How to grow basil

Many of you have drunk tea or coffee fl avoured with basil ( omujaaja ), but I bet most of you do not realise that this is a spice that can be commercially produced on the farm. Basil is famous for its aroma.

It is professionally packed and exported to countries, like the Netherlands and the Middle East, through Kenya. Basil is a herb that is simple to plant, easy to maintain and even easier to harvest.

Different varieties of basil produce different basil flavours. Some are stronger tasting and more aromatic than others. Some varieties have a hint of cinnamon, licorice or citrus fl avour. Basil is one of the most popular and sought-after herbs today.

The crop is a warm weather herb and is quite tolerant to dry conditions. The sunlight requirement is preferably from six to eight hours of intense daylight per day to grow healthy.

In Uganda, it is grown in both green houses and outside. It also prefers a temperature of more than 50°F hence greenhouses can cater for the sunlight needed for basil since they use artifi cial lightings.

However, investing in a greenhouse needs some good money. A 20x10metre green house costs about sh20m to set up. But this greenhouse can give as much as sh10m per year. In a greenhouse, it must be flawlessly managed for growth, with steady temperature regulators, light and moisture. However, most of those who grow it in greenhouses export it to Europe and Asia and they say, they cannot satisfy the market.



GROWING IT

Basil will grow well in rich soils that are well-dug to provide proper soil aeration. Adding manure into the soil before growing will boost its productivity. The seedlings are expected to appear within two weeks. They are then managed for at least another three weeks before they are transplanted.

Outside, it is then planted at a distance of 2x2feet. While in a green house, the distance is about 1ft between each plant. When the basil has more than fi ve ‘true' leaves, transplant it to its fi nal growing area, where each seedling should be planted apart, in order to provide suffi cient space to develop properly.

Basil requires regular watering to prevent them from untimely blossoming. It should not be over-watered because it will become more prone to "damping off" disease and it will make the bottom leaves to become yellow. This means that in a greenhouse, use drip irrigation, which is set automatically, such that the water is constant and in small quantities.

The watering is also at the roots, to avoid wetting the leaves and stalks, which can promote fungal diseases.