Poor Basil growth

[Marb67]

This year is adding up to be a monumental failure of all failures. Simple new pack of basil sown on the 2nd June and this is all I have to show for it. Why isn't it getting any bigger ? It is kept in the greenhouse with the toms. I may as well revert back to shop bought, taking a cutting and leaving in water to root which has been much more successful.

[ameno]

That seems about right for basil sown 6 or 7 weeks ago. It grows pretty slowly to start with, and then gets going once it reaches a certain size.
That's why I stopped growing it from seed myself. Takes too long. Now I just buy one of those supermarket pots and the split the plants up and plant them into three or four larger pots. Much quicker results, and they grow strongly for most of the summer.

[Marb67]

That seems about right for basil sown 6 or 7 weeks ago. It grows pretty slowly to start with, and then gets going once it reaches a certain size.
That's why I stopped growing it from seed myself. Takes too long. Now I just buy one of those supermarket pots and the split the plants up and plant them into three or four larger pots. Much quicker results, and they grow strongly for most of the summer.

I shall resort back to that method next year. In the meantime I may as well take a cutting from this plant to get roots. It will probably grow quicker.

[Jungle Jane]

You could sow seeds earlier in March,same time as tomatoes & peppers,they do grow slowly. Seeds last a few years,you get a lot more basil per penny & you get more plants whenever you want to sow. Grow from seed they get a perfect start in life,do supermarkets spray their plants with pesticides to keep the leaves looking good I don’t know probably.

[Marb67]

That plant has hardly grown a mm since I started this post. This surely isn't normal ?

[ameno]

You've probably had the plants in the same pot for too long. Compost only has enough nutrient for about 6 weeks of growth.

[Marb67]

You've probably had the plants in the same pot for too long. Compost only has enough nutrient for about 6 weeks of growth.

Do you think its too late to pot on ?

[ameno]

No, you should have plenty of time, especially as basil is compact enough that you can always bring the pot on if temperatures start dropping.

[Marb67]

Aaaaand again another perfect supermarket Basil potted on to keep going in sunny window and greenhouse wilting. Even watering from underneath hasn't helped. Another one assigned to the grave I think. I took cuttings but they haven't sprouted roots in water.

[Andraste]

How warm has your greenhouse been overnight Marb? Wondering if it might be a bit cold for them?

[Mark Rand]

Bear in mind that Basil really won't grow below 10°C and doesn't grow noticeably below 15°C. Night time greenhouse and windowsill temperatures are probably below this at the moment.

Other than that, it doesn't look too bad. just not romping away yet. It's certainly vastly bigger than the one's I've sown from seed.

[Marb67]

How warm has your greenhouse been overnight Marb? Wondering if it might be a bit cold for them?

It stays in the house at night and the greenhouse in the day when sunny.

[Nicos]

I grow mine on a south facing windowsill in a heated room. In winter it really doesn't like much watering…particularly cold tap water ( try lukewarm water)
I see you are watering from below which is good.

[Containergardener]

Mine stays in my warmest sunny windowsill. I always split the new plant up too and pinch the tops off popping them in water to root.
Only time they 'may' see the gh is a hot summer.

[Jungle Jane]

They sow a lot of seeds per pot to make it look like a bushy plant but it’s about twenty tightly packed seedlings. I wonder why it hasn’t rooted in water,maybe leave it longer?