Hi folks ,
I transplanted this basil plant last Sunday (26th April) into a 10 inch terracotta pot (I live in MD which I think is zone 7). I have a north eastern facing balcony (which I’m aware is not optimal but I’m trying out a few herbs to see what might work). I’ve been trying to keep the basil in the best sun. Last week the weather got a bit chilly again (lows of mid 40s – 50s at night) but during the day above 60 with some cloud cover. Any suggestions as to what could be happening to my basil plant ? Leaves look droopy and a tad crispy on some edges. I’ve been watering basil every 1-2 days depending on if soil feels dry.
Any help appreciated !
by Educational_Win7592
5 Comments
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Did you try speaking Italian? 🤌🤌 seriously you can look at basil wrong and it wilt. I don’t care for mine any different than the other plants I have and it seems fine. I would let it dry more and try to get more sun
Thanks all ! Will keep an eye on it and reduce watering
I think it’s just a bit of transplant shock. First, basil can be dramatic. After transplanting, even with careful handling, the roots are damaged, especially the fine root hairs. Even if you do water it, the plant can’t drink well. Plus, it’s diverting its energy to re-establishing roots. Different plants “sulk” a different amount after transplanting. Basil is one of the sulkier ones. Not as bad as tomatoes, which can just look utterly dead and defeated for 3 or 4 days after transplanting before springing back to life. Watch it for a couple days. Water only if soil is dry, not otherwise. And actually, you DONT WANT strong sun while a plant is acclimating. It cant deal with making food right now, it needs all its energy into re-establishing roots.
It’s a lot of soil for a little plant which leads to watering challenges. 40s is a little chilly for basil. It’s going through some transplant shock but live.