Basil - indoors ?

[Kirk]

Can I pick up and put my basil inside - Kitchin - for the winter.
It is in a decent sized pot, just would be nice to keep it going and I can pull bits off it if it would carry on throwing out leaves.

It was a strange plant, Sainsburys have a Best Before Date or Sell By date on their herbs, this one had reached that date so was reduced. How can a happily growing plant have a BB date ??

Still it was big and healthy and cost 70p.

[muddled]

Yes, bring it indoors. It will be much happier on a bright windowsill.

[Nicos]

I buy shop grown plants and split them into 4or5 pots and then have one on the windowsill most of the time.
They do try to get leggy but if you use the growing tips rather than the tempting big leaves, the plant grows bushy and is way more productive.
Once you've taken all the growing tips, give it a while to recover by using the other plants in turn.

By doing this , one shop bought basil will last months of regular use!

We only tend to grow purple and Greek basil from seed these days and buy the occasional pot of normal

[scarey55]

That's exactly what I am doing Nicos, I love basil and, whilst I grow it through the summer, I repot bought basil in winter. Also, a little sprig popped in water will very quickly grow roots for even more plants . Did I say, I love basil

[Nicos]

Never even thought about trying to root it in water!

....guess what I'lol be doing today?!

[Alicante]

By doing this , one shop bought basil will last months of regular use!

I have had the same Sainsburys bought plant since June and I am sure that some people manage to keep them for much longer

[Bren In Pots]

I try to keep my plants going as long as possible because you can never have too much Basil.

[Nicos]

Maybe we should set up a winter support group for basiloholics?

[cariann88]

I never have any luck in growing herbs from seed or shop bought

[Noosner]

That sounds like a brilliant idea (dividing it into several pots). I've kept shop bought parsley going for ages in the past, but it was all in one pot. Never thought to divide it up!

[Tripmeup]

My basil sown way back when is still going strong.. Might try the rooting too.. If time allows..

[Mark Lottie]

Do you guys have any tips for keeping aphids/white bugs off basil kept on window sills?

We always buy pots and stick them there but within a few days they are covered in bugs.

The window and window sill is kept clean, we open the window occaisionally to air it and keep the things well watered but the bugs always come. We even tried soapy water sprayed on but that made no difference.

thanks

[Laney]

Hi Mark I'm new to all this jazz and have no idea other than wiping bugs off which you'll be fed up of doing, but what I do know is that when I make nettle soup (yum yum) no matter how much we wash the leaves they still have white bugs on them. So, several must end up going in the pot. Mr Fry reckoned on QI the other night that lots of shop bought food has bugs in it hee hee - peanut butter stuck in my mind

Sorry, completely useless post someone will have a great tip!

I think most are growing basil indoors on this thread, I'm wanting to grow it outdoors - LOVE basil and I want loads of it! Should be ok once the weather warms up shouldn't it? Or is this a definite indoor only plant for the UK?

[FlawlessVictory]

I have sown some lovely purple basil and their little heads have popped up so looking forward to them! Saw some Greek Basil in sainsbury's the other day on reduce but it was way past its best! Got another cheap mint plant though... Mint Sauce & Mojitos

[hellybore]

I think most are growing basil indoors on this thread, I'm wanting to grow it outdoors - LOVE basil and I want loads of it! Should be ok once the weather warms up shouldn't it? Or is this a definite indoor only plant for the UK?

Yes, it's fine to grow basil outdoors in the spring & summer, a lot of people just bring it indoors in the autumn to keep it going through winter on a windowsill