How to plant balcony basil

Variety selection

Common varieties of perilla include wrinkled leaf perilla and pointed leaf perilla. The most commonly used in cultivation is wrinkled leaf perilla because it has strong adaptability and is more suitable for cultivation in warm areas.

Sowing method

Perilla prefers a warm and humid environment. The lower reaches of the Yangtze River are more suitable for sowing in April. For home potted plants, direct seeding is generally chosen.

Choose a container of about 20 cm in size, and prepare the potting soil by mixing 8 parts of cooked garden soil, 1 part of decomposed organic fertilizer, 0.5 parts of compound fertilizer, and a small amount of superphosphate.

Sow a hole in the container, sow 3 seeds, then cover with soil, water, and wait for seedlings to emerge.

If the soil is compacted after the seedlings emerge, the soil should be loosened and the seedlings should be transplanted after about 35 days.

Maintenance methods

After sowing, place the container in a place with sufficient light. Pay attention to keeping warm during the seedling stage. The seeds grow relatively slowly in the early stage, so the soil should be loosened in time to maintain the air permeability of the soil. Pay attention to shading in summer.

Perilla grows vigorously in summer and has strong branching, so it needs sufficient water and nutrients. Therefore, it is necessary to apply quick-acting fertilizer 2-3 times and occasionally spray nutrient solution.

If the plant is grown at home for food, the leaves can be picked when they grow to a certain size, and the top that has undergone flower bud differentiation can be removed at any time to prevent it from blooming, thus maintaining vigorous growth of the stems and leaves. If it is grown for ornamental purposes, some of the stems and leaves should be removed appropriately to reduce the consumption of nutrients by the stems and leaves.

During the breeding process, perilla often suffers from powdery mildew, rust, etc., which can be controlled with 800 times diluted Xiansheng or 1500 times diluted Shigao. However, home breeding generally does not produce insect pests, so there is no need to control insect pests.