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Why isn't the basil growing?

post #1 of 16
5/29/10 at 8:46pm
Thread Starter 
I have planted several starter basil plants in my very fertile, in-ground veggie patch. Everything else I've planted is growing big quickly. The starters are somewhat close to other things but not so close that the other things are stunted. Does basil need extra space - more than other species - in order to grow big?
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post #2 of 16
5/29/10 at 8:51pm
They need lots and lots of heat.
post #3 of 16
5/29/10 at 9:36pm
Mine hasn't been growing well because it has been too rainy. Has it been really rainy?
post #4 of 16
5/30/10 at 4:05am
might be waiting for warmer temps to take off. but if other things very near are getting bigger they might shade/crowd them out before they get a chance... could you move them to more full sun?
post #5 of 16
5/30/10 at 5:33am
I've always found basil to be very fussy - probably just waiting for a bit more warmth / sunshine. It's very rarely warm enough for it go outside here - even keeping it on a warm windowsill I find my seeds grow very very slowly!
post #6 of 16
5/30/10 at 2:02pm
Thread Starter 
Well, it must be something else because we live in the Sonoran desert where it is always very sunny, already 100 degrees and we have very little rain in general.
post #7 of 16
5/30/10 at 9:05pm
I've found that basil doesn't like to have its roots disturbed. So if you spread the roots when you transplanted them, it takes a couple weeks for the plants to recover and grow agian. I love my basil, but it is a bit fussy. It also doesn't like the wind, needs warm soil, and steady watering. Good luck!
post #8 of 16
5/31/10 at 5:14pm
Thread Starter 
It could be from being transplanted, then. I moved them into the garden bed a couple of weeks ago. They all look fine but their leaves are just really tiny. I keep waiting for them to grow larger . . .

Thank you so much for the advice, mamas.
post #9 of 16
6/1/10 at 3:43pm
I've always had the hardiest, most productive basil plants when I start them from seed right in the garden. Although most of the ones I have grown from transplants survived, they just were never as productive or lush as the direct seeded ones, including the two transplants I have growing in a pot right now.
post #10 of 16
6/1/10 at 4:51pm
I have never had an issue with transplanting Basil.
post #11 of 16
6/1/10 at 8:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by abimommy View Post
I have never had an issue with transplanting Basil.
same! As for heat.. it's barely hitting 70F here during the day (down to the low 40s at night) and my basil is going mental I think it's just a tempermental plant If it gets it in it's head...err... roots? that it's not growing, then you'll just have to wait it out
post #12 of 16
6/1/10 at 9:20pm
My basil transplants did fine they just have never been as hardy, huge, and beautiful as my direct seeded plants. Now that you all have me thinking about it, lol, I'm thinking that I've almost always put transplants into pots, and the pot may have more to do with it than anything else.
post #13 of 16
6/2/10 at 12:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by May May View Post
They all look fine but their leaves are just really tiny. I keep waiting for them to grow larger . . .
When you say the leaves are tiny... could it be that you have a small leaf variety that you haven't grown before, spicy globe basil grows only about 8-12 inches tall, whereas the large leaf genovese can grow over 2 feet, the leaves from each are different also, the globe basil has small leaves in addition to the overall small size of the plant.
post #14 of 16
6/2/10 at 10:58pm
That's a good point, about the varieties. I grew a bush basil plant last year (bought as a starter plant) and its leaves are surprisingly small.

This year I'm growing genovese, started from seed indoors a couple months ago. It was easily my biggest plant of all my indoor starts (bigger than the cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers). Transplanted outside just last week, so it hasn't really taken off yet with more new growth, but it's definitely got big leaves and is very hardy.

Our indoor growing conditions weren't especially hot... no grow lamps or anything, just typical room temperature and indirect sun.
post #15 of 16
6/3/10 at 5:36am
My suggestion was going to be that maybe it's not staying above 50*F at night (they like warm). Or it's still in transplant shock (my basil in the past has usually been fine, it's the tomatoes that get cranky). Or you need to pinch the leaves so it bushes out.
post #16 of 16
6/3/10 at 3:35pm
Thread Starter 
Well, I know it is not a variety with small leaves naturally because I bought the plants as starters and the leaves were larger then than they've been growing back as after transplanting. And it's definitely over 50 degrees at night here. We have daytime temps around 100 every day this time of year.

Hmm . . the mystery continues . . .

My guess is that maybe I did just plant them too close to each other. I can't think of anything else.
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