Dear Helen: When do you plant basil? The secret to growing this herb successfully has so far eluded me.
L.H.
If there is a secret to growing basil, it鈥檚 probably warmth, along with sunshine and a fertile, humus-rich soil kept consistently moist (not wet). I also find basil far easier to grow in containers than in the garden, and the small-leaved, dwarf types easier than the usual large-leaved basil varieties. The two best compact basil varieties that I鈥檝e grown so far are Pluto (William Dam Seeds) and Pistou (Veseys).
A timing that works well for me is a mid-April indoor seeding. Wait until air and soil temperatures are warm (usually in May) for seeding or transplanting into garden beds. Personally, I prefer to have the summer鈥檚 basil close to a doorway, in my case on the patio, for full enjoyment of the herb鈥檚 fragrance and for convenience of use.
听
Dear Helen: Are you in the habit of foliar-feeding plants? What is your opinion on the practice?
T.G.
So far, I鈥檝e done no fertilizing by applying plant food to the plants themselves. My fertilizing practices are fairly simple. To grow healthy, productive plants, I concentrate on maintaining the most optimum texture quality and fertility levels I can by keeping the soil nourished with compost and natural-source, slow-release fertilizer blends.
I must admit, though, to being intrigued over the years by descriptions from home gardeners about the health enhancing effects of certain foliar sprays on their fruit trees.
Most of them used seaweed fertilizer solutions on the trees. Seaweed fertilizer, usually made from kelp, is a superb natural source of many health-enhancing trace minerals and nutrients. I do all my indoor seeding using seaweed fertilizer solutions and I鈥檝e never had anything but good results 鈥� and no damping-off.
I鈥檝e not yet tried foliar sprays on my fruit trees. I haven鈥檛 had my old, cumbersome sprayer out in years. This year, however, I noticed small (two-litre), hand-held pump sprayers in both the T&T and Lindenberg Seeds catalogues. These products made a foliar-feeding experiment seem entirely manageable.
It will be interesting to see the effects, if any, on the fruit trees and maybe some of the roses of sprays using a blend of seaweed fertilizer (mixed at label rates) and a tiny amount (about a quarter teaspoon) of a 鈥渟preader-sticker鈥� such as Safer鈥檚 soap.
This opens the door to further experimentation. Research is being done on certain essential oils, tea tree oil in particular, for their potential use as antifungal and insect-repellent agents in plant sprays. I might try a drop or two of tea tree oil with the seaweed in one test foliar spray, and try it only on a small area first. A wait of 48 hours will reveal whether there are any unwanted effects.
Essential oils are highly concentrated and have the potential to burn leaves. When trying any new or experimental spray, always test its effects before applying it to a whole plant. I鈥檒l probably choose to spray fruit trees before their flower buds open and again once the fruit has formed and begun to develop.
Garden Events
Seedy in Sooke. The Sooke Region Food Community Health Initiative Society (CHI), a voice for local food, will present Sooke鈥檚 9th Annual Seedy Saturday on Feb. 24, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in Sooke Community Hall, 2037 Shields Rd, opposite the Legion. The event will showcase seed and plant vendors, a seed exchange table, a Kids Zone, and educational displays with information on many topics from composting to keeping bees. sookefoodchi.ca/events/SeedySaturday.
HCP workshops. The Horticulture Centre of the Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd. in Saanich, is offering the following workshops. To register call 250-479-6162. hcp.ca.
鈥� Hypertufa, with Paul Spriggs, Saturday, March 3, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Create a hypertufa trough in classic rock garden style. Cost to HCP members $65, others $70. Includes materials.
鈥� The Backyard Orchard, with Ryan Senechal, Saturdays, March 3 and 10, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Learn about cultivating fruit and nuts in urban spaces. Members $90, others $110.
鈥� Grow Your Own Cut Flower Garden, with Eiddwen Thomas, Sunday, March 4, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Find out what to do in the spring to produce a garden of flowers for cutting. Members $55, others $60.
