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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Basil plant diagnosis

I've recently bought a basil plant and it's having some issues I cannot understand. Leaves are kind of curled, there are tunnels on the leaves (which i trimmed) and i'm watering it about once in 3 days , it gets full sun for most of the day. I've…
NewbieAeg
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I need help with my first seedlings

The cilantro have grown a lot of true leaves but not so much the basil and oregano. I planted them all at the same time. I don’t know if im supposed to thin any of them out now and how exactly to thin them out. Also i planted them exactly 3 weeks…
Jana Brown
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translucent spots in basil leaves

Every year around this time I take my basil outside. After a couple of days maybe a week, transparent spots begin appearing in otherwise perfectly good leaves. Last year I had to throw it all away and start over inside. This year I'm hoping to treat…
filippo
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How many basil plants required to produce seed?

I have 5 groupings of basil plants, each containing between 5-7 unique plants. I would like to produce enough seeds (say 100) to replant the same total amount of basil next season. I have throughout the season been pinching out flowers to delay the…
jimmyjambles
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How long can I continue to pinch flowers from a basil plant

I have 10-15 50cm tall lettuce basil plants hanging in large flower pots over my balcony. They are approx. 14 weeks old. I have for about 4 weeks now been cutting the tops of the plants or pinching whenever flowers have developed. Assuming optimal…
jimmyjambles
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What is causing large white spots on my sweet basil seedling's leaves, and can the plant be saved?

Several weeks ago, I put soil and sweet basil seeds into part of a plastic water bottle that I cut. I put one seed in each of the water bottles, and made a hole at the bottom of the bottles to allow excess water to flow out of the bottles. Both of…
waffle.head
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What are these tiny reddish brown insects on basil leaves?

I have a basil plant. White tiny spots have started to appear on its leaves. On top of the leaves, there are also small reddish moving dots that appear to me as insects. Does anyone know what are these tiny reddish brown insects? Are these really…
joble
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What's wrong with my basil plant?

Any ideas what's wrong with this plant? It's watered regularly, gets sunlight, in warm climate. Just will not grow. Stems are woody or black. What have I done wrong?
DeedeeVee
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How to care for sweet basil plant in a humid climate, such as Hawaii?

I am growing a sweet basil plant and providing full sun and plenty of water. I pinched off the first set of flowers and pruned the plant a bit, but the leaves are still drying out towards the top. I'm afraid of pruning too much even though there is…
YBarkley
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Broken basil plant at the stem

One of my plants apparently collapsed under its own weight, and the stem is clearly broken, where the plant stem meets the soil (a bit under it apparently). I think that if I move it and twist it for 30 seconds or so, I may be able to detach the…
Stefano Borini
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Do toxic mushrooms that grow near a plant affect its edible / poisonous traits?

Some facts: I have some Basil growing in a pot, for the past 7-8 months, with some Thyme right next to it. Last week some mushrooms grew on the soil in-between them and under the Basil. What I know: These mushrooms are only the fruiting body…
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leggy basil with small leaves

My recently lush windowsill sweet basil has gotten very leggy after having been stressed by underwatering for at least several days (might have been as many as 10). While it was not dead when I got home, it was quite wilted and subsequently most of…
Jesse B
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Basil plants turned completely woody and brown

I grew basil in 2 different containers. I had a huge spider mite problem after I purched Miracle Gro soil in one container. Earlier this year, I harvested all the leaves off completely and leaves grew back. The spider mite problem somehow…
Lydia
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Will freezing kill basil seeds?

I've got some basil plants outside (Spicy Globe Bush), which have gone to seed. I'm wondering if there's any chance the seeds will survive a northern (USA) winter and germinate next year. Is there?
Brōtsyorfuzthrāx
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Is something wrong with my plants?

I've planted some herbs on my balcony in hanging flower boxes. I live in Illinois so it's pretty hot and humid around this time of the year. My parsley has been showing discoloration my basil has some kind of brown spots on some of the leaves. Also,…
adelejjeh
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