Content
- Harvest basil correctly - Instructions for bed and pot
- That is why occasional picking harms the king's cabbage
- Correct harvest of basil cuddling instead of spilling
- Choose the perfect time
- Harvest the flowers properly as eye candy and culinary delight
- Keep the harvest surplus wisely - that's how it works
- Harvest basil seeds properly
- Tips & Tricks
Harvest basil correctly - Instructions for bed and pot
Simply plucking the basil leaves will affect the aroma, growth and life of the Mediterranean herbal plant. How to properly harvest king cabbage, the following guide shows you in practice.
Flowering basil opens up a variety of options Next article To preserve basil by drying - so it succeedsThat is why occasional picking harms the king's cabbage
Due to the intense aroma, the family kitchen usually requires only a small amount of basil. Consequently, the temptation is to pluck only individual leaflets. Those who are unfamiliar are acting out of misinterpreted economy. If a branch is robbed by a step-by-step picking of its leaves, this circumstance heralds his immediate dying.
In addition, the flower is not prevented by tentative plucking the foliage. When basil is in bloom, the delicious aroma disappears within a short time and turns into a bitter taste. At the same time, the royal herb invests all its power in the growth of flowers and seeds, so that the herb plant is doomed to death.
If you really want to harvest basil, you are also doing substantial nursing work for a long life. Since the plant is already aiming for its first flowering 8 weeks after sowing, an alternative harvesting technique is required for the occasional picking.
Correct harvest of basil cuddling instead of spilling
Sporadic plucking of leaflets should be the exception. The wonderful herbal plant is a more beneficial way of doing so much better. How to do it right:
As long as one shoot leaves a minimal remnant with one or two leaf knots, basil drives it out eagerly again. Cutting the shoot tips also promotes a compact, bushy growth and stops the flowering. Of course it is not a drama if you pick a single leaflet as a small herb snack. In this case, preferably choose an older, dark green leaf with the highest aroma content.
Choose the perfect time
The gourmets among the hobby gardeners know about the importance of the best time of day, if they want to harvest basil properly. During the early morning hours, the herbal aroma is at the highest level. This is especially true if the king cabbage has just been cast.
Harvest the flowers properly as eye candy and culinary delight
The basil flower knows how to decorate in such a way that it is quite welcome in the bed and on the balcony. Depending on the variety, a bright white, pale pink or violet flower florida develops. Pick the flower stems, they are ideal for the vase or as a natural bouquet of flowers.
Not enough, the flowers are edible. The Chef de Cuisine inspires the charming lip blooms for seductive decoration of salads, soups and other dishes. Due to the slightly tart taste they find a culinary use in the form of basil flower vinegar.
Keep the harvest surplus wisely - that's how it works
If you follow the recommendation for the regular harvest of basil, you benefit from a long shelf life of the popular herb plant throughout the summer. This goes hand in hand with the question of how to use the surplus harvest. Rich king's cabbage is far too valuable to dispose of on the compost. These variants are available for storage:
It is important to remember to clean the leaves thoroughly under running water after picking. Then pat dry with a kitchen towel before proceeding to the next steps. If you freeze or insert the king's cabbage, cut off the petioles beforehand.
Harvest basil seeds properly
Foresighted hobby gardeners sooner or later bloom at their king's cabbage. If the flowering herb planted the bed, the balcony or the window sill, she did not shoot her botanical powder for a long time afterwards. Among the withering flowers, lush seedlings develop. These provide abundant material for propagation through sowing. How to win the seeds:
The small black seeds remain. Stored in a closable container in a cool place, they are sown next spring.
Tips & Tricks
Does your mood lift when you smell the aroma of fresh basil? Then you benefit from the high content of linalool, the good-mood substance from nature. The colorless fabric is contained in many essential oils and is now also used by the cosmetics industry to create mood-enhancing fragrances.
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