The characteristic differences of the basil, growing on a personal plot, a guide to flower reproduction, diseases and pests, interesting facts, species. Since ancient times, in the territories of the Slavic countries, many plants that were used in folk medicine were grown not only because of their medicinal properties. But they also decorated their gardens and plots near the dwelling with similar representatives of the flora. One of such examples of the green world is the Basil (Thalictum) or as it is also called the Basil, which grows almost everywhere in most of the Northern Hemisphere of the planet, but some species have chosen for life in the southern regions of Africa. This flower can be found in many forests: in clearings and forest edges, as well as settled along small and large waterways.
This plant belongs to the numerous Ranunculaceae family and has a long lifespan. The genus is quite numerous, and it includes from 120 to 200 representatives of vegetation, and the exact number of these plants has not yet been named and is under study.
On the territory of Ancient Russia, this herb began to be called Vasilisova or Vasilista, because in the gray times there was a healer who healed the wounds of warriors with the help of this plant. And she bore a name - Vasilisa, often distorted to Vasilista, but who knows where the truth is? You can also find the name of this "green healer" - Veredovets, since with the help of him the vereda was perfectly passed, as in ancient times they called skin problems (boils, carbuncles, abscesses, and the like).
Due to the openwork of the foliage and the bloom in the form of wax on the foliage, this plant is often compared to the well-known rue and is even called "meadow rue" in the vastness of England. Also, one species of basil, namely the water-bearing (Thalictum aquilegiifolium), has graceful leaves that are very reminiscent of specimens from the genus Vodosbor or as it is also called Aquilegia, and therefore the basil grass is combined with them into one subfamily.
But if you look at the Latin name, then the basilist got it thanks to the ancient Greek words merged together: "thalos", translated as "green branch" and "icter" - meaning "pleading." The branches of this representative of the flora are very similar to the shoots of an olive tree, which are entwined with fluff and mean "a plea for protection."
Basil is a plant that reaches a height of half a meter to 2.5 meters. However, there are dwarf species that inhabit the tundra or meadows in the Alps. There, their height indicators can be 5–20 cm. Basilis grass stems are evenly leafy or can be bare, with all leaf plates located at the very base. The root system of the plant is branched and large in size.
Leaf plates grow on shoots in a regular sequence, they can take simple forms, be twice, three times and four times pinnate.
Basil flowers with multiple stamens. The petals in the bud are cast in white, yellowish, pink or light lilac color scheme. From the flowers, inflorescences are collected, also varying in shape: simple, and can be branched-racemose or panicle. The inflorescence itself develops both quite dense and loose. Many species do not have nectars. The number of pistils, as well as stamens, is undetermined, but there are always fewer of them. There are varieties, such as celandine or tuberous basil, in which the buds have brightly colored cups, but their size is small. And they tend to sink to the soil immediately after blooming or slightly later.
After flowering, the fruit ripens with the outlines of a multi-root. It is located in a sitting position on a branch or has a leg in the form of a column, which with the shape of a spout lags behind the stalk. Seed material is large and oblong in shape, 1 gr. such seeds contain up to 650 units.
The plant is quite unpretentious if you adhere to the following recommendations.
Basil cultivation technology, planting and care
- Location. It is better to plant the plant in a shaded place; in the open sun, the color of the flowers will fade and turn yellow.
- Content temperature. "Meadow rue" can withstand drought and frosts down to -15 degrees, but below it will require winter shelter.
- Watering. In extreme heat in summer, it is necessary to moisten the soil abundantly; on ordinary days (except for winter), you can water it sparingly.
- Fertilizers they are introduced at the beginning of spring, using complete mineral complexes for flowering garden crops, and with the arrival of autumn, it will be necessary to mulch the soil near the bush with the help of humus and peat substrate.
- Humidity leveled by abundant watering and it is natural that the plant should grow in a shaded place.
- Veredovtsa transplant and soil selection. Frequent transplants for this plant are not needed, in one place it can grow up to 10 years. But if such a need arose, then this operation should be carried out in early spring or after the basil flower has faded.
Basilis grass grows well on any soil, it can even live on impoverished ones, but it will still be required for lush flowering, so that the substrate is nutritious and sufficiently moist. Experienced flower growers recommend mixing garden soil, compost, leaf humus and river sand for planting, and also add 50–70 gr. any fertilizer in granules and complex action. The rhizome will need to be soaked for 2-6 hours in a growth stimulant (for example, Epin, Kornevin and similar preparations) or in a mullein solution, if the planting is carried out in open ground, and if in a pot for room, then only for 20-30 minutes. Then they carry out planting and careful watering. The root collar of the bush should be flush with the ground. For the first time, you can water the plant with the same solution in which it was soaked, but dilute it with water. In the future, the planted basil is mulched.
Recommendations for self-propagation of "meadow rue"
Basil can be easily propagated by seeds, using cuttings and dividing the mother bush during transplantation.
Seed propagation requires a little effort. Seed material ripens at the end of summer, therefore, at the end of June, the inflorescences are tied with gauze so that there is no possibility of spillage of the seed. Sowing seeds should be done at the beginning of autumn, immediately after they are collected and slightly dried, or right under the winter period. If you sow seed in spring, then they must first undergo stratification. In the summer months, it is already necessary to thin out the shoots in order to remove weaker specimens. The grown seedlings will begin to bloom as early as the 2nd year, but there is a possibility that varietal properties may be lost.
If a decision is made to propagate basilis grass with the help of cuttings, then they are harvested in the spring. It is necessary to break off or cut off with a sharp disinfected knife a shoot with a "heel" (a small piece of rhizome). The cutting site will need to be treated with a rooting stimulator and the cuttings should be planted in a place with light soil and partial shade. From above, you need to cover the basil twigs with a cut half of a plastic bottle (its upper part) so that you can subsequently air it.
When transplanting in the spring, the separation of the basilic grass bush is often carried out. In this case, it is necessary that each division has 1–3 buds (growth points) of renewal. Plants are planted in the same soil as the mother bush.
Difficulties in cultivating basil
Vasilisova grass is practically not affected by diseases and pests, however, when the weather is too dry, it becomes the object of aphid attack. In this case, the plant can be treated with insecticidal preparations. May be eaten by some species of butterflies, such as scoops.
Interesting Basil Facts
As mentioned earlier, many of the basil species are used in folk medicine, since alkaloids are found in the roots and aerial frequent ones.
Multiple preparations based on "meadow rue" are commonly used because of their antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antitumor properties, and they can also have analgesic, expectorant, laxative and sedative effects. Tinctures based on basilis herb will help strengthen the body, enhance cardiac activity. They contribute to the diuretic manifestation and stop the blood.
Often, drugs made from Veredovets are used for problems in the field of gynecology, acute or chronic infections. Also, the herb of this plant is in the composition of Zdrenko, which is prescribed for the treatment of cancer, as well as papillomatosis of the bladder and anacid gastritis.
There is a positive trend when taking drugs based on the basil for diseases of housing and communal services, jaundice and epilepsy, and it also gives a positive effect for headaches, metabolic disorders, weakened vision, is used for cardiovascular diseases, diarrhea or various edema.
Do not forget that initially in folk medicine, "meadow rue" was used for skin problems, therefore, it is applied as applications and poultices to cure rheumatic pains, bruises and abscesses. If the leaf plates are crushed and steamed, then they are used as a wound healing agent in the case of purulent wounds. The young grass of this plant is willingly eaten by livestock.
Types of basilis grass
- Alpine basil (Thalictum alpinum) distributed in northern Europe and the Caucasus, as well as in Central Asia and the Far East, you can also find it in Siberia, the Himalayas, in the lands of Mongolia and North America. Most often it settles in the alpine zone on stony soils, nival lawns and on pebbles in the riverbed zone. In height, it can reach 5–20 cm. The stem is leafless or, in rare cases, univalent. Leaf plates are located at the base of the stem shoot. They have petioles and leaf shape, maybe simple or doubly pinnate. The surface is dark green in color, leathery, but the upper side is shiny. The inflorescence in which the flowers are collected is simple, rarely branched. The length of the bud reaches 1.5–8 cm, they droop to the ground. The stamens are thin and filiform. The color of the stigma at the ovary is of a dark purple color, and the perianth petals have a reddish-brown tint, their length is 2–3 mm and a width of up to 1–1, 75 mm. The shape is elliptical, obtuse. Ripening fruits measure 2-3 mm in length, their outlines are oblong-ovate, with a slight bend, the surface is covered with ribs, they practically sit on branches.
- Basil (Thalictum aquilegifolium). Under natural conditions, this species grows on the lands of the middle, southern or southwestern part of the European region of Russia; you can also see it growing in the south of Europe, in the Balkans and in Asia Minor. For habitat, he chooses broad-leaved or mixed forests, can grow in clearings or open glades. It is often taken in places of growth at an altitude of 2500 m above sea level. Perennial, reaching a height of 120 cm with compact volumes, the outlines of the bushes are large and wide-angle with gray-green foliage. The petals of the buds are whitish or lavender. From the flowers, loose inflorescences are collected, large in shape with corymbose paniculate contours, with a length of 20 cm. The flowering process occurs in early to mid-summer (30–35 days). A leaflet ripens, in which the seeds have oblong outlines, large in size. This variety is winter hardy and does not require shelter. It may be a weed. The flowers have brightly colored stamens, and the anthers contain a large amount of pollen. Seed reproduction. It has been grown in culture since 1720. There are varieties with flowers that are white, purple, mauve, or dark red.
- Basil dipteran (Thalictum diptercarpum Franch.). The native area of distribution falls on the territory of western China. The appearance of this variety is quite graceful, the bushes grow to a height of 1–2 m. The leaf plates are pinnate. The flower petals are cast in lavender color, the stamens are painted in a yellowish tone. From the flowers, paniculate inflorescences are collected, measuring 60 cm in length. The flowering process occurs at the end of summer and its duration reaches 30–35 days. This variety has been cultivated since 1886.
- Delavaya Basil (Thalictum delavayi) mainly grows in China. It can reach a height of one and a half meters. The leaf plates, located at the bottom of the stem, have double and triple pinnate shapes. The size of the flowers is small, their petals are painted in mauve tones, and a beautiful loose inflorescence with paniculate outlines is collected from them. The flowering process takes place from mid-summer to the end and lasts 60–65 days. The ripening fruit has the shape of a leaflet, in which oblong-shaped seeds are placed, they are large. When wintering in the middle lane, this variety requires light shelter. This is the most decorative variety among all basilists.
- Basil yellow (Thalictum flavum) most of all found in the territories of Eurasia with a temperate climate. Likes to settle along the banks of waterways and on flooded meadow areas, prefers shrub thickets or open lands, with well-moistened and drained soil. The stem can reach a height of 60–150 cm, and in rare cases, even 180 cm. Its surface is striated, bare, leafing is uniform. The leaf plates deviate from the stem, and the lower ones are distinguished by the presence of petioles with a length of 2–6 cm. Those that grow at the top of the stem are mostly sessile and gradually decrease in size towards the very top. The shape of the leaves is triangular, they can reach 10–20 cm in length and 7–15 cm in width. The leaves are obovate at the top with a length of up to 2–4 cm and a width of only 1–3 cm. At the base, they have rounded-wedge-shaped shapes, and at the top, the shape is three-lobed or three-toothed. The surface is dull greenish on top, and the reverse side is in a lighter tone. Pedicels of yellow buds can reach 2–5 mm, they are twisted at the ends of the shoots, gathering in inflorescences. It is dense and often has corymbose panicle outlines. The length of the inflorescence reaches 6–15 cm with a width of 2.5–7 cm. The stamens are yellow in color and measure 5–7 cm in length, their appearance is erect, and the anthers are devoid of sharpness at the tops. The fruit is an achene, with an ovoid seating shape, grows obtuse ribbed, having a straight spout on the peduncle up to 1 mm. Blooms in summer.
- Tuberous Basil (Thalictum tuberosum) found in the lands of southwestern France and in Spain. The stem can be up to half a meter in height. The name of the variety was due to the possession of a tuberous thickened rhizome and finely dissected leaf blades. It blooms in the summer, and the buds are snow-white. Openwork inflorescences are collected from flowers.
Learn more about the basilist from this story:
