Do you want to grow Aeroponics Basil? Read this article to know How to Grow Aeroponics Basil. You can hardly imagine a kitchen garden without the King of Herbs, Basil.
Primarily used with other family members like mint, rosemary, oregano, and thyme, it gives your dishes a fresh, aromatic flavor.
Basil belongs to the Lamiaceae family. And if you are a fan of this herb, then we have good news for you because you can grow Aeroponics Basil from its seed or cut on a Tower Garden using Aeroponics.
Why Is Basil Called the ‘King of Herbs’?
The term “basil” Ocimum basilicum comes from the Latin word basileus, which in Greek means “royal/kingly plant,” as it was mainly used as a perfume and preservative ingredient by many ancient Royal Dynasties.
It can give an intense, sweet, and savory taste to your foods, and its aroma is like peppery mint, which improves the mood of the person who consumes it.
Not even fresh basil but the dried stored basil can be added to Italian, Indonesian, or any other cuisine.
Its aroma and flavor can make any of your dishes a household hit. Hence, this sweet, savory, peppery produce is one of the most valued spices worldwide.
Why Should We Include Aeroponics Basil in our Diet?
Including Aeroponics basil in our diet will provide us with high nourishing substances like vitamins A, B6, E, K, and C, carotene, and minerals like calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron.
It is a medicinal herb for many diseases like worm infections, intestinal gas, small insect bites, warts, loss of appetite, liver detoxification, and even skin problems.
Why Should We Grow Aeroponics Basil in our Home?
The essential oil in its leaves and stems is effective against many bacterial classes.
A study believes it to be an insect repellent, specifically for mosquitoes, and its oil has also been used in removing pests from plants.
Why Should We Choose Aeroponics for Growing Basil?
Aeroponics is the modern method of growing greens and plants in a controlled and highly sophisticated environment, saving 90 percent of the water used in traditional farming.
Aeroponics has come to farmers’ savings in times of deteriorating soil quality and shortage of land due to climate change.
Growing Basil Aeroponically is super easy and more practical than any other method as you can quickly grow different basil varieties on the same tower.
How Many Varieties of Basils Can Grow Aeroponically?
In the same tower, you can plant various varieties of basil; some of them are.
| Anise Basil |
| Thai Basil |
| lettuce leaf Basil |
| Opal Basil |
| African blue Basil |
| Purple Basil |
| Genovese Basil |
| Sweet Basil |
| Dwarf Basil |
| Cinnamon Basil |
How to Grow Aeroponics Basil Aeroponics Farming of Basil on a Tower Garden
Aeroponic farming is a soil-less method to grow basil from its seed or cutting using a specialized nutrients sprinkler, and optimum conditions to grow them is in a Rockwool cube on your garden tower.
Optimum Conditions to Grow Aeroponic Basil:
The following are the optimum conditions to grow basil using Aeroponics.
| Temperature minimum: 20°C/65°F |
| Temperature Maximum: 30°C/85°F |
| Optimal Temperature for seedlings: 20°C/68°F to 25°C/75°F |
| Optimal p.H: 5.5-6.5 |
| Germination time: 2 to 3 weeks |
| Growth time: 4 to 6 months |
| Harvesting condition: when it has grown about ten pairs of leaves. |
Tools Required to Grow Basil using Aeroponics:
The following are the tools you require to grow basil using Aeroponics.
| A reservoir or a container to hold the nutrient solution |
| Tower Garden |
| Rockwool cubes/ Baskets to suspend plants |
| Mist nozzles |
| Nutrient Pump |
| Humidifiers |
| Thermometers |
| Air conditioners |
| Tubing to distribute water to nozzles |
| Gardening tools |
How to Grow Basil using Aeroponics on a Tower Garden
You can go basil by using two methods. Follow all these steps one by one.
1. From seeds
Many planters have said that the germination rate for basil is quick, but fresh basil from its seeds takes time to germinate compared to other methods.
Steps to plant it
- Add your basil seeds inside the Rockwool cubes. For basil, add about six to eight Basil seeds per cube.
- Germination will take 2-3 weeks and then 4-6 months to grow.
- After planting, essential sprinkler-type garden nozzles are used to pressurize nutrient-rich water, spraying onto the roots to provide tiny droplets of liquid down to 1 micron.
- The Temperature of both air and nutrient solutions should be controlled in the Aeroponics system for rapid plant maturation. The optimal temperature for air and nutrient solutions is 20-30 degrees centigrade.
- Humidity also plays a crucial role in Aeroponics; thus, it must be maintained in your Tower Garden.
- Roots of basils are very invasive; thus, every eight weeks, cut them in half. Once your plant has grown 8-10 leaves, it’s time to harvest them.
2. From Cutting
Basil is a very easy cloned plant and can be quickly grown Aeroponically from its cuttings using the following steps.
- Select your Rockwool cube and basil’s healthy stems with nodes with multiple leaves to duplicate.
- Cut about the middle between the node and the plant’s main stem and remove leaves to clear the stem to grow roots.
- Now add some of your nutrient solution to the hole in your Rockwool cube.
- Keep the stem of your cutting into the rooting hormone gel. This gel will help duplicate the plant quickly.
- Now keep the stem of your cutting into the Rockwool cube.
- Place the cube and plant it in the tower garden.
- After planting, start your sprinkler nozzles to introduce nutrient-rich water, spraying onto the roots of basils to provide tiny droplets of liquid up to 1 micron.
- Maintain your Temperature and humidity for basil to grow for 8-10 leaves before it can be harvested.
- It takes 30 days to grow basil from its cuttings.
Precautions for Growing Aeroponic Basil:
Growing basil using Aeroponics is so much fun and cost-efficient.
If basil is something you use often, it is the best way to grow it, but we must also consider some precautions to protect our basil from pest attacks.
- Always with the help of your fingers or scissors, twist the tip of the stems to promote branching. Regular tweaking helps to protect the basil plant from flowering.
- Basil needs at least 14 hours of sunlight daily, and temperatures should be 20-30 centigrade.
- Humidity is essential for basil to keep it maintained through a temperature-controlled humidifier.
- Use nutrient solutions rich in nitrogen, potassium, and calcium.
- Keep it pruned to protect its root
- Keep its root length half after each eight weeks
- Make sure none of the leaves is affected by any diseases. In that case, pluck that leave to protect your plant.
- Basil is a greedy water plant, so keep checking its nutrient water levels. It is suggested to fill up the nutrient water every other day.
Benefits of Growing Basil through Aeroponics:
1. Decrease in the Usage of Agricultural Land Area:
Aeroponics requires significantly less area of agricultural land in farming; you can grow a variety of basil within the same area.
2. Decrease in the Usage of Water:
Aeroponics requires much less water to grow, almost 95 percent less than traditional farming, which will be very good for Basil growth, a water-loving plant.
3. Decrease in Mineral Consumption:
Aeroponics requires less than just 15% of minerals than traditional farming.
Which at least wastes 40% of costly nutrients, saving considerable amounts in operational expenditure and increasing profits in commercial Basil farming.
4. Increase in Plant Density:
As compared to other modern as well as traditional farming techniques, due to small roots and long shoots, basil requires less area, water, and nutrients to grow.
5. Harmless for the Consumer:
Due to the closed environment of growing basil in a tower garden and no chance of contamination from soil or crossover nature, there is no need for additional pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides, resulting in a more biological harmless product.
6. Production Throughout the Year:
Under its optimum growing condition, Aeroponics Basil produces basil throughout the year, fulfills your needs, and can be sold in the market.
7. Additional Nutritional Quality in Basil:
Due to nutrient-enriched water instead of classical soil, fertilizer, and water combination, the nutrient value of Aeroponic Basil as compared to traditionally grown basil is more.
8. Decrease in Production Time:
The most significant advantage of growing basil using Aeroponics is that it saves time as the crop grows four times faster than the traditional method.
The nutrient-based water maximizes the growth and production of a variety of basil plants in less time.
9. Less Maintenance Cost:
Aeroponics requires less maintenance because no extensive human labor is used, but the chamber’s disinfection must still be done weekly or monthly.
Growing Basil using Aeroponics FAQS
Q: How Effective Is Growing Basil Using Aeroponics?
It is 95% more effective than other techniques as it uses 98% less land, 95% less water, and is 100% controlled, allowing basil to be grown throughout the year.
Q: How Does an Aeroponics Tower Garden Work for Growing Basil?
A pump inside the reservoir supplies the nutrient solution to the top of the Tower Garden using a small central pipe.
The solution flows down the Tower Garden, nourishing plants, and drips down to the exposed Basil roots to provide nutrients.
Q: How Long Does Basil Take to Grow Using Aeroponics?
Approximately 100-120 days using seeds and 30-35 days using cuttings.
Q: What Are the Best Basil Seeds to Grow using Aeroponics?
You can grow almost all varieties of basil using Aeroponics. Still, the best ones are Thai Basil, Sweet Basil, Dwarf Basil, and Opal Basil.
Final Word
Aeroponics farming is a soil-less, water-efficient, and practical technique that teaches us how to grow Aeroponics Basil using Tower Garden.
Convert your homegrown basil into a cash crop with better nutrient value for your home use as well as for selling in the market.
My name is Olivia, and I live in the United States and love having plants in my garden. Lots of plants are there on my balcony, indoor and outdoor garden also. Here I am trying to share useful gardening tips, how to grow and care for various plants, etc.
