In addition, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you’re potting them up in separate containers, one pot of basil should get you four or more individual plants. It’s a longer shelf life than pre-packaged fresh basil that usually lasts just 5-days but figuring out how to keep a basil plant alive will prove trickier than you likely imagined. Hey, so uhm I have a problem. If your plant is still wilting, check if you over-water your plant and look for any visible indications for diseases like Basil Downy Mildew or Root rot. Leggy plants with sparse foliage often look weak and wilted, even if the foliage is healthy. Basil Plants (Ocimum Basilicum) Basil is an aromatic herb that is used both fresh and dried and has been in the historical record at least 2000 years. The first signs of trouble are decreased growth and leaves with a cupped appearance. Outdoors, water evaporates faster, which prevents it from accumulating in the soil for long periods. If your basil plant is dying, first look at the growing conditions. Fertilizer Needs. If a late cold spell occurs, move your basil plant indoors … Plants suffering from fungal root rot may not survive. Once you have the root ball out of the pot, inspect the roots. Light. I’ll share what I learn as I develop my green thumb. Watering basil can be a very delicate activity, especially when we’re talking about indoor gardening. Can you see any specific symptoms like brown leaves, gray specks, round holes, or yellow patches? If you're a newbie at herb planting, ask for help at your local … Harrington's specialties include small business information, crafting, decorating and gardening. Choose a pot that’s large enough. Basil, as the majority of herbs and fruit plants really, requires some form of nutrients to be added externally. Cut back the plants by half their height once they are 6 to 8 inches tall. Start by taking the pot in one hand and gently loosen the soil from the pot, avoiding handling the leaves and stems as those are extremely brittle and will snap. If you plan to move them into the garden, make sure they’re planted at least 12” apart to prevent them from competing for nutrients from the soil. During cold months, that means it’s best to keep basil plants indoors and away from windowsills. Depending on where you’re located, a sunny windowsill may do well, but in northern areas, you’re likely to need to supplement sunlight with artificial lighting or grow your herbs completely with grow lights without relying on sunlight at all. Press Esc to cancel. After you see that your basil is growing and getting strong with beautiful green leaves, fertilize once every 14 days. End of the plant’s life. Plants may survive a light freeze. It’s inevitable that there’ll be some damage so the trick is to do it delicately so you do as little damage as possible. Basil is too-often sold at nurseries and grocery stores in cramped pots. Frequent pruning prevents flowering and subsequent wilt. The number one cause of stress and death in basil plants is overwatering. Her published articles have appeared in various print and online publications. Repot them in 4” plastic containers that have drainage holes and use a well-draining potting mix. Prune Your Plant. If slugs are destroying your herb garden, see this list of options to stop slugs from eating your plants. Unlike fungus gnats that are looking for wet soil to lay eggs, the Japanese Beetle eats the foliage. Basil is a warm-weather, fragrant herb that tastes great in many dishes—including the beloved homemade pesto! Is your basil getting enough sun? Plants may survive a light freeze. It makes it look lush, giving the allure that you’re getting loads of fresh produce with a cheap price tag. Basil is one of the most popular herbs to grow, but that doesn’t mean there are no basil plant problems. Since your average store-bought basil plant has as many as 20 plants in the one pot, you could get as many as a half dozen plants and they’ll do better once you give them the space they need to thrive. The foliage also loses much of its flavor after flowering. Before adding water, finger test the soil and only top it up when the top inch of soil is dry to the touch. Wet soil is the ideal conditions for fungus gnats to lay their eggs. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. If you buy a basil plant, transplant it to a larger container. Basil prefers nutrient-rich soil full of organic matter, and the plant can turn yellow if … However, the solution to this problem is usually quite simple: water, soil, or sun. Grasshoppers, in particular, younger grasshoppers that haven’t yet developed wings will linger wherever there’s a food source. It’s not like you’re buying basil from a gardening nursery that’s grown from seed, fed the right nutrients at the right intervals and grown under specific lighting conditions. A basil plant only lasts for one year, since it’s an annual herb. I plant a lot of basil every year, and every year a bunch of my plants die. You can save the clippings for kitchen use. Give any half-decent basil plant a good start in your home, either in the kitchen or your garden and you can significantly increase the life of it and the amount of basil you can harvest from it. Err on the side of caution and water it less. As basil is a sun loving plant, it needs a lot of light. Freezing temperatures kill basil. If you’re growing your basil outdoors, perhaps in a raised garden bed, they need at least 12” of space between them otherwise each plant will compete for the nutrients in the soil. A pot of supermarket basil is an almost universal starting point for timid first timers making an initial foray into horticulture. In fact, flower buds need to be removed as soon as they develop otherwise the leaves take on a bitter taste. Cut that back by half its size. Finally the stem of the basil plant will turn brown at the base. In some situations, large sections of the plant might be yellow or brown. Pre-potted basil plants rarely use soil that’s going to last a while. If it’s still moist, leave it until it dries. If you click one of these links and make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Trying to figure out how to keep basil plant alive starts with having the right nutrients in the soil. Continue to prune back to maintain this height throughout the growing season. Freezing temperatures kill basil. A pH of 6.0 to 7.0 is ideal. The Japanese Beetle is about a 1/2” in size, has copper wings and it can fly. Indoors, any healthy basil plant can get you around two months of fresh basil, possibly longer. Truth is, potted basil plants sold in stores are intended to have a short lifespan. Covering the plants with an upside-down box during late spring freezes protects them from damage. Some gardeners use basil for pest control because the strong aroma can have a repellent effect. When you’re pinching these back, it’s fine to go heavy because they are super-fast growers. Basil plants are very sensitive to cold weather and can die if exposed to frost. The most important tip about how to keep a basil plant alive is to divide it into as many smaller plants as you can. The most common cause of a basil plant dying is root rot and that’s caused by too much water. If that’s … It’s for this reason that you want to be dividing your basil plants up as soon as you get them home. To keep your basil leaves producing an abundance of flavor, regular pinching is what’s needed, starting from when the plant is just 6-inches tall. This fungus enters basil plants via the roots and disturbs the water transport capacity of the plant, causing slow growth, yellowing leaves and decaying foliage. A brown stem on a young basil plant may indicate that the herb is infected by the fungal disease called Fusarium. That’s terrific for those growing basil for cooking with, but for others who prefer to grow varieties of basil in the garden for the pungent aromas, or colorful flowers that attract beneficial insects such as butterflies and bees, pinching the plant back prevents flowering. Reviving Your Wilting Basil Plant Generally speaking, Basil is a very low maintenance, high yielding annual herb. Treating basil wilt immediately can save the plant and ensure plenty of healthy foliage for later harvest. They will feed on the leaves on the plant, and in large enough numbers, the nutrients they steal from the plant can be enough to kill a basil plant. Soil and Fertilizer. Just use your thumb and forefinger and give the leaves a gentle tug to remove them.