Gardening and Horticulture - Basil
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r_abela
02-15-01, 09:43 AM
I have two basil plant which I planted last yeat. They are approx. 10 months old. All of a sudden one of them in just one night all leaves dried up and started to fall. The other plant is still fine (at least up to now). Do you know what it might be the cause?
They are kept in the shade but in a well lit courtyard.
Thanks
ROBERT
They are kept in the shade but in a well lit courtyard.
Thanks
ROBERT
02-15-01, 11:02 AM
Robert,
You don't say where you live, which can really affect the answer.
I see two possibilities. The most likely is that your plant was hit by frost. Courtyards are generally more protected, and your plant may have done fine up until now, but a light frost may have hit some of the more exposed leaves, freezing them while leaving the stronger stem relatively OK. This is what happens to the basil left in my garden at the first light frost of fall. The other plant was probably in a more protected location and didn't freeze. Basil leaves are really tender; they freeze quickly.
The other is that some insect has chewed through the main stem below the soil, causing the leaves to not get enough water. This usually causes the whole plant to look collapsed, though, so freezing seems more likely depending on where you live.
Luckily, basil is a SNAP to start from seed. There's no need to buy replacement plants. Get some seeds and sprinkle them in a large container, and you'll be FULL of basil in no time. Granted, wait until it warms up, and of course it sounds like they would enjoy a little more sun perhaps...
You don't say where you live, which can really affect the answer.
I see two possibilities. The most likely is that your plant was hit by frost. Courtyards are generally more protected, and your plant may have done fine up until now, but a light frost may have hit some of the more exposed leaves, freezing them while leaving the stronger stem relatively OK. This is what happens to the basil left in my garden at the first light frost of fall. The other plant was probably in a more protected location and didn't freeze. Basil leaves are really tender; they freeze quickly.
The other is that some insect has chewed through the main stem below the soil, causing the leaves to not get enough water. This usually causes the whole plant to look collapsed, though, so freezing seems more likely depending on where you live.
Luckily, basil is a SNAP to start from seed. There's no need to buy replacement plants. Get some seeds and sprinkle them in a large container, and you'll be FULL of basil in no time. Granted, wait until it warms up, and of course it sounds like they would enjoy a little more sun perhaps...