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Basil Plants

Q.Drooping basil

Zone Prague | Anežka added on September 30, 2019 | Answered

So I just recently sowed some basil seeds and they germinated. Then I plucked some of the plants out to give the sprouts more space to grow.(I used to have way to many plants next to each other)
Today I woke up to this.(See in the picture)
What’s going on?
Not enough light? Not enough water? Too much water?
I know I wasn’t supposed to sow them at this time of the year but I hoped it would be ok.
What can I do?

A.Answers to this queston: Add Answer
BushDoctor
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
Answered on September 30, 2019

It is best, when thinning, to snip the extras with sharp, clean pruners. Pulling will disturb the root mass which will cause what you are seeing. That paired with just a little too much water will cause this, and the eventual rooting of roots. It is good to keep in mind that basil is fairly drought tolerant, so underwatering is much better than overwatering.

It will be best to only plant one seed per cell, to the best of your ability, only cutting extras without disturbing the root.

From here, you will probably want bright lighting, as window lighting won't be quite enough. You can sustain a single large basil plant on about 100 watts of horticultural grade lighting. Stay away cheap LED's with only 2 band spectrum. They need 12 bands of light to be, truly, efficient.

This article will help you to care for basil: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/basil/information-on-how-to-grow-basil-indoors.htm

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