Another shop bought basil going downhill

[Marb67]

Why oh why when I buy any shop bought basil and plant in good compost does it suddenly die ? It was a very healthy busy variety with small leaves but now the stems are turning brown to black at the base and going mouldy. I am not over watering so what is wrong please ?

[roitelet]

Do you water from the top or bottom, it makes a difference. Best to water from the bottom and possibly keep just a bit on the dry side.

[veggiechicken]

When you say "shop bought" do you mean the ones that are sold as ready to eat in supermarkets?
If so, they're not intended to live for long. They're usually overcrowded and too thickly sown in their pots.

[Marb67]

It is always watered from underneath.

[Ocelot]

In the spring I bought a couple of pots of basil and chives from a supermarket, split them up and planted them (giving me about 15 plants of each) and each one has gone fine. The chives all flowered too.

All i did was plant them in compost, put them in a sunny position, water occasionally and leave.

[Lardman]

I've tried many many times to grown on supermarket basil. The only ones I've been successful with are waitrose ones the rest were too soft to survive.

I soak them until they come apart easily, pinch them back to the first set of true leaves and pot them individually into 12 cell 1/2 trays, then out into the GH when the roots show. I've just done another pot yielding 27 plants plus the tops which made a nice pesto

I've not had any luck potting on the entire pot, either they wither and die or the leaves go translucent like sun scorch and the plant does nothing.

[Jay22]

Yes I've tried many times too...never been successful!

[Ocelot]

Mine was greek basil, so not sure if that makes a difference. I got it from Sainsbury's.

[Marb67]

I bought the same variety from Waitrose a couple of years ago and that lasted all summer. Just don't understand why the stems go dark very quick and then the plant dies. The standard basil I planted in the greenhouse with the toms are still growing ok though.

[Nicos]

It looks like Greek basil to me marb
Lovely stuff!
Split it into 3 or 4pots
Only water when it droops.

I seriously wouldn't use your normal compost for potting on as I think it's far too rich.
Ask your ma if you can pinch some soil from her flower beds.