![]() To direct sow, plant the seeds 1/4" deep, in rich soil and full sun, thinning to 15-18" apart when the seedlings develop. In cool climates, start seeds indoors 3-4 weeks before the last frost, sowing them thinly and providing heat to speed up the germination. Sowing: Since basil loves warm weather, it grows best when the soil has warmed and there is no chance of frost. Basil makes for a delicious tea by itself, which is kind of sweet and minty, or add it to a pot with lemongrass and mint for a Caribbean styled "bush tea". It makes a good defense against hornworms, and I've noticed significantly less of them when I do this. Mint2Grow Tip: I like to plant my basil between my tomato plants. I also like to dehydrate them with my basil leaves, and add it to my dried basil seasoning. The flowers are delicious in teas, as a garnish, or in salads. It will produce densely branched plants, if trimmed regularly. Basil loves warm weather, and this variety is slow to bolt, as long as you pinch off the blooms as they form. Cinnamon Basil is even beautiful in floral arrangements. This basil is great for making desserts, salads, and teas. Not only are its stems cinnamon colored, but it also smells a bit like cinnamon too, with a flavor that is kind of spicy and anise like. Covering plants with a floating row cover for a few hours after thinning does the trick.Description: Cinnamon Basil is an attractive heirloom variety that boasts dark green, flavorful leaves that stand on cinnamon colored stems, with very fragrant, cute purple, bronze tinged flowers. The carrot root fly is a good example of a pest that might be drawn to a newly thinned bed of carrots. SNIP OR PINCH OFF: Root vegetables such as beets, carrots, onions, parsnip and turnip should be snipped or carefully pinched off at the soil line to prevent damage to neighboring plants.ĪFTER THINNING: Some gardening gurus remove all thinned plants to get rid of a scent that could attract pests. The other option is to thin greens when they are tall enough to eat – my preferred method for greens. Take one pass with the rake and then another pass in the opposite direction. RAKE METHOD OF THINNING: Lettuce, spinach and other greens can be thinned by hand or with a flexible rake. They will stretch out farther than the seed leaves and will start to exhibit characteristics of the specific lettuce grown. The true leaves will grow soon after and look different. The round leaves will grow further apart as time goes on allowing room for the true leaves. Seed leaves of lettuce are small and round in shape. ![]() If you forget to label the area (I never do that, yuk, yuk), you can identify the plant by looking at the true leaves. True leaves resemble the leaves of the mature plant. Usually true leaves come in a pair, although some plants develop just one true leaf to start and others get a few true leaves all at once. The second set of leaves is referred to as true leaves. Sometimes you can see the seed casing still attached. The first leaves that form are called seed leaves or cotyledons. For others, it’s best to wait until several sets of leaves develop. For many plants, it’s wise to wait to thin until a second set of leaves forms. WHEN TO THIN: Some plants can be thinned at a certain height. This reduces the chance that you’ll damage surrounding plants. When it’s cool sprouts will be nice and plump and the remaining plants will be less stressed if you get too close.īEFORE THINNING: Water the soil to make it easier to pull extra plants. ![]() More Thinning TipsīEST TIME OF DAY TO THIN: At the coolest part of day and 10 minutes after watering. Maybe even laminate the thing! Let your seeds stay put until the next time you need them. ![]() Go ahead, print out this handy thinning chart. No more fiddling around with a bag full of seed envelopes. To solve this little inconvenience, I created a chart for cool weather crops. Sometimes it’s damp out in the garden, or it’s an uncommonly warm day. Every fall planting season I shuffle through seed packets to find out how to thin the seedlings.
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