Basil growing help

[Garethobornechef]

Hi I’m new here so first post 😁

I have tried keeping basil but to no avail, I have bought from supermarket in a pot and kept on windowsill and watered. However within a few days the leaves go black and wilted. Any ideas of how to help this as love fresh basil?

[Bren In Pots]

With supermarket Basil you’re better of cutting of the top few inches then popping it in water until it’s roots, then pot up in compost. I’ve done this a few times with supermarket and my own seedlings and you end up with healthy looking plants.

Hope this helps.

[Ms-T]

And supermarket ones have too many seeds in one pot ..so as they grow , there's no room and they die.

Welcome to the vine.

[Jungle Jane]

Hello welcome to the vine Supermarkets sow a lot of seeds per pot & they’re too close together for a long term plant,you could grow from seed,they’re easy to grow,our tesco sells basil seeds near the fruit & veg. I grow two or three seeds per three inch pot,the stems have more space than supermarket plants,when they have about eight leaves you can pinch the tips for the plants to branch out,the photo shows what I mean. Very easy to grow

[nick the grief]

I agree take cuttings and root them. but once you've done that you can split the existing pot up - you'll never untangle the roots so just chop it in to 4 ( I assume it s the small pot about 7cms ( or 3" for old farts like me) and then pot those up into 4 pots. use something like a John Innes no2 compost with a bit of perlite in it will improve the drainage, but conversely hold some moisture - if you think these are 'mediteranean' herbs they get stronger flavour if grown hard and too much nutrients will make them weak and sappy.

Then make yourself a window box so you can plant them in there or grow tumbler in tomatos 1 in a hanging basket with Basil in there as well.

It also makes a nice addidtion to a salad so I'm told by Mrs G ( I find it wilts with the heat from the chips )

We'll soon have you making a veg garden and getting a lotty

[Purple Primrose]

Basil doesn't like cold draughts. Mine wilts and goes black very quickly if someone opens the kitchen window on a chilly day.

[Nicos]

I’ve never thought about rooting some in water.

I usually split a shop bought one into 3-5 different pots and water from below. Then just nip out growing tips as needed on a rotational basis.

[Garethobornechef]

Thanks for the responses guys, this helps a lot. I also have some seeds to grow from so going to try those also.

[Jungle Jane]

You’re welcome,good luck with them I was just remembering that they don’t like wet feet overnight,I water mine by just sitting them in water for about four minutes,they take what they need & then the top of the compost stays dry. Little tiny flies called fungus gnats can be a problem if they find plants indoors,they lay eggs in the top of the wet compost so I like keeping the tops dry so they can’t these are the flies in this link -
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=804

[Eoghan]

Tried repeatedly with shop pots of basil and never have had success. Is basil perennial?

[ameno]

Tried repeatedly with shop pots of basil and never have had success. Is basil perennial?

No, it's annual. Once it starts flowering, you need to keep pinching out the flowers, as once they set seed they will die.

Supermarket pots of basil are usually half a dozen small plants in a single pot. If you want them to survive, you need to carefully separate them and pot them up individually. A single plant wants at least a 1 litre pot for its final size.

They grow pretty easily from seed as long as you give them enough warmth, though.

[Containergardener]

I keep mine inside the house in warmest sunny windowsill

Shop bought I split up in several plants

I also sow seeds.