overall details of your landscape. The water garden is a project that you must 'plan' for continued success. If you are lucky enough to have the room in your lawn for a water garden, you are already one step ahead of many gardeners! Let's talk a little about how to plan for your water garden. A few important factors about placement of a water garden that often are forgotte… 2. Pressure Washing Decks By Randall Madon A beautiful wooden deck, properly maintained, can add greatly to the aesthetic and resale values of a home.Just look around, decks are almost everywhere. Not just houses but both municipal and commercial facilities use wooden decks and walkways extensively. Because of this pressure washing decks can be a great profit center for your business or even the whole business.The great news is that decks need maintenance. As beautiful as a wooden deck can be it can be a real eyesore if not prop… 3. Easy Hypertufa Planters By Delmar Germyn To get an excellent book on this go here - http://www.rlstore.com/ I will give a short lesson here but recommend you get the book. It is money well spent.Lets get going!You will need a couple of heavy-duty cardboard boxes. One should fit inside the other with at least 3" between them.Line the big box with plastic. Don't worry if it is not smooth, just do the best you can.Mix up your 'Tufa and fill the bottom of the box to about 3" deep. Now wrap your other box in plastic and set it inside … 4. Gardening During Hard Times or Emergencies - You Can Feed Yourself! By Jim Kennard Do you ever worry about always having to rely on getting seeds and fertilizer from the store? What would you do in a survival situation, if you could not go to a store to purchase these things?Let’s compare it to your food supply. What would you do about your store-purchased food? Many wise people buy more than they need of food items that store well, and create a "year's supply" of the essentials in their basement or other cool, dry place. This is the biblical answer. As you may remembe… |
||||
