Help with Basil Plant

[Harveyshot]

Greetings everyone,

New to gardening here. Was hoping you could help educate me on what is wrong with my basil plants. The leaves seem to be turning brown and drying out. After which they just fall off the plant. Even the newer sprouted leaves are being inflicted. I'm not sure if I'm under watering, over watering, too much uv light, not enough or if this is some sort of fungus or disease. Any insight would be appreciated.

I brought the plants in as it is winter where I am and have them under a uv light for 8 hours.

Last year I grew my basil in a 20” diameter self wicking pot with my custom mixed potting soil of compost, coir, peat moss and worm castings. Also in the same pot was a zucchini plant. Both did really well except the zucchini eventually fell victim to the squash vine borer.
Good luck in the new year.

 

[gary350]

Basil plants like very continuous soil moisture and a little on the dry side. Pots are too wet each time you water, then too dry before plants get water again. Basil is a hot weather plant it loves our TN 100°f temperatures 4 months every summer. I plants north south garden rows and I put 1 Basil plant at the south end of 1 row. Last year I planted a basil plant at the south end of a row of beans so basil plant gets hot blistering sun all day every day. TN weather is crazy we get lots of spring rain Jan to April, we had 37" of rain last year then rain stops and my garden is desert June to Sept only 1 or 2 small rains per month all summer. Basil develops its best flavor and aroma in Aug. Pull the whole plant up by the roots then hang it upside down in a shed or garage to dry about 1 week before first frost. Gravity makes all the, juices, tars, flavors, run out of the roots and stems into the leaves.

Oregano, Rosemary, Dill, Fennel, and hot spicy chili peppers, love the same hot dry full sun weather as Basil.

 

[Low Altitude]

I have a different problem with my basil.

My basil plant(s) are also indoor – windowsill. They have full-sun exposure. I've been doing them for a few years and as per Ruderunner's experience (above), they have amazed me with the speed with which they get bushy. Amazing plants: they grow quickly, they smell great, and we can eat them.

This year, mine are have a dual problem – minor problem – they've not had before:
1. Some, repeat some, of the leaves are etiolated and, as we'd expect, taste insipid at best
2. Leaves, whether etiolated or deep green, are falling off the plants at a noticably higher rate than ever before.

So, I ask myself, what's changed? Looking, only two possibilities:
1. I'm now fertilizing too much
2. I'm now watering too much

Fertilizer: this year, I started hitting them with what, if i have i right, is something like NPK 7-7-7, one watering in two. Thought it was the least I could do, for plants the give so much

Water: the things wilt if i don't water them every two days or so. So I do. But that's a shorter interval than in previous years, when they didn't wilt so easily. And I water them that frequently, because of the observable wilt, despite the fact that my soil water meter (Rapitest) says the soil is adequately moist: 'zone 3' of four zones.

Any ideas, anyone?

 

[Chuck]

What kind of soil are the plants potted in? Lots of perlite? Are the plants wilted shortly after the sunlight hits them?

 

[Low Altitude]

Perlite, no, sand yes: a custom blend of succulent soil and something with a bit more loam, about 4:1. Quick-draining.

Wilt and sun: maybe. Don't remember: I'll have to lengthen the watering interval again and be more observant.

 

[Low Altitude]

What kind of soil are the plants potted in? Lots of perlite? Are the plants wilted shortly after the sunlight hits them?

After further observation, it was two separate things on two separate plants growing together: the one that was wilting and shedding leaves shriveled up completely and died within days. Not sure what it's problem was, but it wasn't under-watering.

The etiolation was on the other plant. It has grown less noticable in the intervening 10 days or so, but the greenness of the leaves is still varied: some a healthy dark, others a more insipid lighter color. I'm beginning to wonder whether it's an infestation of mites per our other thread here on the forum, just less developed, either because i was quicker with the miticide, or because basil, being so fast-growing, faster 'metabolism' circulation, delivers the root-absorbed miticide to the leaves more quickly than other plants.

 

[Chuck]

After further observation, it was two separate things on two separate plants growing together: the one that was wilting and shedding leaves shriveled up completely and died within days. Not sure what it's problem was, but it wasn't under-watering.

The etiolation was on the other plant. It has grown less noticable in the intervening 10 days or so, but the greenness of the leaves is still varied: some a healthy dark, others a more insipid lighter color. I'm beginning to wonder whether it's an infestation of mites per our other thread here on the forum, just less developed, either because i was quicker with the miticide, or because basil, being so fast-growing, faster 'metabolism' circulation, delivers the root-absorbed miticide to the leaves more quickly than other plants.

It very well could be mites. It could also be a deficiency of a micro-nutrient.

 

[Low Altitude]

I give it something like NPK 8-8-8, every other watering. maybe a higher concentration or a different balance? Or some othe specific element? Thanks again!

 

[Chuck]

I give it something like NPK 8-8-8, every other watering. maybe a higher concentration or a different balance? Or some othe specific element? Thanks again!

Very few liquid or pelleted fertilizers have all of the needed micro-nutrients. Products like Azomite and Greensand have all of them. Liquid Chelated Iron has all also.

 

[Low Altitude]

Many thanks.