[greenfingeredsarah]

Does anybody else have trouble growing Basil? I seems to be my nemesis in life! I've even bought already grown but I still manage to kill it - tips please?

[sarah-king]

I've just planted some basil seeds never grown them before so I'll let you know outcome.

[gillie]

Basil likes a lot of warmth and a stable temperature.  

I sow it rather late, just putting several seeds in a pot.  I do not prick out, I just weed out any very weak seedlings and pot on into larger pots in the greenhouse, between the tomato plants.  When they get straggly I re-sow.  Those supermarket potted herbs seem to arrive with a death wish, I have never succeeded with them.

Much to my surprise I have a couple of plants still growing on the kitchen windowsill.  They look a bit of a mess, but they provide us with a few fresh leaves.

Gillie

[arugula]

I sow mine straight into the large outside pot in April and like Gillie I don't prick out. I normally have great success, except last year the Basil was pretty sad which I put down to the cool, wet summer.

[JayG]

Given your respective locations I'd have put my money on Greenfingeredsarah to succeed with outdoor Basil rather than Argyllie!

From my experience you need to find the sunniest and most sheltered spot to grow it outside; for me it always does better indoors on a sunny windowsill.

[mumofstig]

Basil likes a lot of warmth and a stable temperature

I'll agree with that, and it also hates being overwatered.............so try a little less of the wet stuff

[greenfingeredsarah]

ok great thanks everyone - maybe I just haven't put it in a sunny enough spot before!

I also managed to kill my lemon thyme which sits outside, should I pull it up from the root or just trim it back in the hope it might re-grow?

GFS x

[JayG]

Lemon thyme is pretty tough, but like most of  the mediterranean herbs it likes plenty of sun and good drainage.

Depends how old and neglected it is; it doesn't last forever (have a close look, you may be lucky and find it has either self-layered or even seeded nearby)

You can't cut it back too much as it won't regrow from the old wood.

(P.S. parsley is one of the few herbs that actually prefer a bit of shade) 

[greenfingeredsarah]

ah ok...thanks for the tip! I don't feel such a let down in that case  :happy: What other herbs do well in the UK? I have limited garden space....

[mumofstig]

As long as the ground doesn't stay too wet ...............I have sage, orange and ordinary thyme, oregano, rosemary, chives, garlic chives and parsley which I leave to self seed. Dill, basil and thai red basil I sow each spring

[arugula]

Given your respective locations I'd have put my money on Greenfingeredsarah to succeed with outdoor Basil rather than Argyllie!

From my experience you need to find the sunniest and most sheltered spot to grow it outside; for me it always does better indoors on a sunny windowsill.

JayG is quite right about the chances of success being far greater in your location than mine and he's also quite right about vast amounts of sunshine (and shelter), which is why I think it is so successful normally as I really do have wall to wall sunshine. As I said in my first post, the cool wet summer did it no good at all.

[mashauk]

I always water mine from underneath not on top, I've still got a couple of plants from last year going, on a window sill, started loads in the greenhouse then brought it home when established, I never grow basil outside as it seems to get munched more than hardier herbs.  The supermarket ones are meant to be eaten quickly I reckon so I take the leaves off them if I buy them and freeze them.

[gillie]

I would ignore the lemon thyme for a while and see if it grows new leaves.  However as others have said herbs are not long lived.  It is a good idea to grow several herb plants together in some kind of a pot or planter in a sunny spot close to the kitchen door so that you can dash out and grab a few leaves when it is raining.

I also grow chervil which is said to prefer a bit of shade.  It is a very short lived plant, I just sow seeds in a pot but you can get a self seeding chervil patch going.  I had one once - until 'somebody' did some weeding...  Tarragon is another herb worth growing, but I find it difficult to keep over the winter.  I doubt it has survived this time!

Gillie

[Jonajo]

I planted several seeds last May into a large pot and kept on the kitchen windowsill which gets a decent amount of sun. It only just died the other week after having loads of leaves off it since the summer, many wonderful pestos etc.

I watered it ONLY when a few of the leaves on it were starting to wilt - and within a short space of time they perk up. And pick fairly regularly - it grows back quickly

[BostonInbred]

Ive never had any trouble, i plant it in peat free multipurpose dosed with Growmore pellets  an old washing up bowl with holes in and leave it on the patio in the sun, goes a bomb.