basil leaves turning silver

[chefgage]

Recently bought a basil plant from the supermarket to pot up and put on a window sill. The plant was doing well but now alot of the leaves are turning a silver colour. Any ideas what this could be?

[Nicos]

Overwatering?
Too close to the chill of the glass during the night???

[chefgage]

The overwatering bit might definetly be true. I sometimes get a bit heavy handed with the watering can. I will cut back on the amount of watering and see how that goes.

[scarey55]

I would tend to agree with overwatering. Basil are a Mediterranean plant and can survive quite dry conditions. Have you just put them all in the same pot or split them up. They often work better if they are split into separate pots.

[chefgage]

I would tend to agree with overwatering. Basil are a Mediterranean plant and can survive quite dry conditions. Have you just put them all in the same pot or split them up. They often work better if they are split into separate pots.

i basically just repotted the pot i bought from the supermarket

[scarey55]

Shop bought basil is usually a lot of small plants potted together to make them look all bushy and healthy and you can often tease them apart and plant them all individually. If the plant is a bit sickly, best wait for it to perk up before you do anything. Cuttings root really easily in water too

[chefgage]

Ah I see. I thought it was just one plant. The next time i will try separating them out.

[Nicos]

Not too late to split it into 5 pots!..they may actually thank you

[whiskyman]

I had one that the leaves turned a bronze/golden colour. I googled but couldn't find the cause so put it down to maybe the spraying of air freshener or something. It was kept on the kitchen window.

[cilla]

I read somewhere (could have been here on forum) that you cut the basil you want to the next shoot growing instead of just picking the leaves. This helps it from growing too tall and gives the young shoots a chance to grow. I have been doing this on my shop brought basil and it works. I have had the plant now for 2 months (first time I have not killed it in a week)and I still have not re potted from getting it from the supermarket. Reading the comments about will be repotting this weekend.
Still waiting on the seeded basil in garden to grow properly!

[Scarlet]

Still waiting on the seeded basil in garden to grow properly!

Basil is a med plant - it likes warmth. Germination putside now will be very hit and miss. Although during the day it's warm our night time temps are very low. It will germinate and grow much better under glass or indoors on a sunny windowsill. I never grow basil outside.

[Containergardener]

I always fail with supermarket basil if I leave as is. If I split up into more pots into tomato compost or feed with tomato feed its fine. I currently have some in pots in our living rm (warmest room) also some germinating in there.

[Jungle Jane]

Supermarket pots of basil are seeded thickly so the plant looks full when they sell them. I use about 3 seeds per 3" pot,last year my basil reached huge heights in my east facing window,I cut it all down for pesto (& frozen) because it was sending out new shoots,I should repot them...I feed them with a high nitrogen fertiliser,to keep their leaves a healthy green colour,otherwise they start yellowing with lack of nitrogen in the pot.