It's a relatively new planting and looked fine up until now. We even harvested a few leaves one morning recently to put in our scrambled eggs. Then a couple days later it started looking like this.

Heat? Liquid fertilizer burn? Too much sun? In a pot, my basil likes a little shade. Our sun has been very strong for the past month. Unless you're collecting seeds, I would snip off those flower bud clusters so the plant energy can be directed to new leaves.

Greg, did you just recently plant that out in the planter, as a started plant? It looks like sunburn to me, which could be from the plant not having been acclimated gradually to the sunny spot, or maybe the sun in that spot is just too harsh.

If you used new potting soil that had fertilizer already in it, and then also gave the plant some liquid fert, you might have overdone it on the fertilizer, Greg.

My basil takes full-on Florida sun here, so I must admit I've never seen them get sun burn. It's one plant that goes straight through our brutal hot, humid summers without batting an eye. But it could be mine have always been acclimated, as I do raise my own seedlings. Your weaker sun up there in the Pac NW should be gentle enough, as here we are already 2 months past the summer solstice. (where'd the summer go?)

Actions to take, yes, as Cindy said, pinch off the bloom clusters, and any leaves that look bad. Give a little extra water for a few days and see if it bounces back. The newer small leaves look green, so maybe it's already recovering and it was just transplant shock.

Yes, new planting in a 6ft cedar planter (also new) with some ornamental and also a parsley plant next to it, which we also harvested a bit and it's still doing ok. Yes, it's on the sunny side of the house, (morning shade from the house, then unfiltered afternoon sun from about 1pm till 5pm) and it's been hot here in the NW. I filled the planter with general purpose potting soil. I use a bit of general purpose fert on new plantings, but usually don't add any fert after that. I haven't used liquid fert. Watering schedule is daily most mornings, watered at the base.

Sounds like sun burn is the most likely reason? Should it be moved to it's own container and a shadier area? How big do these get?

Depends upon the variety of Basil, Greg. Some stay about a foot tall, and others for me get to nearly 3ft. But your shorter growing season won't have that happening, at least not this year.

Recommend you take a cutting or two and see if you can root them in water to start new plants. You can grow them on a sunny windowsill through the winter then harden them off for your garden in the spring. You'll even get to harvest some leaves for your scrambled eggs in the winter as well. Such a luxury.

Another question, as I can't see in this picture, but were there multiple Basil plants in the pot when you planted it? If so, they also might be strangling each other. I know how common it is to buy a 4in. pot of Basil with 5 or 6 plants in it, just to make it look attractive for the store. But if you get one of these, buy one with small enough plants that you can separate them and give each the space it deserves - about a foot apart is good for a vigorous grower like Basil.

dyzzypyxxy said:Depends upon the variety of Basil, Greg. Some stay about a foot tall, and others for me get to nearly 3ft. But your shorter growing season won't have that happening, at least not this year.

Recommend you take a cutting or two and see if you can root them in water to start new plants. You can grow them on a sunny windowsill through the winter then harden them off for your garden in the spring. You'll even get to harvest some leaves for your scrambled eggs in the winter as well. Such a luxury.

Another question, as I can't see in this picture, but were there multiple Basil plants in the pot when you planted it? If so, they also might be strangling each other. I know how common it is to buy a 4in. pot of Basil with 5 or 6 plants in it, just to make it look attractive for the store. But if you get one of these, buy one with small enough plants that you can separate them and give each the space it deserves - about a foot apart is good for a vigorous grower like Basil.

No, just this one. Left to right is basil (pruned), parsley, celosia, and orange trumpet vine. These are all new. Also in that terra pot is some tuscan blue rosemary.

I agree that it looks like sun burn. Mostly I just wanted to say what an attractive planter that it! And I love what you did with the lattice and the PVC pipe frame. I may have to steal that idea.

woofie said:I agree that it looks like sun burn. Mostly I just wanted to say what an attractive planter that it! And I love what you did with the lattice and the PVC pipe frame. I may have to steal that idea.

Thanks. For the pvc/lattice trellis arch, see my other thread on that.

Does your plant look any better?

Newyorkrita said:Does your plant look any better?

Yes, thank you for asking. Pretty much as it appears in the planter picture above, minus a bit we harvested after I pruned it. I'm going to have to look up how to dry herbs.

Good!!!

At a garden meeting some months ago, our speaker was Robert Bowden -- chief honcho at Leu Botanical Gardens in Orlando.
He mentioned that a lot of the basil plants may start out OK, but soon the leaves droop, turn yellow and just look awful. Well, it surprised me -- a lot of the plants are actually grown in Asia and shipped here -- and they had a virus. I had one that look terrible so threw it out. However, I also had a large basil plant that was over a year old and I allowed it to go to seed. I used those seeds and now have some gorgeous, healthy plants. I'm potting some up to take to our first garden club meeting next month.

I may have spoke too soon. This morning (Wednesday) they appeared to be turning brown again.

How in the world could it make any kind of sense to buy basil plants from Asia? I don't think there are many plants that are easier to grow from seed...

It's all about the cheap labor. I'd had no idea either that basil was being brought in from Asia. I know that our supermarket sells huge, white garlic bulbs (I think they're bleached) and the come from China. I will buy only from California or Mexico; and soon, hopefully, will be growing my own. Did you know that a lot of chickens are now being sent to China for processing. I didn't have a good reaction to that information. What is going on ? Why is that necessary ?

Chickens are grown here, sent to China and then sent back??

Weedwhacker said:Chickens are grown here, sent to China and then sent back??

Yes -- it's been in the news. Was talking to some girl friends about it at lunch the other day -- none of us can understand the reasoning behind this. Plus, with the "new" labeling that will be in effect, you soon won't be able to tell where it comes from anyway. Geez !

Not exactly. Here is the take on the subject of chickens and China from Snopes:
http://m.snopes.com/china-chic...

woofie said:Not exactly. Here is the take on the subject of chickens and China from Snopes:
http://m.snopes.com/china-chic...

I don't want any food processed or raised in China!!!