Читать книгу Your Herb Garden - Barbara Segall - Страница 43

Many herbs germinate quite easily, but some require special conditions to ensure a high success rate, and early sowing to give them the long growing season they need.

Parsley, perilla and basil all need warmth to germinate, and basil and perilla also need warmth as seedlings and for growing outdoors.

If you can provide a temperature of 18–23°C (65–75°F), basil and perilla will germinate in about a week. If you do not have the space and cannot provide them with constant heat before transplanting into the sunniest part of the garden in midsummer, there are two solutions. Sow basil and perilla later and you won’t have to give them house room for so long. Or, you can treat the basil seeds as a sprouting crop and make several sowings indoors on kitchen tissue. You must use seed that has not been treated with fungicide.

Place the tissue on a plate, wet it well, sow basil seed on the surface and enclose the plate and tissue in a loosely tied polythene bag.

After about a week the seeds will sprout and you can cut the stems and seedling leaves off to use in salads. Keep the tissue moist and the basil sprouts will keep you supplied for up to several weeks, depending on the quantity sown.

Parsley needs more warmth for germination. Provide temperatures of 21–27°C (70–80°F) and, once the seedlings have germinated, lower the temperature to 15–18°C (60–65°F) and grow on in a cool greenhouse.

Transplant when the seedlings are well established, but avoid handling and disturbing the roots, as the stress will cause the plants to flower and set seed prematurely.