Basil of the Orion variety is a medium-maturing aromatic plant with a strong pepper aroma and purple leaves rich in anthocyanin pigment. The plant is upright, reaching up to 65 cm in height, has medium compactness and semi-erect stems. The leaves are small, elongated egg-shaped with finely serrated edges, colored blue-green with a purple tint. Flowers are lilac. The mass of one plant is 100-120 grams, and the yield of greens reaches 1.8 kg per square meter.
The Orion variety is intended for growing in garden and vegetable plots, household, and small-scale farming enterprises. The plant is sun-loving and heat-loving, does not tolerate frost, so it is recommended to grow it through seedlings in protected ground or in a sunny, windless place in open ground. Sowing seeds is carried out at the end of March – beginning of April to a depth of 0.5-1 cm, and planting seedlings in a greenhouse – at the end of May, and in open ground – at the beginning of June after the end of spring frosts. The optimal planting scheme is 30x10 cm.
Leaves and young shoots of Orion basil are widely used fresh and dried as a seasoning and aromatic additive to salads, first and second courses, as well as for various preparations and canning. In addition to culinary applications, basil has medicinal properties, including soothing and anti-inflammatory effects. The harvest is collected at the beginning of flowering in dry weather, and at the first collection, it is recommended to leave leaves on the lower part of the plant for the regrowth of shoots.
