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Basil
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Message 1.Â
Posted by madtaff (U14777254) on Monday, 4th April 2011
Can someone please advice me i would love to grow basil in my garden to go with my toms but every plant i buy gets eaten or dies within days. Is it possible or am i wasting my time . All advice greatfully received. Oh by the way i live in south wales.
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Message 2
Posted by realfood (U13916672) on Monday, 4th April 2011
Basil really needs protection from cold and is best grown in a greenhouse or under cloches. Make sure that there is slug protection as well.
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Message 3
Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Monday, 4th April 2011
I agree with the last poster.
Basil grew in my garden last year but the success rate from sowing seeds to eventually planting out in the garden was low. I tried sowing direct into a pot outdoors the year before as per distructions on the packet with zero success. Yet corriander sown at the same time is easy peasy even if it bolts and flowers the pods can be saved or crushed in dishes.
Don't sow either until the end of this month or even wait till May. Sow indoors or in a GH, basil does like heat and will grow in our summers but only after the last frost, sorry to sound like a seed packet instruction... -
Message 4
Posted by martingodliman (U13761957) on Tuesday, 5th April 2011
I've sown some that small leaved (Greek ?) basil in modules and it's just coming through now. I plan to grow it on in bigger pots and keep it like that either indoors on the windowsill or the garden frame/mini plastic greenhouse....I've never grown it before.
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Message 5
Posted by Lokelani (U8896212) on Tuesday, 5th April 2011
I also have limited success with basil.
I'm beginning to think it just doesn't thrive in our often cold & wet climate.
The supermarket ones don't survive on my windowsills as they're not that sunny & our house is very cold. Divided up individually & spaced out a little bit more they lasted a bit longer, but still got leggy & eventually the stems went brown & they died.
I've grown it from seed the last couple of years in modules & then just put the whole module in an outside pot when warmer. Again they weren't as great as I'd have liked to harvest enormous armfuls of the stuff, but were okay in a sunny spot, until the autumn.
When I put them in the greenhouse they just attracted white fly which then got on all my toms, chillis & peppers.
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Message 6
Posted by Vixxihibiscus (U13865184) on Tuesday, 5th April 2011
Best thing I ever did re. basil is buy it from a shop. All supermarkets sell pots of herbs. I buy a big one, split it up (usually in quarters) and repot in a large pot outdoors. Lidl do 2 pots for £1.50. That's the cheapest I've found.
It grows out of reach of the slugs, you can control the conditions and they're established enough that they can grow past most things.
I still have last years chives and parsley in the garden, they're coming back for round 2! -
Message 7
Posted by Kleftiwallah (U13700999) on Tuesday, 5th April 2011
I don't know where it came from (through the post or a freind ) but last year I had a packet of 12 or more varieties of basil from Cottage Garden Seeds, every seed came up and I was giving basil plants away to anyone and everyone.. Keep them in the greenhouse and don't overwater. Cheers, Tony. -
Message 8
Posted by koala_girl (U12702629) on Tuesday, 5th April 2011
I always grow my basil on the kitchen window sill or in the conservatory. I sow the seeds in yoghurt pots a few weeks apart so that I have a constant supply. I wouldn't try to grow it outside because it would probably get eaten by other things instead of by me! I also love the smell in the kitchen. The thing to remember is not to over water them. When you want to use some, snip off an entire shoot instead of just picking off leaves.
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Message 9
Posted by Mike (U14311251) on Tuesday, 5th April 2011
Grow in pots from seed, thats what I do. Then in summer plant outdoors, during hot months and then bring back in doors. I did that last year, it was massive and lasted until October/November. I also had two or three for rotation picking.
Good Luck -
Message 10
Posted by honeysuckle (U8412568) on Tuesday, 5th April 2011
My experience is similar to that of Koala-girl and Mike. I have never tried growing it outside, except for giving it a holiday in the summer.
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Message 11
Posted by Paul Hodder (U14288973) on Tuesday, 5th April 2011
Hello, as I understand basil many gardeners treat it as an annual rather than perennial. I left last years in a pot outside all winter and it seems to be thriving with plenty of smell on it. I probably wont grow fresh this year.
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Message 12
Posted by 7magpies (U8108459) on Wednesday, 6th April 2011
That small-leaved Greek basil should do very well indoors in a pot, and keep going for weeks or months. I've grown in twice before.
Thanks for the reminder, I must see if I've got any seeds left and get some sown now! -
Message 13
Posted by sparklepinksunflower (U10977805) on Thursday, 7th April 2011
Basil is a very tender perennial so it can live for a while. how ever once its flowered the leaves can become bitter so you are better off having fresh young plants
I planted my basil a few weeks ago in London.
Sowed them in 6" pots loads of seeds togeather, covered with a clear plastic bag, popped in the greenhouse and all the seedlings are up now -
Message 14
Posted by rini (U2365378) on Thursday, 7th April 2011
Basil is very sensitive, a cold wind can know it back. The purple basil is a lot hardier.
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