Your comments and tips

02 Feb 17, Karen (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)

I live North Shore Auckland. I've tried to grow allsorts of veg & herbs in pots from seeds outdoors with mixed success. The basil was one of my dismal failures. I now grow all my seeds indoors until the weather is warmer and the plants are well established. I find starting indoors is a lot more convenient for keeping an eye on progress. Regards basil, I find the seeds grow well starting indoors but take a while to get established once outdoors, then they go crazy! Since starting indoors I now have few failures but there are some things to be aware of: Light - needs good light so the seedlings don't become leggy. Be aware that near glass (windows/doors) can cause burn damage. Turn the pots around regularly so the plants don't lean. Don't over crowd, thin out seedlings if necessary. Temperature - Note the soil temperature required to germinate. Overheating during the day, too cold at night. I put a box over the pots at night to protect from sudden drops in temperatures. Ventilation - Ensure good air flow to minimise risk of disease, be aware of cold draughts coming from open windows at night. Watering - My seeds are sown in different sized pots/trays depending on what they are. I use

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13 Nov 18, Yolandi (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Mine germinates so well and then I loose about 3/4 of them in the first 4weeks. The leaves die.... They re inside. Not sure whats going on

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19 Jun 16, Jennifer (Australia - temperate climate)

When cooking with basil do you use leaves and stems.

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26 Jun 16, Lee (Australia - arid climate)

Hi Jen you could use the stems but mostly I strip the leaves and use them only unless I am slow cooking.

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25 May 16, Amarjit (USA - Zone 6a climate)

Can I get basil in usa

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03 Feb 16, Barry (Australia - temperate climate)

What to feed and when basil plants

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02 Feb 16, megan (Australia - temperate climate)

A great tip to stop the slugs eating newly planted basil is to cut the bottom off a plastic coke bottle & cover them with it. Not only does it stop everything from eating your plants they grow super fast in there own little green house. Once they are big enough remove the bottles and you are left with a strong hardy plant.

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18 Dec 15, mavis buckmeister (Australia - temperate climate)

i crush garlic and mix it up into a spray with a few drops of lavender oil and nothing eats my basil - its a trick my grandfather taught me many years ago - don't know how or why it works - just know my basil keeps growing beautifully year after year after year.

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06 Jan 18, Corindikids (Australia - temperate climate)

Wld you mind being more specific about your garlic spray? How much garlic? Do you mix with water as well as lavender oil? If so, how much water?

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08 Dec 15, Prometheus (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Here's a quick tip for dealing with slug and snail damage to basil plants, if that is a problem for you (seems to always happen to me). Make a large spray container's worth of coffee up - you can use instant or ground. Then, add a very small squirt of dishwashing liquid to the bottle and give it a good shake. Sprayed liberally on plants, this makes for an excellent snail and slug repellent (although you do have to reapply after rain / overhead watering). I have lost more basil seedlings than you would believe this year due to a snail / slug army; this is the only way I have managed to have some left for the kitchen. Another item you can buy, which is probably even more effective against slugs / snails, is a product called copper tape. You just tape around the perimeter of your containers or raised beds, and they will stay well away - it gives them something akin to an electric shock. On the downside, it is quite expensive to purchase, even from ebay.

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