Basil Help!!!!

sunflower3's picture
Submitted by sunflower3 on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 05:02
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I started my Basil in egg cartons and I have to water them twice a day because they keep wilting and it just seems like a lot of water, the egg carton is damp. I'm wondering if The carton is taking the water from my plants and should I put them into a regular 6 pack. Any help would be great as I don't think they need so much water The dirt is dried out but I don't want the rot the plants either. Thanks for any help, advice, Karen. : )
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sunflower3's picture

Well I transplanted my Basil

Submitted by sunflower3 on Sat, 04/05/2008 - 16:13.
Well I transplanted my Basil today into 6 pack planters, and they seem to be doing ok for now hopefully this will help them to grow. karen.
skbeal's picture

 What kind of basil did

Submitted by skbeal on Sun, 04/06/2008 - 15:00.

 What kind of basil did you plant? I hope it does well for you! If you want it to grow bushier instead of growing taller, just keep pinching it. Once it really starts growing, make sure you don't let it flowe  -- unless you want to collect seeds from it. I would wait to do that until the end of the season, though. Good Luck!

 

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sunflower3's picture

Thanks everyone for your

Submitted by sunflower3 on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 13:21.
Thanks everyone for your help. I will get some soil and transplant them tomorrow, I do think it is the carton wicking the water away from the plants and then they wilt on me, so I have to water them more often. Thanks again Karen.

I had the same issue

Submitted by mross on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 12:53.
Karen I had the same issue using cardboard egg cartons. I wasn't sure if it was just the cardboard wicking the water or my dry climate down here in Phoenix. So I am using plastic pots this year. Also invested in the "moisture control" seed starting mix so far so good.
Lavender2's picture

You may be having the

Submitted by Lavender2 on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 08:40.

You may be having the same problem I had when I tried using peat pots. If you use a well draining soil and the container is more absorbent than the soil  it wicks the moisture from the soil and causes it to evaporate faster. If your soil is peat based, and it seems hard and clumped together, you may want to transplant (carefully removing some of the soil)  into a different type of soil.  It should be well draining and not contain fertilizer. 

Sweet Basil is very susceptible to fungus... it's best to keep the leaves as dry as possible.  Other basils are not as affected as sweet basil.

~ Connie    ~ Zone 5    ~ MN 

skbeal's picture

I didn't know that sweet basil was susceptible to fungus....

Submitted by skbeal on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 09:04.
I always plant Genovese basil because I have found that it's particularly flavorful, and if you want to make pesto, it is the best for that.....Did you plan to transplant these outside? If not, you might want to try a potting soil I found recently at Lowes. I'd never used it before, and admittedly, it's considerably more expensive than regular Miracle Grow, HOWEVER, it's got lots of added things (including peat moss, polymer crystals and other stuff) to help with moisture control. I figure, if you had to buy those things separately to add to your soil anyway, you'd probably wind up spending more. It's made by Miracle Gro and it's called "Moisture Control." Also, if you plan to grow it indoors, you might try the thing that Chellflower suggested -- sprinkling cinnamon on the top soil of pots. I was skeptical about whether or not it would work, but I sprinkled it on several of my houseplants -- where I'd seen gnats of some sort flying around....To my amazement, they disappeared. Your egg cartons may be acting like terra cotta pots do. They tend to absorb so much moisture that you often wind up having to water things twice as often.

 

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sunflower3's picture

I do mist them twice a day

Submitted by sunflower3 on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 07:33.
I do mist them twice a day and the cartons are wet, but no roots out the bottom, and they seem small to transplant, but I will try it anyways and see if that helps them out, some are just peaking through the dirt so I 'll move the bigger ones.
PENNY2638's picture

Sunflower3

Submitted by PENNY2638 on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 06:44.

When I have seedlings growing in containers. I use a spray bottle and twice a day I just mist them a little. That seems to make the plants look happy. It has worked for me.

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skbeal's picture

How big are the seedlings, sunflower?

Submitted by skbeal on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 06:47.

  Is it possible that they've outgrown the egg carton. Also, did you poke holes in the bottom of the carton for drainage. If you did, then there may be room for roots to grow through the bottom of the carton if necessary. Maybe they need transplanting. Misting them is also a good idea!

 

Susan, the Texas Yankee, the Texas Rangerette and the Assistant Administrator

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Susan,The Assistant Administrator, the Texas Yankee and the Texas Rangerette.