I am growing basil and a small green caterpillar eats the leaves up. They are very small and hard to find. I don't want to spray, any suggestions?
Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt) spray can quickly eradicate these leaf and stem-eating worms. It is a safe, biological insecticide. In fact, Bt is a bacterium which is toxic to many moth and butterfly larvae (caterpillars) and will not harm the plants or other beneficial creatures.
My basil plant leaves are curling. What am I doing wrong? I bought two nice looking plants and we have frequently been using the leaves. Pinching the stem off with leaves, just above other leaves. I don't keep them saturated, but moist soil. The plants are in a good sunlight location.
Try giving it a bit fertilizer. Curly leaves normally indicate the plant needs nutrients. But do not give too much as this can weaken the flavor.
How can I get rid of holes in basil leaf without using pesticides?
These holes are normally caused by slugs (they LOVE basil). This article has some suggestions on how to get rid of them organically:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/facts-about-slugs-and-how-to-kill-garden-slugs.htm
I have basil, tomato and parsley plants and would like a recipe for a safe homemade solution to treat them. I see very small white insects flying around, especially when I water. I don't know if they are aphids. Can you advise?
This article will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/organic/natural-home-pesticides-organic-garden-pest-control.htm
My basil and bell pepper plants keep getting eaten by something and I would like to not use pesticides. The bell peppers get a white egg on the bottom on the leaf and the basil plant just gets eaten. Can you help me? What can I use to keep them from being eaten? Also, my celery plant has a fungus, I think. It's yellow and only on the leaves. What is that and what can I do to get rid of that?
Do not use vinegar on your plants. This will kill them.
Here are some insecticide recipes that you can use:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/organic/natural-home-pesticides-organic-garden-pest-control.htm
For the celery, it is likely too warm for them. They are a tough plant to grow. Heavy mulching around the base and lots of water may help.
It sounds like you may also have slugs (on the basil - their favorite). This article will help with that:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/facts-about-slugs-and-how-to-kill-garden-slugs.htm
My young basil plants are being eaten by something. I assume it is an insect because of the holes in the leaves. What can I do to prevent this?
It could be slugs, which come out at night. This article will help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/facts-about-slugs-and-how-to-kill-garden-slugs.htm
I planted sweet basil seeds in a cheap potting soil in a container indoors on a balcony four weeks back. The seedlings are about an inch now. I had fertilized them with an organic fish emulsion fertilizer once around two and half weeks after I planted them. I also check the drainage and watering and do not overwater and do not let the soil dry out. It receives around 6 hours of direct sunlight everyday. I can see a yellow shade at the base of a few leaves. I read about planting basil and found that it needs a nutrient-rich soil. I feel this might be the reason of the yellowness in the leaves. I would like to change the potting soil but not sure how should I go about it. I would be very grateful if you could help.
I don't think you need to repot. Really, cheap or expensive potting soil is the same. The only real difference is the fertilizers in the mix, and you can add those in through the use of fish emulsion.
You may be overwatering just slightly. Allow the top of the soil to dry out, just the top, before watering. If possible, also try watering from below rather than above until the plants get a little bigger.