Basil is a warm-weather, fragrant herb that tastes great in many dishes—including the beloved homemade pesto! Plant seeds or transplants after all danger of frost has passed and soil is warm, and it will yield an abundant harvest within weeks. Keep harvesting the leaves to keep the plant going strong.
The most common type of basil is sweet basil; other types include purple basil (less sweet than common basil), lemon basil (lemon flavor), and Thai basil (licorice flavor).
Basil is easy to grow, but it only grows outdoors in the summer—and only once the soil has warmed up nicely—so plan accordingly.
If you’re planning on making pesto, grow several plants. For other uses, one or two basil plants yields plenty.
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My basil has blossoms now .
My basil has blossoms now . Wasn't able to harvest it before now. Is it still usable even though it has well developed blossoms?
In terms of taste, it is
In terms of taste, it is important to prune the plant periodically. Once basil blossoms, it becomes woody and the quality of the taste is affected with more bitter flavors arising. The flowers have pretty blooms though, so if your plants flower, create a bouquet.
I have had the different
I have had the different times that basil flowered, and the flowers are just as tasty as the leaves. The flavor may be slightly milder, but not as much as when it's dried. I think I actually liked the cinnamon basil flowers better. You just need to chop it up finely (or blend it into a pesto)
I have grown basil for many
I have grown basil for many years and have never seen what I am about to describe. First of all, there are a few plants in one small store bought pot kept on my table outside in Fl. Today I noticed that the stems were covered in what I thought were aphids but when I ran my fingers over them they didn't squoosh like insects do. The small "things" covering the stems, like an infestation, were very hard. I scraped them with my nail and they came off and I could really smell the basil. The "things" did not move at all and there are no ants present that could be harvesting the "things". It almost looks like the stems are putting out tiny roots that are harder than the stems. These hard "things" are present all over every stem and seem to have appeared over night. What is this and what does my plant need me to do ? Thank you.
It sounds as if you basil
It sounds as if you basil plant wants to spread some roots. It's doing well!
It sounds like Scale, it's an
It sounds like Scale, it's an insect and will drain your plant of most of it's ability to grow and will eventually kill the plant.
It's unusual on Basil but you can kill it with mineral oil from a garden centre. Do not just apply any old oil to your plants as it will effectively kill them as well, mineral oil is dissolved in water and becomes a white cloudy solution t can be used in getters or ponds where mosquitos and laying and it will kill them very effectively.
Spraying the solution on your basil will also get the scale.
Learn from my mistakes! It
Learn from my mistakes! It may be root buds! I noticed a lot of yellow & Brown egg-like things on the stems of my basil recently & panicked! I spent the next hour removing all of them, cursing any creepy crawly that was nearby, thinking there's no way I was going to let them take over my basil! Then, about 2 weeks later a strong wind took out half of my basil plant, breaking 2 of the main stems. I decided it was a good opportunity to propagate the basil then, so I made a fresh cut off of one of the broken stems & put it in water in the hopes it would sprout! (Success btw!) While keeping a close eye on my clippings (they were in a glass mason jar), I noticed...yellow & Brown egg- like ROOTS shooting out of the stems! Eureka! Root stems! They grew into long beautiful roots & eventually took root in soil. I later read that it's not uncommon for over-watered potted basil to develop root buds above the soil & along the stems. I think that's what u noticed, considering that there was a "strong basil smell" and I noticed the same thing when I removed all off of my plant! So, if u see them again, don't fret! Let it grow. Because your basil is in a pot, like mine, it will branch out where it can. To keep your plant healthy & limit the chances for pests, reduce the amount of water you give your basil to 1-2 times a week or water when the top inch of soil is dry. Good luck, happy growing!
I received a plant as a gift
I received a plant as a gift & it was doing well. I went to work, when I came home all the leaves were gone. They hadn't fallen off. What do you supposed happened to them?
There are many kinds of pests
There are many kinds of pests from beetles to critters. Try spraying with Neem Oil mixed with water.
I live in Long Island, NY.
I live in Long Island, NY. This is my 3rd Summer planting my own garden, so I am still learning as I go. The first year planting my garden, I planted 2 basil plants and they did wonderfully. They grew tall and lasted throughout the Summer. Last Summer I also planted 2 and one died shortly after planting it and the other lasted through out the Summer, but it didn't grow very tall so I didn't get much from it. So this year I planted 3 basil plants & 1 cinnamon basil plant. So far one basil plant & the cinnamon plant is already dying and the other 2 plants are starting to show signs of wilting. The leaves are turning yellish and some have holes in them. What can I do to bring these back to life? I planted them at the right time, I water them daily and the temperature is hot enough for them to thrive in. I can't figure out what it is that I am doing wrong. I haven't done anything different than I did the first year so I can't understand why it did so well the first year and why it hasn't since.
Basil plants can have a
Basil plants can have a variety of bacterial and fungal leaf, stem, and root diseases. Aphids and other insects may also cause problems. Check the plants for insects. Have you grown the basil in the same spot in your garden all 3 years? The soil may need a bit of compost and it is a good idea to move the plants to a different spot every year.
Your soil may be too wet.
Your soil may be too wet. Basil needs well-drained soil. Try watering every other day.
Started my basil from seeds.
Started my basil from seeds. They sprouted, but I think I sowed too many seeds in one peat pot. Their are so many little green sprouts covering the pot! Should I thin them out now, and transplant them in individual pots. (Doing my first container garden! Yikes!) if so, how many per pot, and what size pot is recommended. They seem to have stopped growing any bigger at this point. Overcrowding? Or normal until more mature? Please help!
Transplant them when they
Transplant them when they have 2 to 3 pairs of "true" leaves. (This means normal-size leaves, not the tiny ones of baby seedlings.)
As they get larger, even before true leaves, you could thin by cutting the weak seedlings to soil level with scissors. That way, you won't risk disupting the roots of the stronger ones.
Plant them 6 to 12 inchea apart.
I got Lemon Basil & Purple
I got Lemon Basil & Purple Basil today. Is it safe to plant basil in a flower garden? In addition, if I bring the Basil plants in over the winter will they survive for the next season? My USDA Hardiness zone is 7a
Thanks
Basil is happy almost
Basil is happy almost anywhere so it should be happy among flowers. Your purpole variety actually produces pink flowers when it goes to seed!
Overwintering is not usually an option; basil is an annual.
I planted basil and tomatoes
I planted basil and tomatoes two weeks ago. The tomato plants have doubled in size but the basil isn't growing. I pinched the tops just in case but no action. Help!
What do you mean 'prune above
What do you mean 'prune above the second set'? Mine already have more than six leaves, can I still harvest them?
Hi, Ryan, That means prune—or
Hi, Ryan,
That means prune—or harvest—above the second set (pair) of leaves from the soil up. This will help the plant become stronger from the stem and not straggly and top heavy.
If you have six leave on one stem in three sets, the advice is to pick only the top two leaves. You can eat these, btw. As it says above "Every time a branch has six to eight leaves, repeat pruning the branches back to their first set of leaves."
Hope this helps!
I planted some basil plants
I planted some basil plants from a nursery a week ago and a few leaves on two of the plants are yellow and have holes in them. I live in northeast Ohio. Can you give me a diagnosis?
It could be fulsarium wilt.
It could be fulsarium wilt. This can be caused by high humidity, poor circulation, splashing of water on leaves. It may have been on the plant before you got it. See here for pics of leaf disease: http://plantclinic.cornell.edu...
If possible remove the infected leaves, adjust conditions accordingly and see if it gets stronger.
I've grown several seedlings from the same set in one pot and often at least one fails to thrive: exact same soil, conditions, etc. I don't ever know why.
I grew basil last year. i
I grew basil last year. i removed the entire plant after the first frost. this year, there is basil growing all over my garden. i was pulling them because i thought they were weeds but the smell of basil is pretty clear. did the plant seed before i pulled it? and how can i avoid this this year. i planted them in a different area but i dont want them all over the area next year.
Hi, Tierra, Basil, being an
Hi, Tierra, Basil, being an annual, is not generally recognized as a plant that self sows from seed; the seeds would normally die in the cold/freeze of winter. Apparently the Thai variety is the most likely to succeed in surviving in a mild climate.
Did you plant Thai basil? If last year's crop flowered and the flowers dried up and, presumably, fell to the ground before you cleared the garden, then these might be basil. You might let a couple go/grow for a while and see what they become.
Or, clear the lot now and . To avoid the risk next year, if indeed it is basil, harvest before the plants flower.
This sounds a lot like the
This sounds a lot like the problem I had, but I sincerely hope yours is different. A neighbor gave me what she called mint basil. Well....it belonged to the mint family more than the basil family and I had it all over my garden for years. Tiny roots were being transferred all over the garden by our tiller. Wonderful in many dishes and soups, but just did not want so much of it. Good luck with yours.
How do you know when then
How do you know when then last frost is? I can even figure out when a frost is going to happen.
The last expected spring
The last expected spring frost date is an average date based on many years of data from weather stations in your area. For more information, see:
http://www.almanac.com/content...
I live in AZ and this year we
I live in AZ and this year we have not really had a winter I planted basil from TJs last year and it is still growing, the stems at the bottom are like wood but it keeps growing more leaves, some have flowered. I was told once the plant has flowered that the leaves will be bitter, is that true? I hate to pull it up but it is a old plant now and it is almost time to replant.
Once basil flowers,
Once basil flowers, production declines. Unless you are looking for seeds, you'd want to pinch off any flower stems before they mature and keep the plant pruned. As it ages, the plant does indeed get woody and there are less leaves to snip. However, you can certainly leave the plant alone to enjoy for its flowers and ornamental value!
I just want to ask if I can
I just want to ask if I can plant a stem of basil and re-grow it? I put a bunch of basil in a flower vase in the kitchen and it started to grow tiny roots. Can I put that in a pot of soil and grow them? Thanks.
You can certainly try! We can
You can certainly try! We can not guarantee the outcome; transplants are tender. However, if you give the shoot time to set substantial roots, transplant it gently into a loose-style medium (avoid heavy potting soil), and adequate sun, you might find that you have a new plant. Let us know how it goes!
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