Basil comes from Thailand, so that's the kind of environment you're looking to try and re create in your cupboard. The main problem I've had with growing basil is fungal disease caused by too much humidity (or lack of air flow due to crowded plants!)
Once they are big plants, they will start to produce flower spikes. You must nip these off. Once the plant has flowered it will die. Keep removing the flower spikes before they open and it'll keep on growing
I'd just use a normal fertilizer for them once a week max.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Basil comes from Thailand, so that's the kind of environment you're looking to try and re create in your cupboard. The main problem I've had with growing basil is fungal disease caused by too much humidity (or lack of air flow due to crowded plants!)
Once they are big plants, they will start to produce flower spikes. You must nip these off. Once the plant has flowered it will die. Keep removing the flower spikes before they open and it'll keep on growing
I'd just use a normal fertilizer for them once a week max.
Thanks, but what do i do with the basil i already planted, how much seedlings should i remove for it to keep living? i understand you cant give me a 100% answer on this so im not gonna sue you if it doesnt work, but i wanna atleast try to keep them from dying.
i have a Humidity meter so i can control the humidity and ventilation is not a problem, im getting a Fan today in the mail that will be used for the Basil, will the fan help to make keep them away from getting fungus issues?
and if you look at the first picture i sent, is that fungus or is it the heat of the lamp because it was about 12Cm close to the basil until i recently moved it up to 20cm when i noticed it earlier.
I'd carefully prick out some plants (plenty of clips on YT) into small pots and take it from there - as per the link in my previous post. You will need to pot them on again into bigger pots - about 750ml-1 litre pots should be fine. See how many 750ml/1 L pots you can fit in your grow area and that's the number of seedlings you'll need - plus a few spares just in case. Don't keep them too moist or that'll encourage fungus. Never water them just before lights out (that would guarantee fungus), always water soon after lights on. I'm guessing you have lights on for 16-18 hrs day?
The leaf damage is minor fungus. It's where 2 leaves have been on top of each other, then when the light comes on condensation has been trapped between them and they have started to rot in the warmth and dampness.
PS - I'm relieved I won't end up in court if it all goes horribly wrong - but I could send you some of my basil
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I'd carefully prick out some plants (plenty of clips on YT) into small pots and take it from there - as per the link in my previous post. You will need to pot them on again into bigger pots - about 750ml-1 litre pots should be fine. See how many 750ml/1 L pots you can fit in your grow area and that's the number of seedlings you'll need - plus a few spares just in case. Don't keep them too moist or that'll encourage fungus. Never water them just before lights out (that would guarantee fungus), always water soon after lights on. I'm guessing you have lights on for 16-18 hrs day?
The leaf damage is minor fungus. It's where 2 leaves have been on top of each other, then when the light comes on condensation has been trapped between them and they have started to rot in the warmth and dampness.
PS - I'm relieved I won't end up in court if it all goes horribly wrong - but I could send you some of my basil
But why would smaller pots be better if i use auto watering pots called "krathy method" The pot im using under the pot have a water stream which doesnt touch the dirt, it allows the basil roots to suck the water from the stream beneath the pot instead of watering on the top, as before i started i used pots and i got a white fungus issue on the roots and it all died and was told it was due to high humidity and watering them from above. so i was told to use auto watering system pots. so i went and spent money on a auto watering system, Wouldnt the basil have a much better life if they have auto watering system then normal pots where they need to get watered from the top.
It's not a method I'm familiar with I'm afraid, so I can't really advise. Hopefully someone with experience of them can help.
You could post a new message asking - how to grow plants in auto watering systems ? -and with a bit of luck you'll get the guidance you need from the forum. But it's not something I have any knowledge of.
I do hope you get a huge supply of basil - best of luck
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
@Pete.8 suggests you thin out your plants. (Definitely!! They are gasping.)
@sinderyt151R93x17HK You seem worried about what to do with the plants you pulled out. Freeze them. Basil freezes well - I just snip off the leaves and flat pack them into plastic bags. You could try drying some - but quite frankly for cooking (I do a lot of pasta) the taste is just the same. Good luck.
@Pete.8 suggests you thin out your plants. (Definitely!! They are gasping.)
@sinderyt151R93x17HK You seem worried about what to do with the plants you pulled out. Freeze them. Basil freezes well - I just snip off the leaves and flat pack them into plastic bags. You could try drying some - but quite frankly for cooking (I do a lot of pasta) the taste is just the same. Good luck.
i can for sure remove some of the basil, i just dont see why smaller pots would be a better idea when i use auto watering pots. I'm going to use the basil for cooking. nothing else and i need alot as i eat alot of thai food and other asian kind of food types which requires alot of basil everyday. i studied food in college so i love to make food, it gets expensive to have to get it shipped from other places because where i live there is not any asian shops. its a bit outside society so to get basil would mean to drive about 3 hours, get it shipped or grow my own.
i asked this earlier but didnt get an answer on it, would a fan help to get a artifical air flow on the basil which should help preventing condensation as there will always be wind on them which should help the plant to not get trapped and basil will move around more like it would outside?
I'm not sure you will get the help you need from this forum. Most of the forum members garden in the UK as amateurs although there are a few professionals and many very experienced people who have been gardening for many years.
I sympathise with your situation but have no experience of this type of horticulture, nor I suspect do many others here. This is maybe why their suggestions are not so useful as we don't understand this system.
I see why you question potting into smaller pots and having seen the diagram I agree it would probably serve no purpose. The fan might make a difference but it looks to those of us who grow basil in pots that they are still very crowded. I hope you can find some good advice and that you successfully grow your basil and enjoy it
"The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it." Sir Terry Pratchett
@Pete.8 A friend gave me some "Mammouth Basil" seeds, so I have sown 6 in a large planter hoping to have basil until Christmas! Should be interesting as I only grow it in summer.
I just had a google - WOW what huge leaves! I wish you luck with it and hope it works out.
I only grow it in the summer and it has been a very good year. I've been picking a lot from the plants and they're still growing well.
Somehow it also seems right to have basil in the summer but I rarely buy it in the winter. I do miss not having it through the colder months but the first smell of basil in early spring when I thin the out the seedlings is something I look forward to and knowing I'll have loads of it to go with my tomatoes in a few months time.
I've got 2 big thickly sliced Rose de Berne toms, kissed with salt, mozzarella, lots of basil and some nice olive oil for dinner with some toasted sourdough rubbed with garlic - a true taste of late summer
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Posts
https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-grow-basil/
Basil comes from Thailand, so that's the kind of environment you're looking to try and re create in your cupboard.
The main problem I've had with growing basil is fungal disease caused by too much humidity (or lack of air flow due to crowded plants!)
Once they are big plants, they will start to produce flower spikes. You must nip these off.
Once the plant has flowered it will die. Keep removing the flower spikes before they open and it'll keep on growing
I'd just use a normal fertilizer for them once a week max.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
i have a Humidity meter so i can control the humidity and ventilation is not a problem, im getting a Fan today in the mail that will be used for the Basil, will the fan help to make keep them away from getting fungus issues?
and if you look at the first picture i sent, is that fungus or is it the heat of the lamp because it was about 12Cm close to the basil until i recently moved it up to 20cm when i noticed it earlier.
You will need to pot them on again into bigger pots - about 750ml-1 litre pots should be fine.
See how many 750ml/1 L pots you can fit in your grow area and that's the number of seedlings you'll need - plus a few spares just in case.
Don't keep them too moist or that'll encourage fungus.
Never water them just before lights out (that would guarantee fungus), always water soon after lights on.
I'm guessing you have lights on for 16-18 hrs day?
The leaf damage is minor fungus. It's where 2 leaves have been on top of each other, then when the light comes on condensation has been trapped between them and they have started to rot in the warmth and dampness.
PS - I'm relieved I won't end up in court if it all goes horribly wrong - but I could send you some of my basil
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
The pot im using under the pot have a water stream which doesnt touch the dirt, it allows the basil roots to suck the water from the stream beneath the pot instead of watering on the top, as before i started i used pots and i got a white fungus issue on the roots and it all died and was told it was due to high humidity and watering them from above. so i was told to use auto watering system pots. so i went and spent money on a auto watering system, Wouldnt the basil have a much better life if they have auto watering system then normal pots where they need to get watered from the top.
Hopefully someone with experience of them can help.
You could post a new message asking - how to grow plants in auto watering systems ? -and with a bit of luck you'll get the guidance you need from the forum.
But it's not something I have any knowledge of.
I do hope you get a huge supply of basil - best of luck
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
@sinderyt151R93x17HK You seem worried about what to do with the plants you pulled out. Freeze them. Basil freezes well - I just snip off the leaves and flat pack them into plastic bags. You could try drying some - but quite frankly for cooking (I do a lot of pasta) the taste is just the same. Good luck.
i asked this earlier but didnt get an answer on it, would a fan help to get a artifical air flow on the basil which should help preventing condensation as there will always be wind on them which should help the plant to not get trapped and basil will move around more like it would outside?
I sympathise with your situation but have no experience of this type of horticulture, nor I suspect do many others here. This is maybe why their suggestions are not so useful as we don't understand this system.
I see why you question potting into smaller pots and having seen the diagram I agree it would probably serve no purpose. The fan might make a difference but it looks to those of us who grow basil in pots that they are still very crowded. I hope you can find some good advice and that you successfully grow your basil and enjoy it
I wish you luck with it and hope it works out.
I only grow it in the summer and it has been a very good year. I've been picking a lot from the plants and they're still growing well.
Somehow it also seems right to have basil in the summer but I rarely buy it in the winter.
I do miss not having it through the colder months but the first smell of basil in early spring when I thin the out the seedlings is something I look forward to and knowing I'll have loads of it to go with my tomatoes in a few months time.
I've got 2 big thickly sliced Rose de Berne toms, kissed with salt, mozzarella, lots of basil and some nice olive oil for dinner with some toasted sourdough rubbed with garlic - a true taste of late summer
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.