Details
There are 150 different species of Basil , but the most common types are :
- Sweet Basil
- Genovese Basil
- Thai Sweet Basil
- Purple Basil
- Lemon Basil
- Lime Basil
- Lettuce Basil
- Spicy Basil
- Green Ruffles
- Holy Basil
- Cinnamon Basil
- African Blue Basil
- Cardinal Basil
- Greek Basil
Sweet Basil (aka genovese basil or common basil) - The most common and widely available form of basil, with a fresh, subtly sweet flavor and aroma. Sweet basil is typically used in Italian and Mediterranean cuisines.
Thai Basil (aka licorice basil) - A variety commonly used in Southeast Asian and Chinese cuisine known for its smaller, darker leaves and spicy, anise-heavy flavor. Used frequently as a garnish in Thai and Vietnamese cooking.
Cinnamon Basil - A mild variety of basil with a spicy, cinnamon-tinged flavor. Most frequently used in Asian cooking, including marinades, fried rice, and noodles.
Purple Basil - A less-sweet variety of basil known for its deep purple tone and clove-scented flavor. Typically used as a garnish in Italian and Thai cooking, to add a hint of color and aroma.
Lettuce Basil - With larger, wrinkled leaves reminiscent of lettuce, this basil has a milder flavor than its counterparts and is often used as a base for salads.
Holy Basil - This form of basil is known for its religious uses rather than its flavor. Holy basil is revered in the Hindu religion as a symbol of the goddess Tulsi, and is traditionally made into basil extract that is placed around Hindu shrines. Culinarily, this variety has a bitter flavor and is most frequently used in Indian cuisine, particularly in teas and rich dishes.
-
Growing and Planting Care
- Seed selection is the key to success of your gardening effort. Careful selection of seeds that are disease-resistant and good yielders of high-quality, nutritious produce is recommended.
- You can plant Basil in 2 ways , By germinating the seeds, or By cuttings, which form the roots within a week.
- Basil is a warm - weather herb ,so it's best to maintain a temperature of between 70 to 80 degree F .
- Basil seedlings can be started and grown in a wide range of substrates - Rock wool and phenolic foam are probably the most commonly used substrates for starting seedlings. Other popular choices are coconut coir and peat moss that have been stabilized with a chemical binder or with a mesh wrap.
- Follow the link below for a complete guide on sowing the seeds in seedling-tray to transplanting the seedlings in Net-Pots and transferring to the NFT system https://youtu.be/wGtU1wZmd9Y
- After sowing the seeds, water the seedling-tray twice a day and keep in a dark area as sunlight should not fall on them until they germinate. You can keep the tray in a dark area or cover the seedling-tray with black/white polythene cover or with another empty seedling tray over it.You will see sprouts coming out in a few days to a weeks’ time.
- Once you see small true leaves, place the seedling-tray in a partial sunlight area. Moisten the seedlings with either plain water or 10% nutrient solution (around 200 PPM) twice in a day. Remember that throughout the germination period, watering should be just enough for the cocopeat to be moist. Never overwater or the seeds will not germinate and rot. Continue the plants in the tray until the plant roots reach the bottom of the cube in about 3 weeks and transplant in the NFT system / DWC system.
- Every Plant variety has a separate Nutrient composition that's apt for the fleshy grown Basils. https://hydrilla.in/hydroponics-nutrients/hydroponic-herbs-nutrients.html
- As you see that the Basil has become mature than before, know that their nutrients ratio will change.
- The mix of Potassium and Calcium are more in the feeding nutrients.
- It is crucial to know that Potassium and Calcium have a direct association with the oil and flavour of Basil leaves and branches.
- Also, even Nitrogen and Magnesium are deciding co-factors in yielding leaves and certain essential oils & helps in Photosynthesis,respectively.