How do I grow Basil.

P

paddyjnr

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Ok I've tried everything to get my favorite herb to grow, I've surfed all the websites I could find and I still cant get Basil to grow for me.
I thought I had it sorted on my last attempt but no, I potted two plants together using "John Innes" potting compost, watered it every second day from the bottom using luke warm water as suggested, kept it indoors with plenty of sunlight in a warm room.
I brought the damn thing out the few days we had that were extra warm but the plant just seemed to get limper and limper.
I've tried this several times throughout the years and never had any luck.
Any suggestions what I may be doing wrong???
 
I've had the same problem, never got it to grow successfully outside. I've had a few plants on my kitchen window at different stages for varying amounts of time, never more than 6 weeks or so, can never get them to thrive.
 
I've grown basil in pots on the windowsill - they thrive for a while & I'm delighted, but then they start to get black on the stems & eventually die, over a matter of a few weeks. (What I usually do when I see it starting to go bad, I pick off the leaves & freeze them - they freeze very well & just throw them into any sauce I'm making)
 
falasarana said:
have you tried growing from a cutting?
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Each time I've grown them it has always been from a plant I've bought in a supermarket which has been healthy looking to begin with until about 4-5 weeks after I bring it home and then it begins to wilth and wither.
 
Caveat said:
Overwatering is very common with basil - it needs very little.
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What would be considered over watering Caveat as I have noticed the bottom of the stems going brown and then black even though I watered them from underneath!!
 
you need to keep pinching off the top leaves when its starts to mature.water every 3-4 days.just keep soil moist.no direct sun light
 
I would think you are overwatering it if you are watering it 'every second'!

If the blackness is soggy, you are overwatering. If the black is dry, its under watered.
 
Basil loves sun and heat!

It hates temperature change, ie moving from a sunny to shady position.

Black could also be from the cold.
 
find an established plant which is woody, and take a cutting (good this time of year, as there will be lots of fresh growth). place the cutting in a glass of water and wait till roots appear.
the advantage of this method is you are getting a plant that is proven to grow in this climate, environment.
have a basil from a cutting taken in greece and its thriving 2 years later.
agree with the earlier posts regarding water. hope this helps
 
TLC said:
... they start to get black on the stems & eventually die, over a matter of a few weeks.
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Too cold more than likely. Ideally, should never really be below 15C - if it approaches 10, it's almost definitely history.

Basil is not easy to grow in this climate - it needs plenty of warmth, a little sunlight and a little water and it should be handled carefully - repotted afer a while too because root rot is common.

Edit: crossed with a few!
 
Sorry my posts were crossing with others, must be typing awful slow!

See this helpful page :

[broken link removed]
 
Great stuff everyone, some absolutely fabulous posts here, I wasn't expecting such outstanding replies with all the post budget blues.. I am going to give it another go as I'm determined to get it right.
I def slipped up on the 15 degree rule and the over watering so here's to getting it right next time.
Thanks again folks.
 
paddyjnr said:
What would be considered over watering Caveat as I have noticed the bottom of the stems going brown and then black even though I watered them from underneath!!
Click to expand...

Thats root rot.they need very little water.water ontop of soil not the bottom.
 
yup they do like sunlight as does most plant but direct sun will wither and dry up the leaves.mist spray the leaves the day before you water the soil.
 
This flies in the face of "not too much direct sunlight" that others have mentioned here, but I had a beautiful basil plant for several years, I got it in a supermarket and I put its longevity down to the fact that I had it on a south-facing windowsill, so it got as much light and heat as it's possible to get in this climate. I wouldn't even attempt to grow a basil now unless I had a south-faching windowsill to put it on.
 
Be careful too what window-sill you put it on, I have found it to be very intolerant to draughts, so make sure there are no draughty windows, it can withstand sunshine but not baking hot sun. Also it's usually placed to grow on kitchen window sills, but how many times do we open our kitchen windows when cooking, just enough maybe to kill the delicate basil. Also try using it up within 5 to 6 weeks, and keep planting fresh seed in new pots every three weeks or so, that way you will always have fresh supplies.
 
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