Basil is an easy herb to grow at home, and there are ways you can grow huge amounts of it without too much effort, and gardeners have shared growing tips for the herb
Basil thrives when you utilise a certain kitchen waste item to enrich the soil. Basil is a breeze to cultivate at home, and with the right know-how, you can yield an impressive crop without breaking a sweat.
Armed with top advice for nurturing superior basil, you’ll be reaping the rewards in just a few weeks, blessing yourself with a bounty of fresh basil for your salads, pasta dishes and pizzas. And there’s one particular trick that some green thumbs swear by. A number of home gardeners who grow basil have taken to burying teabags in the soil where their herbs are planted.
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It may sound odd, but there’s method to the madness. Spent teabags are a daily discard in most British homes, given our fondness for a good cuppa. However, this is a brilliant way to squeeze extra mileage out of your used teabags.
Here’s the lowdown on using teabags and tea leaves as fertiliser for your basil plants, reports the Express. As they break down in the soil, used teabags release beneficial nutrients that can boost the health of basil plants, making them a fantastic natural fertiliser.
There are several ways to harness the power of teabags for your plants, including basil. As mentioned earlier, one approach is to let the teabag decompose in the soil, allowing its nutrient content to permeate the soil and thus fortify the plant.
However, Amy Grant from Gardening Know How suggests another method: using teabags to water your plants. She suggests that you can steep the bags in hot water, let the liquid cool, and then utilise it as a mild liquid fertiliser.
It’s best to keep this concoction weak, as basil flourishes in slightly acidic to neutral soil.
You can strengthen this mixture if you’re using it for plants that prefer more acidic conditions, like blueberries.
Greg, the app that utilises smartphone technology to identify plant deficiencies and help users keep their greenery alive, recommends a moderate amount of tea for basil plants, along with mineral water and coffee grounds.
Gardeners on Quora suggest that potted plants such as basil appreciate tea-based fertiliser because it supplies them with small quantities of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
However, it’s crucial not to overwhelm your plants with these elements. Meanwhile, Homes and Gardens provides a list of other plants that benefit from tea leaves.
The roster includes begonias, daffodils, heather, ferns, and roses, among others, as well as certain herbs like basil.
