I have some basil that has flowered in the past. I trimmed the flowers off - will the basil eventually produce leaves that are not bitter, or now that the plant has flowered, are all future leaves doomed to that bitter taste as well?
Flowering and going to seed does make basil leaves bitter, as explained here:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/basil/bitter-tasting-basil.htm
Trimming your basil plants back to above the bottom two sets of leaves may make your basil less bitter when it regrows. It's not guaranteed, but it's worth a try. Avoiding overwatering and underwatering can also improve the flavor of your basil.
There are white soft salt like crystals formed in the soil of my basil plant. i want to know all about these white soil crystals and how to remove them
There are white soft salt like crystals formed in the soil of my basil plant. i want to know all about these white soil crystals and how to remove them
Rachel Ray suggested putting a plastic bag over basil which is in water to create a nursery type environment. Should a potted indoor basil plant assume the same technique for better growth?
If your humidity is really low indoors, then I could suggest this, but doing this without proper ventilation will result in rot and, ultimately, the death of the plant.
You can spray the plant once or twice per day to increase the humidity of the area around it. You will also want to give this plant as much light as possible. If you do not have a South facing Window, then you will need a horticultural light to help supplement.
Here is an article for more information: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/basil/information-on-how-to-grow-basil-indoors.htm
With Basil Seeds, how many generation of seeds can I go before the seeds from that plant make a poor quality basil plant. The seeds I'm going to plant this year are from a second generation basil plant. If I use these 2nd generation seeds will I have good basil plant to make pesto and tomato sauce? Thank you Ken Souza email: 2012souza37@gmail.com
There should be now lowering of quality as long as you harvest from healthy plants and store seed properly.
Here is a link with more information.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/basil/harvesting-basil-seeds.htm
Plant is growing. Some leaves have brown marks on leaves. I do not 'see' any pest or bug etc. currently am picking affected leaves off.. can I use insecticide soap..would it help? Should I throw plants (2) away ? Thank you
I would treat the soil for a fungal infection. You can do this by replacing 1/4 of your water with peroxide when watering. This will kill off anything lurking in the soil, as well as give extra oxygen to the roots.
Make sure that you only water when the top of the soil is almost completely dry. Basil can be moderately drought tolerant, but will quickly get an infection if left too wet for too long.
I was told I should spray my basil with warm water, that doesn't seem to fit with what I have read from professional. should I spray them, for the "greenhouse" effect? They are doing well in my east facing window, but I am worried they may get scorched. Thanks for any tips! Launa
They won't get scorched where you have them. They are tolerant of full sun, so they may get pretty stretchy only getting eastern sun. South facing would be ideal. If you need, you may even want to get supplemental lighting. This will help you to get a little more light to them. I have grown them under 750 watts of insanely powerful LED's and they respond very well.
I would not spray them for moisture. They are actually slightly drought tolerant. Spraying them will make them susceptible to powdery mildew infections.
This article will give you more information: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/basil/information-on-how-to-grow-basil-indoors.htm
Is baking soda harmful to basil?
In VERY VERY small amounts, and used correctly as an insecticide and antifungal, it won't hurt them. If you add it to water into the soil as nutrients then it will have a devastating cascade of effects leading to the death of the plant. Baking soda has to be used correctly when it comes to gardening, as the sodium that it contains is way too much for most plants to be able to handle.