I haven't got a green house, but I would like to try basil in the
allotment. Has anyone grown it outside, and is it a success?

Peter

--
It is necessary for the good man to do nothing for evil to triumph.

Attributed to Edmund Burke 1729 - 1797

On 01/04/2012 09:21, Peter James wrote:
I haven't got a green house, but I would like to try basil in the
allotment. Has anyone grown it outside, and is it a success?

Peter


I've tried several times and it has always been a dismal failure. Don't
know if it is due to the lack of heat or what. It grows very slowly and
seems to struggle. Nothing like the lush bunches in supermarkets that
are presumably grown under glass or in warmer climates.

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David in Normandy.
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I agree it's more likely to succeed on a sunny windowsill.
Unlike the mediterranean herbs, I haven't found that basil needs good drainage, and it, and it seems to need quite a lot of water.

On Apr 1, 9:44*am, Sacha wrote:
On 2012-04-01 08:41:28 +0100, David in Normandy
said:

On 01/04/2012 09:21, Peter James wrote:
I haven't got a green house, but I would like to try basil in the
allotment. *Has anyone grown it outside, and is it a success?

Peter

I've tried several times and it has always been a dismal failure. Don't
know if it is due to the lack of heat or what. It grows very slowly and
seems to struggle. Nothing like the lush bunches in supermarkets that
are presumably grown under glass or in warmer climates.

It needs a lot of warmth to get it growing strongly. *It may be better
to try it on a sunny window sill where it's in sunshine most of the
day. *But watering should be kept to a minimum and drainage should be
very good.

I grow basil in soil thats always sodden, and often partly
waterlogged. It loves it.


NT

The past couple of years I've bought a pot from Lidl's and kept it in a sunny window sill and lightly watered it daily. It grew very well in the warmer months and quickly needed a bigger pot, but as soon as I took it outside it died within a couple of days.

In January this year I kept one in the same sunny spot inside and it died quite quickly, probably due to the cold air and lack of watering.

Fingers crossed this latest one will fair better.