basil tricks?
 

Hi all

i have little success with my indoor basil growing

The plants seem to get very soft & weary
or have pieces of the leaves drying out & browing

Any tips, best potting mix, etc etc

TIA

Niall

basil tricks?
 

"Niall" wrote in news:b9b5ns$6ae$1
@kermit.esat.net:

i have little success with my indoor basil growing

The plants seem to get very soft & weary
or have pieces of the leaves drying out & browing

Any tips, best potting mix, etc etc


Plenty of light is important. I can't grow it in the winter, however warm
I try to keep it, but it is easy in the summer.

What I do:

In spring, fill a pot mostly full of ordinary potting compost (I use
standard peat-free stuff).

Stick a layer of John Innes seed compost on top of the pot about 1-2cm
thick.

Sprinkle a few basil seeds on the top of the pot.

Water, then clingfilm the top till the seedlings have germinated.

Keep on hot sunny windowsill, water when compost is almost dried out, feed
when you remember, and chop bits off to eat as required.

'soft and weary' plants sounds like you might be over-watering. I don't
know about the brown bits of the leaves. Sounds almost as though it might
be some sort of infection? Pot plants inside over the summer can be a bit
prone to that.

Try again now with fresh compost, and a new (or sterilised) pot, and the
brightest location you can find.

Oh, I find ordinary green basil attracts fewer bugs than the fancy purple
one.

Victoria

basil tricks?
 

Niall wrote:

: i have little success with my indoor basil growing

: The plants seem to get very soft & weary
: or have pieces of the leaves drying out & browing

Trying a different variety is sometimes worthwhile.
--
__________
|im |yler http://timtyler.org/

basil tricks?
 

"Niall" wrote in message
...
Hi all

i have little success with my indoor basil growing

The plants seem to get very soft & weary
or have pieces of the leaves drying out & browing

Any tips, best potting mix, etc etc

Lots of light, and lots of water to begin with. I use cheap compost from
peat free growbags, springke the seed on a pot of this stuff quite thinly (I
use mixed variety seed), and sprinkle a covering of compost on top. I wet
it, and wet it again every day. I keep it on a well lit window ledge.

When it starts to grow, and gets more than two or three sets of leaves, I
pinch out the top growing shoot. Every time it tries to flower, I pinch that
out too. This will make it bushier. By the time I pinch out the growing tip
I can normally leave them to dry out a bit more, this seems to intensify the
flavour. Let them get dry-ish, but don't let them wilt.

Remember, though, that even good basil is pretty soft.

basil tricks?
 

"Niall" wrote in message
...
Hi all

i have little success with my indoor basil growing

The plants seem to get very soft & weary
or have pieces of the leaves drying out & browing

Any tips, best potting mix, etc etc

I use ordinary potting compost and it lives on my kitchen windowsill. every
few days I test the pot and it if it is light I set the pot in a dish of
water. After an hour or so when it is heavy I put it back up on the window
sill. I never allow it to flower and pinch out growing tip if it gets too
tall. I have had this growing for nearly 2 years now. I have once repotted
it and it is fine. I just pull off a few leaves when I need them. I don't
make pesto with it so it is enough for me:)

Ophelia
Scotland

basil tricks?
 

Thanks all

I will try your suggestions

Regards


--
niall

Ophelia wrote in message
...

"Niall" wrote in message
...
Hi all

i have little success with my indoor basil growing

The plants seem to get very soft & weary
or have pieces of the leaves drying out & browing

Any tips, best potting mix, etc etc

I use ordinary potting compost and it lives on my kitchen windowsill.
every
few days I test the pot and it if it is light I set the pot in a dish of
water. After an hour or so when it is heavy I put it back up on the
window
sill. I never allow it to flower and pinch out growing tip if it gets
too
tall. I have had this growing for nearly 2 years now. I have once
repotted
it and it is fine. I just pull off a few leaves when I need them. I
don't
make pesto with it so it is enough for me:)

Ophelia
Scotland