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Hi all, I've got a question about growing Sweet Basil indoors. I bought a nice, healthy looking sweet basil plant at my local Walmart, bought a new container, new potting soil, put a spoonful of plant food in the soil (per the Miracle-Gro instructions) moistened the soil, planted the basil and a week later, my little basil plant had shriveled up and most of it died, I was able to save a single sprig, which I just plopped into some water; I want to see if it will root, so I can try again. Is basil difficult to grow or did I just get ahold of a sick plant? I have it inside, under some grow lights, (I'm in an apartment that does not have a nice sunny kitchen window, a situation we're planning to rectify very soon as we'll be moving later this year) What am I doing wrong? Any ideas? Thanks so much One more thing, I live in Southeast Texas (Beaumont), not sure of the growing/gardening zone...
Basil is about the easiest to grow, the fastest (I've noticed) to grow from seed, and the easiest to kill as a plant.
Growing indoors doesn't matter with the growing season. You have to mind the air flow from windows, if it's cold outside, and give it a pretty good moderate sunny or bright area of your house. If you have an area of your house that gets a lot of sun light or an place, like a bathroom that you can add LED lights to.
While growing plants, pay attention to the soil you're planting in, it may have some kind of plant food already. Adding plant food may kill it, if you add directly to the soil or to the pot. You would want to add a very level teaspoon to a watering can of about 8 to 16 ounces of water, and that should be used to only soak the plant's soil. In Michigan, during the winter months, I usually give a teaspoon of food to a small watering can and water all of my plants in the house. That's including any basil, oregano, or other herbs I have.
If you grabbed the plant from a store, feel free to cut at least a 1/4 of the top off. Also, if you plant it right after you get it, give it a couple of days in the soil without water. It's been sitting in a cup of water for weeks, so watering it right as soon as you plant it isn't really necessary.
Don't be afraid to clip some of the roots off either. Trimming the plant down or the roots can push for more plant growth.
Good luck! And don't worry. It takes multiple tries, even for people who state they have green thumbs. (I'm on my sixth succulant, because the other three had dried out and died).
Basil is about the easiest to grow, the fastest (I've noticed) to grow from seed, and the easiest to kill as a plant.
Growing indoors doesn't matter with the growing season. You have to mind the air flow from windows, if it's cold outside, and give it a pretty good moderate sunny or bright area of your house. If you have an area of your house that gets a lot of sun light or an place, like a bathroom that you can add LED lights to.
While growing plants, pay attention to the soil you're planting in, it may have some kind of plant food already. Adding plant food may kill it, if you add directly to the soil or to the pot. You would want to add a very level teaspoon to a watering can of about 8 to 16 ounces of water, and that should be used to only soak the plant's soil. In Michigan, during the winter months, I usually give a teaspoon of food to a small watering can and water all of my plants in the house. That's including any basil, oregano, or other herbs I have.
If you grabbed the plant from a store, feel free to cut at least a 1/4 of the top off. Also, if you plant it right after you get it, give it a couple of days in the soil without water. It's been sitting in a cup of water for weeks, so watering it right as soon as you plant it isn't really necessary.
Don't be afraid to clip some of the roots off either. Trimming the plant down or the roots can push for more plant growth.
Good luck! And don't worry. It takes multiple tries, even for people who state they have green thumbs. (I'm on my sixth succulant, because the other three had dried out and died).
What I learned about growing basil, is that it does better if you don't fuss over it. Let the soil get pretty dry before you water it, and don't fertilize it very often, if at all.
The basil I had on my balcony in a pot over the summer, that I watered a lot and fertilized - didn't thrive. But, the basil I started from seed indoors under the grow lights in the large tote, just keeps growing and growing. I keep cutting it back and freezing the leaves for cooking, and it just keeps growing back. I had always thought of basil as an annual - and outside, it is. But, indoors, it just keep growing. And, the thing I did differently for the indoor plants was that I didn't baby it. And, I have it in an unheated, uncooled bedroom, and I never worry about the window being open or closed.
So, in my experience, you don't want to baby basil. It prefers to only be watered when the soil gets dry. Then, give it a good watering and let it get pretty dry again before you water it again. And don't fertilize it unless it starts to look pekid.
I have only fertilized my indoor basil garden once this year, and it really didn't even look like it needed it then, but I had cut it back severely for a pesto party I had, where we harvested it down to where it just had a few leaves left on each plant. To keep it from going into shock, I gave it a good watering with Miracle Grow and it came back like crazy. In about 5 weeks, it's all bushy and growing taller than the grow lights again.
If your basil doesn't make it, go buy some seeds. It's easy to grow from seed.
Someone gave me a cutting of an Asian basil, and I actually like the flavor even better than the Genovese. So, if you can find some Asian seeds, I highly recommend it for flavor, and it's as easy to grow. The Genovese will give you bigger plants with bigger leaves, though, so if you plan on harvesting it a lot, it will give you more in the same space.
And pinch the tops back often, if you aren't harvesting it a lot. And don't let it flower - it will get bitter and die.
I also got a cutting of a basil that you can let flower and it won't get bitter or die, and that's a Blue African variety. It has a more subtle flavor, and you can also eat the flowers. It flowers a lot and is pretty. I have constant blue/lavender flowers on that plant, and I don't need to remove them, so I can just enjoy them. It's also a perennial, so it's one that can be grown outdoors and will come back every year. I just have mine in a pot indoors under grow lights.
I have all three varieties growing under grow lights on a dresser. That room always smells so good!
Just ordered seeds a few days ago. I think I will just wait until mid April and put them directly into the containers instead of trying to start them inside. It seems I never have much luck inside, but if I do try inside it will be just a few tomatoes seeds, Like so many, I can't wait for spring: we haven't had much snow this year but it has been really rainy and overcast. I guess us oldsters just don't handle winter as well as we used to.
Thanks so much for the advice on Basil. I'll just get myself another plant and try again. I did baby it, and probably overwatered it. I think I'll try my nearby HomeDepot. There plants look really healthy and strong. Thanks again!!
well my seeds arrived yesterday and I will start saving things like my egg shells this week. I am hoping the weather will warm up enough to start planting in about 4 or 5 weeks. Boy does that sound good: containers here I come. Of course right now it is snowing so it makes me want spring to get here even faster.
I just planted six Brandywine and 2 Mortgage Lifter seeds in starting pots, they all sit in my husband lamb shank container, we got this from Costco. However, I like the idea of egg carton, but ours is plastic from Costco. Maybe I can use that to hold them until the seedlings get bigger. But it has no drainage though.
I will start saving things like my egg shells this week..
Do you save them other than for the calcium for pots? Asking because why not save them year round?
Funny story, I placed an egg shell in a pot over winter and it was moved. I think a Blue Jay grabbed it. So I just crush them in the pots now even over winter.
I finally got fed up with my kiwi plants and chopped them all off. After 7 years on my previous house and 6 years here, I finally gave up the idea of growing kiwi in SoCal. Just wish these local nurseries don’t sell them, it gave me the wrong idea that we could actually grow them. My friend from work told me only people who live in Fresno can successfully grow them. Not a single bud. All leaves, but I like the leaves too. Just not liking them enough for my garden. So in it’s spot, I planted 4 blackberry plants, thornless type in a container. I’ve been getting very nice black berries from one plant. Hope I will get more this year.
Do you save them other than for the calcium for pots? Asking because why not save them year round?
Funny story, I placed an egg shell in a pot over winter and it was moved. I think a Blue Jay grabbed it. So I just crush them in the pots now even over winter.
I would love to, but I save more than just the egg shells, I save a lot of scraps, no compost pile and no place to save them outside. After a few days that stuff can give a new meaning to a fresh smell in the house. I may start saving just egg shells and coffee grounds after this season. It is way to cold here in winter to worry about going outside unless we have to, especially this winter.
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One more thing, I live in Southeast Texas (Beaumont), not sure of the growing/gardening zone...
