Basil - yellow/brown leaves - Ask Extension
Hi - I grow basil every year from seed. Typically, it grows great up until the first frost. I did my first harvesting last week(cutting off the top 3 ...
Knowledgebase
Basil - yellow/brown leaves #879330
Asked July 29, 2024, 7:18 PM EDT
Hi - I grow basil every year from seed. Typically, it grows great up until the first frost. I did my first harvesting last week(cutting off the top 3 inches or so on the plants that are starting to flower). Since then, some of the leaves are turning yellow with some brown - photo attached . I do not see any insects or other spots on the leaves. The basil is in full afternoon sun and I water about every other day when it does not rain (which it has rained a lot). Any thoughts on things I can do to make it happy?
Hennepin County Minnesota
Expert Response
It looks like your basil is growing in a pot. The yellowing leaves are likely signaling the need for fertilizer. Plants in pots need extra nutrients because the smaller amount of soil loses nutrients easily with watering. You can use a 5-10-5 (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium) water soluble fertilizer. Use at 1/2 strength of what the package instructions are. Below is information on growing herbs.
https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-herbs#:~:text=Use%20a%20liquid%20fertilizer%20at,four%20weeks%20for%20containers%20outdoors.
https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-herbs#:~:text=Use%20a%20liquid%20fertilizer%20at,four%20weeks%20for%20containers%20outdoors.
