Questions tagged [basil]

Basil is a culinary herb (Ocimum basilicum) from the mint family. Use this tag for all varieties of basil (sweet basil, holy basil, etc.)

Basil is a culinary herb (species Ocium basilicum) from the mint family commonly used in pesto and many other culinary dishes.

Basil grows well in hot, dry conditions and dies at the slightest hint of frost. It can also be grown indoors as long as there is adequate sunlight.

Use the tag along with . In addition, if the question is on:

Don't forget to read existing questions to see if your question has already been answered.

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What are the best conditions for basil?

What are the best conditions for basil to grow? I live in the UK and it never seems to last that long. Recently I've been putting the plants in the shade and drenching them in water, which seems to be working so far.
Dan
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How do I get rid of white flies on my basil?

I've recently noticed that my basil and other herb plants are infested by tiny white flies. They spread out like snow-flakes when I spray the plants with water, and there are scary looking number of what appear to be the eggs of those flies on the…
Kei
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Should I separate and transplant basil seedlings?

I have begun to grow basil for the first time. Basically all I did was open a packet of seeds and throw them into a flower pot that’s about 20cm wide/round. The seeds have germinated and have started to grow into about 1cm high little stems. So now…
Allison
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How to get rid of insects on basil while leaving the leaves safe to eat?

With reference to this question: Insect infestation on my pepper plant, what do I do? I have these insects in my indoor "kitchen window sill" basil and they do seem to be chewing it fast enough to slow new growth, which is annoying. The first…
Lisa
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How long will my basil plants live inside?

I have 2 basil plants that are in 8 inch diam. pots. They were outside but were doing poorly so around the middle of the summer I moved them inside. They are now thriving! I generally harvest a few leaves at a time while cooking and I cut back any…
DQdlM
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Saving basil plant after it has been sitting in trash?

So I foolishly tried to help my basil plant grow by composting in the pot it was growing in. Needless to say this made the plant sick and yellowish and the leaves that have turned yellow have a bad smell to them. I have since removed the plant…
daneil
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I have the flowers, but how can I get seeds from my basil?

My basil has produced very nice white flowers. It's still cold outside so I can't put the plant out and let nature take its course. How do I successfully obtain seeds from the flowering plant? Do I have to cross pollinate, or does basil take…
Stefano Borini
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Why did my basil leaves turn black?

I picked a bunch of basil last week so we could put up some pesto. I brought the leaves inside, washed them, and set them on the counter in the kitchen while gathering other ingredients for pesto (grating cheese, etc). Many of the leaves started to…
bstpierre
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How should I harvest Basil leaves as to be least harmful to the plant?

I have a small basil plant similar to this one: Mine's actually a bit smaller, but well. I cut leafs off it for cooking but I try to keep the plant healthy by not using up more than can grow back. I'm under the impression (I'm no expert at all!)…
bitmask
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My basil is "rotting", here's all the clues I have gathered

This is my third try in having a basil that lives more than a month and I've been rather successful with my last try. But now, for some unknown reason to me, it's dying. Here are many pictures of what I have gathered and my comments to help you…
Gil Sand
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My basil had a shock after transplanting. What did I do wrong?

First a little backstory: I bought the basil at a supermarket, where it came in a small plastic vase. I kept it in this vase for three weeks. During these three weeks, I did the following: kept it at the window, with an additional timer lamp to…
Stefano Borini
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"Softening" plants before they go inside?

I've just been reading some Q's here and through that, learnt about the need to harden plants before moving them outside. I'm planning to do the reverse soon, and move a small basil plant from outside to inside... due to it starting to get quite…
Tim Malone
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Is this plant really holy basil?

I bought some holy basil seeds on the internet and grew them. However, I think the shape of the leaves on my plants are more ruffled than those in the pictures I saw online. Here are some photos of my plant (click on the image for a larger…
lamwaiman1988
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Will my basil plant regrow without leaves?

I received a potted basil plant a bit over a year ago as thanks for some computer work. Not knowing how exactly to grow it, I kind of let it overgrow, including not nipping it in the bud at first. It started getting sickly and spindly, and its roots…
Sean Duggan
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How can I revive wilted water basil plants?

I bought these basil plants from the store. They looked a little droopy and wilting. They came with several bunches and they were half off and discounted because they've been there in the store so long. The instructions on the bag indicated to put…
chrisjlee
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