basil help

blobb_2

I have a basil plant on the inside window sill facing south and its been there for three months. I water it when the pot feels light and I potted it up about six weeks ago but some of the leaves are going a light greeny yellow colour and taste sour. Any clue what Im doing wrong?

gordikin

Contact John Cleese...he played Basil brilliantly.... sorry, I'll get my coat!

Optimisticpair

The young leaves can be a paler green but very pale and yellowing leaf colour here suggests lack of nitrogen. Compost nutrients usually last 5 to 6 weeks according to what is written on the bags but if the bag is old or repeatedly gets wet the plant food will leach out. I would start feeding it.

Davesnave

I find the small-leaved bush basil is a lot easier to keep happy than the big floppy kind, and not such a magnet for every indoor/outdoor pest. Frankly, I don't bother with the large leaved basil any more.

LJM

i found that also i just thought i was picking it fast or often enough

dogstarheaven

what variety is it and was it sown from seed at all? i have no probs growing mine from seed and mine is just the large-leafed one 'Sweet Genovese' from Wilko's which i sown 2wks ago and it germinated in my airing cupboard. then it transferred to my unheated greenhouse and has only grown 5cm tall, but looks healthy and green.
what i'd suggest to you OP is to cut back the stems to the last but one nodule (nub of new shoot) and give it a good watering. make sure you don't let it sit in water, drain away the excess. if this doesn't work, then i'd suggest you sow again. if you bought this as a supermarket plant then i think it's time you let this one go, and buy another one. just make sure you harvest the leaves and stems regularly so that it would encourage it to bush out. hope this helps.

Orange_King

Optimisticpair wrote: »

The young leaves can be a paler green but very pale and yellowing leaf colour here suggests lack of nitrogen. Compost nutrients usually last 5 to 6 weeks according to what is written on the bags but if the bag is old or repeatedly gets wet the plant food will leach out. I would start feeding it.

What do you feed your herbs with?

vish_2

have you been watering basil from the top? same thing happened to me last year when I did that...

Basil doesn't like water on it's stems and leaves so needs to be watered from below... ie, just sit the pot in a container of water. Good luck!

morg_monster

Also i read it doesn't really like to be watered in the evening as it means it is sitting in cold wet water overnight. if you water it in the morning it should have a chance to take up the water during the day while it is warm and by the time it gets cold the soil is just moist rather than wet.