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Basil with discolored spotting #868071

Asked May 12, 2024, 12:06 PM EDT

I have some Naxos basil growing and noticed some discolored spots some are copper in coloring others are dark grey in coloring that started to appear on the leafs. Would this be from disease or deficiency issue? And how do I make sure it doesn’t keep spreading?

Oakland County Michigan

Expert Response

This looks like it could be the start of some Basil Downy Mildew. If you look on the undersides of the leaves you will likely see the gray-purple fuzz that is indicative of this pathogen.

Unfortunately, this is a serious pathogen of basil. It's recommended that you harvest the affected plants (they are safe to eat). To prevent future issues with this, it's best to use steam-treated seeds or plant resistant varieties. More information on this topic can be found here.

https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/basil-downy-mildew-2/

https://extension.umn.edu/disease-management/basil-downy-mildew#:~:text=Susceptibility%20of%20basil%20varieties%20to%20basil%20downy%20mildew&text=If%20any%20plant%20has%20basil,after%20rain%2C%20dew%20or%20irrigation.

If you do not see the fuzziness on the undersides of the leaves, this may simply be some botrytis or other less serious pathogen. You could simply pinch the plants and remove the impacted leaves to prevent spread.

Thank you for your question! Replied May 16, 2024, 9:22 AM EDT

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