Growing Basil

If you let herbs like basil and parsley "go to seed," the plant itself will die off. It's fulfilled its mission of blooming and setting seeds. If you let those seeds dry before planting, they usually germinate better. YMMV

Basil takes a little TLC. I use regular potting soil and haven't had to do any PH adjustments, but I start from scratch every spring. If you've had the plant in the same pot for more than a few months, it's probably time to repot it. Use a bigger pot and fresh soil, loosening the roots as you transplant.

You can dig up outdoor basil plants and put them in a pot before the weather gets cold. Don't wait for the first frost because they will just die off. I always leave one or two to go to seed.

When the seedlings are about 2" high, pinch off the top few leaves. This will make it branch out and produce more leaves on the new growth. If you see flowers, cut the plant back or it will go to seed.

This is really important: never take more than a few stalks of leaves at a time. Make sure you leave most of them on the plant - a garden center woman once told me to leave at least half the plant intact.

I had a beautiful pot of basil indoors until this past January when we had an greedy idiot come to visit. I made fresh mozzarella and tomato salad, adding a few leaves of fresh basil. He decided that I didn't use enough and he hacked off a ton. The salad tasted terrible after he added the leaves (most were tough and old) and the plants died within a week.


Salad: Fresh mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, fresh romaine lettuce, fresh basil (chopped)
Toss with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little dried oregano.
Add a splash of balsamic vinegar, if desired.

My new favorite herb is fresh greek oregano. Delish!
 
I planted some basil seeds in my garden and the only ones that germinated were the ones that I pulled up thinking it was a weed! As soon as the roots showed, I smelled the fragrance.

Cilantro, which I don't particularly like is growing nicely, but not the parsley.

I'm going out to try again.

Bobbi:goodvibes
That's the reason I usually start seeds in pots on the porch -- so I can tell the weeds from the plants.

I've made that same mistake! Tuck the uprooted plants back in - they'll be okay. If it's a tomato plant, you can take off the bottom leaves and lay it a bit sideways so that the lowest part of the stem is covered with dirt. It'll put out new roots all alone the covered part to save the plant.
 
How are they doing?
We've been out of town for the last 10 days and we just got home this evening. It has rained while we were gone and today seemed sunny and warm. I'll have to go check the basil in the garden tomorrow and see if it is surviving. :rolleyes1
 
We've been out of town for the last 10 days and we just got home this evening. It has rained while we were gone and today seemed sunny and warm. I'll have to go check the basil in the garden tomorrow and see if it is surviving. :rolleyes1


I was wondering if you were okay or not Susan. Glad that everything is okay.
 


I bought a basil plant that was on it's last legs at Walmart for a buck, and it's doing very well. I'm definitely going to try to bring it in in the fall.

Bobbi:goodvibes
 
My basil & other herbs are doing great this year!!! My tomatoes are an entirely different story : (
 
My basil & other herbs are doing great this year!!! My tomatoes are an entirely different story : (

NOW, my basil is doing great...I bought a new plant, gave up on seeds for this year, but my tomatoes are like yours, just not doing well.

I'm in Cape May NJ now, and DMom has a few tomato plants that are producing, but they just don't seem as great as in the past. DSis brought some Roma tomatoes from her garden and they were just OK.

Bobbi
 


NOW, my basil is doing great...I bought a new plant, gave up on seeds for this year, but my tomatoes are like yours, just not doing well.

I'm in Cape May NJ now, and DMom has a few tomato plants that are producing, but they just don't seem as great as in the past. DSis brought some Roma tomatoes from her garden and they were just OK.

Bobbi

Bobbi, I spoke to soon...after all the rain & little sun my basil has taken a big step backwards :headache:
I have been using it for cooking but by now I usually have enough to start freezing it.
 
I am still harvesting oodles of cherry tomatoes that are the size of golfballs! This is amazing. I'm going to try to bring the basil plant in, but I'm also going to plant a few seeds. I've really enjoyed having the fresh basil this summer. I never particularly cared about having fresh herbs before, but the basil really is special!

NEVERENOUGHWDW: So, you actually just put the basil in the freezer? In Baggies?

Bobbi
 

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