Basil Problems.

[adjohnson1971]

I've never had much luck growing basil. Have tried again this year and around 4 weeks ago I planted some seeds in a pot of compost, placed a food bag over the top and left the pot on a window sill. Everything was fine, seeds germinated and around 2 weeks ago I placed the pots into the greenhouse. I warm the greenhouse at night in case of frost. Yesterday, I removed the food bags to make sure the compost hadn't dried out and Most of the seedlings were dead!!! It looks as if they have "rotted" away?? They are all brown and shrivelled up??? Has having the bags over the top made it to humid?? HELP!!!!!!!!

[rana]

I've found basil pretty tricky to get from seed to maturity, I think it needs to grow in constant mild to warm conditions. Not easy at this time of year. I have given up with seeds and now just buy a pot of rooted culinary basil from the shops (eg Lidl). It usually comes with crowded well developed roots and is easy enough to split, pot up and grow on; and someone else has done the tricky bit.

A pot of culinary basil can be bought for less than the cost of a packet of seeds and will provide 3 or 4 healthy plants- so it really is a no brainer..........

[TEB]

I've never had much luck growing basil. Have tried again this year and around 4 weeks ago I planted some seeds in a pot of compost, placed a food bag over the top and left the pot on a window sill. Everything was fine, seeds germinated and around 2 weeks ago I placed the pots into the greenhouse. I warm the greenhouse at night in case of frost. Yesterday, I removed the food bags to make sure the compost hadn't dried out and Most of the seedlings were dead!!! It looks as if they have "rotted" away?? They are all brown and shrivelled up??? Has having the bags over the top made it to humid?? HELP!!!!!!!!

Sounds like they suffered damping off Royal Horticultural Society - Gardening Advice: Damping Off, once germinated take the cover off them

[selfraising]

Hmmm I didn't cover my basil when I sowed them, except with a small sprinkling of vermiculite. I then put the pots on my bedroom windowsill, they seem to be doing fine so far!

[faerieprincess]

I got some free seeds of Basil, so I might try germinating them without the covers then. Although I might wait until it's a little bit warmer, the windows get really cold and damp at night!!!!

[Alison]

Even though you keep your greenhouse frost free it could well be too cold for basil at this time of year. I only tend to grow it on the kitchen window ledge as I find it doesn't do too well outside, even in summer. Even inside the house, I make sure I move it off the window ledge if the night is cold as it can cause it to wilt.

[zazen999]

I sprinkled some basil seeds a the base of my early tom last year and it's still growing. Went a bit spindly over the winter [I expected it to die] and it's growing back now.

If you start it off pretty hard [ie outdoors] it seems it can survive longer than you think.

[MrsC]

Don't put it in the greenhouse until summer, heated or not to keep the frost away it will die. I sowed some seeds 10 days ago in a heated propagator, they're about 1" now and strong and healthy. It's not hard to grow Basil, I know lots of people have problems but as long as it warm and kept indoors at this time of year it will do fine. Which variety did you sow?

[MrsC]

Forgot to add take off the bag once germinated and don't water from the top, it really doesn't like it. You can take cuttings from shop bought also, place in water and pot on after about 10 days

[raine]

How do i take cuttings? i love basil!

[MrsC]

Cut off the tip and place in water, it'll root and then pot on

[abby]

Great Basil Advice..

This is all great basil advice I have been trying to keep a supermarket bought plant alive on my window sill and I will now move it on colder nights, is it best to re-pot them into larger pots as they look so over crowded ?.And the tip about watering from the bottom that is another thing this newbie gardener didn't know. I just love this site

[Bren In Pots]

I grow mine on the kitchen window along with my tomatoes, like the others I keep them covered up only until I can see a bit of green.

[BayViewPlot]

I never grow from seed now, rooting cuttings is so easy!

bvp

[MrsC]

I never grow from seed now, rooting cuttings is so easy!

bvp

Hi BVP it is easy with cuttings, but try the seeds, it really is just as easy and you can grow so many more varities