Basil is a medicinal and edible aromatic plant, with a taste like fennel, the whole plant is small, the leaves are green, the flowers are bright, and the fragrance is overflowing. This herb is native to tropical Asia and is very sensitive to cold. It grows best in hot and dry environments. Basil has a strong, pungent, and fragrant smell, and most common species are sparsely pilose.
Basil morphological characteristics
Basil has a conical taproot and dense fibrous roots growing from it. The stem is erect, blunt quadrangular, the upper part is microgroove, the base is glabrous, and the upper part is puberulent, green, often dyed red and many branches.
The leaves are ovoid to ovoid-oblong, 2.5 to 5 cm long, 1 to 2.5 cm wide, apex slightly obtuse or sharply pointed, attenuated at the base, with irregular teeth or nearly entire edges, nearly glabrous on both sides. The lower face is the glandular point, the lateral veins are 3 to 4 pairs, and the midvein is flat on the top and the bottom is more or less obvious.
Racemes are terminally born on stems and branches. Each part is puberulent, usually 10-20 cm long. It is composed of many six-flowered alternately opposed ring cymes. The lower ring cymes are far away and can reach each other. 2 cm, the upper ring umbrella inflorescence is close; the bracts are small, oblanceolate, 5-8 mm long, shorter than the ring umbrella inflorescence, and the tip is sharp. Its edges are ciliated and often colored; its peduncle is very conspicuous, about 3 mm long in flower, and elongated in fruit, about 5 mm long, and the apex is recurved.
Basil growth habit and growing environment and distribution
Basil is native to Africa, America, and tropical Asia. China is mainly distributed in Xinjiang, Jilin, Hebei, Henan, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Taiwan, Guizhou, Yunnan and Sichuan. There are also warm regions from Africa to Asia.
Basil likes a warm and humid climate, not tolerant of cold, drought, and waterlogging. It is best to use well-drained, fertile sandy loam or humus loam.
Basil efficacy and role
The basil leaves are oval and pointed, and the flowers are purple-white. The leaves and flowers can be distilled to obtain a transparent and colorless essential oil. The fragrance is very similar to a combination of cloves and pine needles. It is a huge family. Different kinds of basil are named for their characteristic or unique aroma. Many studies of basil focus on the extraction and composition analysis of spices. It is mainly used in Italian, French, and Greek cuisine, and is often used in Eastern Indian and Thai cuisine. Basil is generally cultivated as a vegetable in China, and it has a lot of room for development as a new type of special vegetable.
Edible value
The young leaves are edible, and can also be used to make tea. It has the effects of driving wind, aroma, stomach, and sweating. It can be used as a seasoning for pizza, pasta sauce, sauSage herb, soup, tomato juice, drenching sauce, and salad. Many Italian chefs often use basil instead of pizza herbs. It is also a commonly used seasoning in Thai cooking. Dry basil can be combined with 3 tablespoons of lavender, mint, marjoram, and lemon verbena to make decompression herbal tea.
Basil is very suitable for pairing with tomatoes, whether it is cooking, soup or sauce, the flavor is very unique. It can be used as a seasoning for pizza, pasta sauce, sauSage herb, soup, tomato juice, drenching sauce, and salad. Basil can also be mixed with oregano, thyme, and Sage herb to add to hot dogs, sauSage herbs, sauces, or pizza sauce for a very rich taste.
Basil cultivation
Choose a place
Basil is a deep-rooted plant, and its roots can penetrate 50-100 cm into the soil. Therefore, it is advisable to choose a sandy loam with good drainage and fertile loose soil. Before planting, apply foot base fertilizer, level, and rake, and make a flat or high border of about 130 cm.
Nursery
Since the frost-free period is short, it is necessary to harvest seeds for open field cultivation and production. The seedlings must be raised in the greenhouse or greenhouse. Seedlings are usually planted in mid-to-late April. Put the seeds in a gauze bag, shake off the water vigorously, cover it with a wet towel or gauze, keep it warm and moisturize it, and place it at a temperature of about 25°C for sprouting.
In the process of accelerating germination, rinse with clean water once a day to control the cleansing. If the amount of seeds is large, turn 1 or 2 times a day to balance the temperature and make the germination neat. The temperature in the early stage of germination can be slightly higher to promote germination. When the buds are about to emerge (the seeds will open their mouths), the temperature should drop by 3 to 5°C to make the buds thick and tidy. After the buds have emerged, if you encounter special weather, you can move the buds to a place at 5-10°C to control the growth of the buds and wait for sowing.