Basil

[wulf]

Mine is "Neapolitan Basil".

If I get it work okay this year, I might invest in several varieties next year, as basil is one of my favourite herbs.

Wulf

[alcina]

I've grown Sweet Genovese for a couple of years now. I start it off indoors, putting it under growlights as soon as it peeps above the surface, and then put it outside when it's big enough to withstand the English Summer. I have a South facing patio which gets hot in the summer (too hot for me to sit out there!) which is where I do most of my veggie growing: basil, tomatoes, peppers etc. They're all in pots and all seem to do ok. It gets a bit of greenfly, but that's about all - once Summer proper hits the patio is too hot for the slimey ones! The basil gives up the ghost once it starts to get colder, and forget about frost!

I love fresh basil! Which reminds me...I should have started it off by now! I'm off to sow basil! :)

Alcina

[Lyds]

I am trying Basil for the first time this year and planted my seeds direct into the garden with a ring of plastic bottle to protect the seedlings from the dreaded slugs. So far my seedlings are at half inch and looking good. For some reason my chives which I also grew from seed look weak and pathetic. Why? No idea. I'm not used to failing with Chives. I tend to grow everything from seed - then I have stuff to give away

[catalyst]

basil definitely needs heat... we grow loads... in between every vegetable in the garden

various differing type genovese, giant, lemon... but mainly plants bought from local markets for 50 cents for 20 or so plants....

[Lyds]

Can someone tell me why my Basil has just disappeared? It was growing nicely from seed and reached about one inch, now it has gone! No slug trail no root left just gone. It had a ring of plastic for protection and its been kept watered..... aliens took myBasil?

[greenbean]

Hi Lyds, Sounds strange, perhaps a bird might have plucked it out and flown off with it? Don't know if birds like basil.
I have still got my basil in pots in the greenhouse, they seem to be very slow growing. I have read somewhere but can't recall where that I should pinch out the middle leaves to make the plant bush out more, do you know when I should do this? At present there are approx 6/8 leaves on the plant including wee small ones coming through.
I went on a slug hunt last night, got 15 of the buggers, ha ha.

[shiney]

That's what happened to my basil. It was a beautiful purple basil plant and overnight it just disappeared. I can only guess it was slugs and snails that scoffed it overnight.

I must admit basil is pretty delicious!

[Andy Hamilton]

Perhaps caterpillars if there was no slug trail? Get a pond to attrach frogs, toads and other wild life that will happily eat the culprit before it eats all your crops.

[Lyds]

Hi! I have a pond but the toads dont seem to be able to conquer the slug/snail population.

[Andy Hamilton]

To be frank mine does not seem to help a great deal. If only you could rent a chicken for the day.

[Wombat]

Hmmm, there's a business opportunity -

Rent-a-chook - Brought to you by - Self sufficientish!

Nev