Every time I try to grow basil, eigther by seed or buying plants, they die. I've tried putting it in the sun,partial sun and shade. Same result. I do have some I planted from seed but they've been in the seedling stage for a month still alive but not growing. The only thing I can think of is, I'm watering too much or not enough. I'd really like to grow some basil and it's becomming a mission to defeat. Very frustrated urrrr. Could some one give me some tips? Please. I'd be so very grateful. I can grow any thing out doors but house plants and basil forget it. I don't know?????
Thank you very much for all the advise I've gotton so far since I've become a member. Every one has been so nice.
Thank you,
Thank you,
Thank you,
Patti
Why can't I grow any kind of basil?
Well... I grew three different types last year for the first time. I grew them from seed and I just stuck the seeds in the ground. My sucked down the water too - sometimes I had to water my potted ones twice a day. The ones in the ground not so much (course my husband mowed over those mid-summer which took care of that! GRRR>>>)
I used a guide from Johnny's Select Seeds and I will type the highlights. If you have a fax machine I can fax it to you too though!
Quotes; (a bit of paraphrasing too for space reasons)
"Performs best when direct-seeded into prepared garden beds when soil temp goes above 65%. Plant seeds 1/4 " deep, 2-3 seeds/inch in rows which are 18" apart. Thinning is usually not necessary.
Once your seedlings are up and beginning to produce true leaves, they are not meant to be separated or transplanted to other areas; leave them in clumps-you'll get a better crop and a much more attractive plant.
Basil, indoors or out requires warm nights and cools days. (me not have those in my zone though! LOL) Air circulation is important so don't crowd tightly with other herbs. Fresh leaves are ready to be picked almost as soon as they are formed. Resist the temptation to pick more than half the leaves at one time. Fungal disease could be a problem but not a serious one. It would be unwise to apply a chemical fungicide to anything you plan to serve. Remove any diseased leaves immediately. For insect problems apply 9370 Safer's Insecticidal Soap about once a week. Be sure and spray the undersides of the leaves.
Basils are 'big eaters' and should be fed frequently with an good, balanced, organic food like Sea-Plus Liquid Seaweed Fish Fertilizer 3-2-2. Don't forget lots of compost"
Hope that helps!!!
Nicole
I start my basil indoors, under lights, 6 to 8 weeks before planting out (they go out with the tomatoes, about 2 weeks after average date of last frost). I sow seeds fairly thickly in rows about an inch apart in a seed starting tray (I use a takeout container with about an inch of moist sterilized medium, holes in the bottom for drainage and a few holes in the lid for ventillation). When the seedlings have 1 or 2 pairs of true leaves (the first pair of leaves that opens are cotyledons, or nurse leaves), then I pot them into cell packs. I clump transplant them, breaking the row apart by gently massaging the rootballs until I get clumps of 3 to 5 plants, then planting them deeper than the were growing in the seed starting tray, up to & even covering the nurse leaves if possible. Water them in (use dilute chamomile tea or 1 T hydrogen peroxide per quart of water for extra insurance against damping off). Continue watering every 2 or 3 days as needed. Watering from the bottom (by putting 1/4 to 1/2 inch of water into the flat or other container under your seedling pots) is best.
When the seedlings have filled the pots with roots (knock one out gently to see if there are enough roots that the potting medium holds its shape), they are ready for your garden. I like to use a little time-release fertilizer when I transplant them into the garden, and if I'm planting in a container I always add some of those moisture-retentive polymer crystals (they help keep things from getting too soggy as well as too dry).
Pinch basil regularly to harvest as well as to promote bushiness. Don't just pick the leaves, pinch back the stems. Leave 2 pairs of leaves on the main stem and 2 pairs on each subsequent branch.... pinch just above that second pair of leaves. This will produce branching -- in fact, you can often see a tiny new set of leaves where the older leaves meet the stem, just ready to pop up & grow out when you pinch back the stem.
My basil likes full sun and does fine on my very sunny deck as long as I water daily (and if I weren't using polymer crystals I'd be watering 2 or 3 times a day).
Good luck!
I, too, have very good luck with Basil. I buy the plants, though, and have to water them often as it's hot here in GA and I have them in containers on my deck. They get morning sun and afternoon sun with a bit of partial shade. I have found they are thirsty plants. When I cut the tops out, if I don't need the leaves in the kitchen ... I put the little guy in a juice glass ... put it in the window ... change the water daily and let it root. Very easy. Then, another plant!
yes, I should've mentioned how readily the cuttings root in water! They're almost as fast as mint!
IO1, have you tried using the polymer crystals in your containers? You can tell I'm a huge fan of them.... :-) They're sold under several names, such as "Soil Moist." I got what I hope will be a several years' supply of them from http://www.watersorb.com/application.htm -- definitely a good deal at around $5 per pound including shipping (rather than I think $8 for a 12 oz container at HD). I've found I really like the small sized crystals for cell packs and small pots, but the medium are probably the best size for most applications.
No, never heard of them. Tell me more! Do I have to put them in the bottem when I first plant? Gosh, sounds like such a good idea as I'm always afraid I'll water too much/too little. Like I mentioned ... I'm a REAL newby to this growing thing, but oh how I love it! There's just something about walking out there and seeing those little guys growing.
You can find the medium size kind at Home Depot, as you may want to play with them before you order 10 pounds like I just did! Actually, I think the WaterSorb site has 2 pounds for $15 including shipping, which is also a good deal. Their site also has good information on why & how to use them. The little crystals look like salt grains but swell up to many times their size when they soak up water, and they end up looking like little cubes of jello. They release the water slowly back into the soil. I've found they're a good way to protect against over-watering too, as they help the soil to be merely moist rather than soggy. I love them in my containers, and I always add them to potted plants I give away, especially to novice gardeners. I mix them into the lower part of the pot or just sprinkle a little into the planting hole. They look odd if they're on the surface of the soil, although you can just push them down under if they float up. The polymer lasts for several years. Give it a try! You'll spend less time watering & have happier plants.
Critterologist, thanks so much for that link! We have so many applications for the crystals, I can't list them -- I've ordered some to try them out.
One thing I can recommend is the cool ties. They really do help keep you cool.
Those "cool ties" did sound neat (they're basically a cloth tube with polymer crystals inside, long enough to drape around your neck.... wet them, and the evaporation from the crystals keeps you cool for hours)..... I'm thinking of making something similar, but smaller, to use as a cold pack for forehead/eyes..... I like a cold compress for headaches (even helps with migraine pain), and I'll bet this would work well for that.
BTW, the guy I talked to at Watersorb was really helpful, and he even let me combine several sizes into one 10 pound order for shipping. I'm planning to use the powdered polymer for shipping rooted cuttings etc and on any bare root plants or shrubs that I put in. I'm watering seedlings less often this year too, by using the small crystals in cell packs..... In fact (to bring this post back around to the thread topic), my basil seedlings really love the more even moisture that the crystals provide & are looking even better than in previous years.
I tried a new soil other than the expensive Miracle gro potting soil. I Just thought Well I've got nothing to lose, so I tried this stuff called planting mix for trees and shrubs. I mixed it with the potting soil I was using. It drains really well and stays wet. My basil was dying because my potting soil was wet on the surface and bone dry undernieth. My soil was bad, I guess. But the new stuff I mixed WORKS GREAT! It's Growing. I have noticed that when I put the Basil in the sun, It wilts. Then, when I put it in just bright light and somewhat shady it gets perky again. I've got some strange Basil. Maybe when it gets bigger, it will want more sun?
Patti
I've got to try that rooting the tops
Thanks
Patti
I'm beginning to think the basil is sick this year. Mine is acting strange like yours. The leaves are looking almost dead and lifeless but then perk up. I usually use Miracle Grow, but opted for some potting soil for gardens as everyone always warns about over-watering. Always tells me herbs don't like their feet wet. *smile* Anyway, sure wish I had known about the water sorb crystals before I planted them! Went to our local HD and they didn't have any. Plan to order some on-line from above co. Thanks all!
I've found that herbs love to be watered, although many of them will tolerate a fair bit of dryness (but not basil). As long as you have good drainage, watering just makes them grow bigger. I water every day in pots (with moisture crystals) and 2-3 times a week for garden beds. Basil doesn't seem to mind wet leaves, either, but most herbs seem to prefer to be bottom-watered (I use soaker hoses in my beds). BTW, I like Miracle Gro potting soil or Pro Mix in containers, as these soil-less mixes stay nicely uncompacted (which means easier to wet and better drainage).
Have you tried Thai basil? It's very hardy.
oh, and for anyone who hasn't grown it, Thai basil has the most beautiful, big heads of flowers! Together with the slightly purple foliage, it's an outstanding "edible ornamental!"
BTW, I freeze Thail basil for winter use.... we use it in stir fry (love Thai curry, especially with coconut milk). I put a couple cups of basil leaves in my food processor with 4 to 6 Thai chiles (seeded to make them a little milder), add a tablespoon or so each of smashed garlic cloves and grated ginger root (a local store sells a crushed garlic-ginger mix, which works fine), and process until the mixture resembles a coarse paste. Then I add enough vegetable oil (usually 2 or 3 tablespoons) to moisten it well, and I freeze the mixture in ice cube trays. I use a similar method to freeze pesto, or a mixture of herbs for spaghetti sauce, or even individual types of herbs. What a treat in the middle of winter!
How many cubes per meal, then? Say I'm cooking 4 boneless chicken breasts. Or, could I use it as a marinade and grill the chicken? It sounds fabulous.
If you're talking about freezing just basil, how many cubes to use depends on how small you minced the basil (mincing compacts the volume), how full you fill the ice cube compartment, etc. What I do is to measure the (packed) basil leaves before I add them to the food processor, then divide by the number of cubes the batch made, and make a note of the volume equivalent of one cube on the freezer bag. Generally, I put about 2 cups of basil into my food processor and get 8 cubes of minced basil from that. So, for me, 1 basil cube is generally equal to about 1/4 c. of fresh basil leaves, which is the equivalent of about 4 tsp. dried basil.
By that measure, I'd say 1 cube would give you great basil flavor for your 4 chicken breasts.
When I'm doing Thai stir fry, I use 1 cube of the mixture I described above for 2 breasts plus veggies (serves 2-3) and 2 cubes for a bigger panful. I like the red curry or panang curry pastes (in the pouches) made by A Taste of Thai. I'm out of it at the moment, or I could check the directions on the back, but I'm thinking I use about 2T (1/4 pouch) with a can of lite coconut milk to make a big pan of curry that serves 4-6 (over rice), and I add 2 cubes of my Thai basil mix (with ginger, garlic & Thai chiles) toward the end of cooking.
Oh, that sounds awesome. I have to print this thread off. My only concern with mixes is that I'm gluten-intolerant, so have to check packages. If I mix something like this myself, I know I'm ok. Thanks so much.
I just checked, and there's no gluten-containing ingredients in the green curry pouch, so you're probably safe with A Taste of Thai. Those mixes are a great shortcut, and the paste ones always seem so much better than a dried mix. We also like Patak's line of Indian curries (in glass jars).
My sweet basil and lemon basil both did very well from seed in the GH this year. Tons of plants and no damping off. I'm new to having a GH and am thrilled with the results. My seeds are usually from Territorial or EONS and I always have good results with them. Less success with Burpee or Gurney's and Johnny's has been fairly good, although not as good as the others.
Wonderful information. Thanks, critterologist for the recipes. My parents RV a lot and the cube concept may be something they can really benefit from.
rosebath: bring them closer to the lights if you're growing them under lights. I am and mine were like yours until a few days ago - now they look like basil and smell good, too. Good luck. Easy with the water!