Dealing with Over Watered Basil
Just because it is a popular herb, doesn’t meaning that growing basil is a simple task. The more you learn about basil plants, the more you will find just how particular and high maintenance they really are.
Basil is over sensitive to a lot of different conditions, and the most common mistake that a gardener – novice or otherwise – will make is overwatering basil plants.
Over watering basil causes all sorts of issues that can be avoided as long as you know how to catch the problem early on. This article is going to go through the symptoms of overwatering, the repercussions, and also how to avoid this common mistake!
Related To: How to Bring a Dead Basil Plant
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Curious about how to protect basil from pests? Click here!
How can you Tell if Basil is Over Watered?
Funnily enough, gardeners will often mistake an over watered plant for an under watered basil plant, as they have very similar symptoms. You just have to do a little bit of extra digging (literally) to find out the root cause of what is giving your basil plant trouble. There are basically three main stages of an over watered basil plant that increase in severity.
1. Yellowing Leaves
Yellowing leaves or browning leaves will be the first sign that your plant is being over watered. A lot of the time, this symptom will make the gardener think that their plant is being under watered and they will give it more water.
This is a huge mistake! The minute that you see yellow leaves, take a look at the soil first before watering again. Dip your finger a couple of inches deep to see if there is moist soil or dry soil. A basil leaf should be sprightly, bright green, and firm.
Luckily it is not very hard to come back from this stage of over watering. Just hold back on watering for a little while until the soil has dried out enough. You can even help the plant out by adding more drainage holes to its pot or container, and take it out if it is doubled potted.
2. Wilting Leaves
Wilting leaves is the next sign that your basil plant is not a happy one. Wilting leaves is a more serious symptom, as this means that the basil leaves are not capable of absorbing as much light through their leaves through photosynthesis.
Wilting basil is another very misconceiving symptom. This is why checking the soil moisture level is very important before you take an action.
Coming back from wilted basil is a little bit trickier, but it’s still not too late for your plant. Make sure to pluck away the wilted leaves and leave the healthy ones, so that the plant can avert all of its energy towards growing new, healthy basil leaves.
3. Root Rot
Root rot is the stage where the plant is usually too far gone to be saved, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t try. If your basil plant is left living in soggy, wet soil, its roots will start to rot.
You will be able to tell that your plant has root rot because the soil will start to smell, and this is because the roots have started to develop mold and are dying. They will also be quite mushy to the touch.
You can attempt to save a basil plant with root rot, but it is not guaranteed it will survive. You can attempt to repot the dying basil in some more dry soil in a new pot, but if the roots are completely mushy, there is little chance that it will survive.
What are some Issues Basil will Face when Overwatered?
An overwatered basil plant faces more issues that just the three issues we just mentioned above. An overwatered plant is an unhealthy one, which makes it more susceptible to further issues.
Fusarium Wilt
Fusarium wilt is a fungal disease that starts in moist soil. This is a vascular issue wherein a plant can no longer bring up the nutrients and moisture to the rest of the plant. Once your plant develops this issue, it cannot be saved.
Downy Mildew
Downy mildew is another fungal disease that starts in moist conditions, but this one starts on the leaves of the plant. This is why avoiding getting water on the leaves is very important, as downy mildew develops in moist and humid conditions.
How do you Fix an Overwatered Basil Plant?
Now it’s time to be equipped with all of the knowledge that you need in order to keep a basil plant happy! Just because the basil plant isn’t doing too hot right now, doesn’t mean that it can’t be mended. There are several ways to fix and avoid overwatering:
Proper Potting
The first and most important way to ensure that this mistake won’t happen again, is planting basil in the proper pot and the proper potting mix.
Plant basil in a pot that has either one large drainage hole or several small drainage holes. This way the water will be able to drain out freely and the plant won’t be left in standing water.
Planting basil in a terracotta pot as opposed to a plastic one is another good idea, because water can also evaporate out of the sides of the clay since it is way more porous than plastic.
Additionally, using the right potting soil is very important to have happy basil. Choose a potting soil that is very well draining, this way you can keep soil moist without it becoming saturated.
If you’re worried about drainage, you can also incorporate some pebbles, gravel, sand, or compost to the mix. There are all things that will increase drainage.
Proper Sun Exposure
Each growing condition of basil is connected. Even if you have a perfect watering schedule and never miss a day, it may not even be sufficient enough if you don’t have the right amount of sun exposure.
If you’re growing basil in a shaded area, it will need less water since the sunlight won’t evaporate it as quickly. If you’re growing basil in a sunny area, it will need way more water.
Basil is usually a sun loving plant, and so growing it in an area that receives morning sunlight and afternoon shade is the perfect balance for a healthy plant.
Proper Watering Schedule
As we just mentioned, there is no one general rule for watering when it comes to basil. You will have to determine how much and how frequently your basil plant needs to be watered.
Just remember that thorough watering is more important that frequent watering. You want to make sure you’ve given it enough water that the excess water drains out of the drainage hole.
Another tip is to always stick your finger in the soil before deciding to water the plant again. If you feel moist soil a couple of inches down, it does not need to be watered. You want to keep soil moist but not saturated, and you also don’t want to let it dry out completely.
It is also a good idea to water basil in morning. This is because it actually gives the root system a chance to absorb enough of the water that you’ve just given it. If you water basil in the hottest part of the day, a lot of it will evaporate because the plant gets the chance to absorb it.
Propagation
If your plant has been over watered and it was too far gone to save, there is one last thing that you can do. Propagate! See if you can get any healthy looking cuttings – this is usually a stem with a healthy lower leaf and a couple higher leaves.
Then, take that healthy cutting and place it in a clear glass of fresh water and place it in a sunny window. The stem will hopefully start to develop tiny little roots thanks to the water, and then you can transplant it to a new pot and create a whole potted basil garden!
FAQs
What is the scientific term for basil?
The scientific term for basil is ocimum basilicum, but this is the term for sweet basil. Sweet basil is the most popular basil variety but there are many others out there!
Can you grow basil seeds indoors?
Growing basil seeds indoors is actually the most successful to start basil seedlings. Basil seeds are sensitive to temperature and to sunlight, so ensure that each basil seed has moist soil and is warm enough. Each basil seed should turn into basil seedlings in 3-4 weeks if it is under the popular growing conditions.
What is fresh basil used for?
Fresh basil is a wonderful herb to have in the house. It smells wonderful and tastes even better. Fresh basil is often used as a garnish for pasta dishes and other savory delights, but it can also be used to garnish sweet dishes as well.
Lemon basil is a particularly popular herb in Asian cuisines. Lemon basil is known for having a citrusy kick to it and makes for a great potted plant on top of that! Purple basil is a beautiful herb that makes for a great potted plant and has attractive purple leaves.
What are the benefits to growing indoor basil as opposed to outdoor basil?
Indoor basil is a great option because you can control the conditions of the plant much easier this way. A potted basil plant will be perfectly happy as long as its expansive basil roots have enough room to grow. It is also easier to water basil plants more consistently this way since they aren’t exposed to outdoor elements.
Growing outdoor basil is another great option. Outdoor basil is great for the rest of your garden because it attracts pollinators and it tends to grow a lot bigger, but it is harder to control their growing conditions.
How often should you water basil plant?
Remember that thorough watering is more important that frequent watering. You want to make sure you’ve given it enough water that the excess water drains out of the drainage hole.
Another tip is to always stick your finger in the soil before deciding to water the plant again. If you feel moist soil a couple of inches down, it does not need to be watered. You want to keep soil moist but not saturated, and you also don’t want to let it dry out completely.
It is also a good idea to water basil in morning. This is because it actually gives the root system a chance to absorb enough of the water that you’ve just given it. If you water basil in the hottest part of the day, a lot of it will evaporate because the plant gets the chance to absorb it.
When is the right time to harvest basil?
The right time to harvest basil will depend on when you planted it and when the active growing season was. The right time to harvest basil is when the plant is about 8 inches in height with a bunch of sets of healthy leaves.
Trying to pluck the upper basil leaf rather than the lower leaf first, so as the lower leaves can get that extra sun exposure to continue growing.
What is the right amount of sun exposure for basil?
Each growing condition of basil is connected. Even if you have a perfect watering schedule and never miss a day, it may not even be sufficient enough if you don’t have the right amount of sun exposure.
If you’re growing basil in a shaded area, it will need less water since the sunlight won’t evaporate it as quickly. If you’re growing basil in a sunny area, it will need way more water.
Basil is usually a sun loving plant, and so growing it in an area that receives morning sunlight and afternoon shade is the perfect balance for a healthy plant.
What is the right pot to plant basil in?
The first and most important way to ensure that this mistake won’t happen again, is planting basil in the proper pot and the proper potting mix.
Plant basil in a pot that has either one large drainage hole or several small drainage holes. This way the water will be able to drain out freely and the plant won’t be left in standing water.
Planting basil in a terracotta pot as opposed to a plastic one is another good idea, because water can also evaporate out of the sides of the clay since it is way more porous than plastic.
Additionally, using the right potting soil is very important to have happy basil. Choose a potting soil that is very well draining, this way you can keep soil moist without it becoming saturated.
If you’re worried about drainage, you can also incorporate some pebbles, gravel, sand, or compost to the mix. There are all things that will increase drainage.
