Why are my plants dying?

Puggles

Puggles

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They're just simple potted plants from the store. It says just to water them when the soil is dry and put them in sunlight. I'm doing that and my basil is already starting to wilt at the edges. I got some indoor house plant food and am also using it according to instructions, but I can't seem to get this right.
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Puggles said:
They're just simple potted plants from the store. It says just to water them when the soil is dry and put them in sunlight. I'm doing that and my basil is already starting to wilt at the edges. I got some indoor house plant food and am also using it according to instructions, but I can't seem to get this right.
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Herbs need more direct sunlight. I keep my basil outside. I haven't had much luck with growing my basil in the windows over the years. In the winter we just don't have that much sun up here in NE Ohio and it's too cold for them to go outside. Right now we have oregano, basil, and cilantro growing in pots on our front deck. They are looking great! If I tried to grow them inside they just wouldn't get enough light.
 
I'll move them then. These are the two I put outside 2 weeks ago. They look like crap.
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Puggles said:
I'll move them then.
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That's a good idea. I also water everyday (well actually my husband does). As long as the plants have good drainage it's fine they get water every day. He has a gentle sprayer on the hose to do it with. A watering can and a spray mist bottle would work well. Since you don't have a lot of plants, the hose is a bit more than you need.

Here's a photo of the basil and some lettuce growing in pots on the deck rail:
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Puggles said:
I'll move them then. These are the two I put outside 2 weeks ago. They look like crap. View attachment 103436
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That's a soil problem there. Just keep them in pots for now and when they get bigger, you can put them in bigger pots but they need to be in good potting soil. You can put them in the ground but you would likely need to till and add some topsoil for enrichment, plus water daily.

I just looked back at your window photo and see they are in the pots you purchased them in. They need bigger pots in my opinion.
 
This time of year places like Dollar General and Big Lots have inexpensive gardening clearance so you should be able to find something cheap. It is a little late in the year to start planting, but over the past 5-6 years I have noticed that the early fall is much warmer than it used to be and you should be able to get some use out of those herbs for another 8 weeks, maybe longer. Years ago our tomatoes and other plants would be gone by mid-September but over the past several years that's been extended by a few weeks.

As far as that basil in the ground goes, you could probably get a bag of topsoil and just place it around each of those plants. That would help keep in the moisture and give it new nutrients to perk it up.
 
Puggles said:
So do plants need different nutrients than weeds do? Because there is definitely stuff growing in that soil bed.
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Yeah, different plants need different nutrients and different soil types for sure. I have aloe and cacti growing inside in pots and I would never use that kind of soil to plant herbs in, nor are their watering schedules the same.
 
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If you have a deck rail that gets sun, Big Lots has these for around $9 and it's big enough to put at least 2 herb plants in. Rosemary is a slow grower, you might be able to just keep it in the same pot it's in. At any rate, when winter comes they all have to come inside. Probably the rosemary is the only one that stands a chance of making it until next year, at least in my experience.

If you can get your basil to take off, you can make big batches of pesto and freeze it in ice cube trays with a thin layer of olive oil on top to protect it, then take the cubes out when frozen and put them in ziplocks. I do that pretty much every year. It still looks and tastes great after freezing.
 
Puggles said:
They're just simple potted plants from the store. It says just to water them when the soil is dry and put them in sunlight. I'm doing that and my basil is already starting to wilt at the edges. I got some indoor house plant food and am also using it according to instructions, but I can't seem to get this right.
View attachment 103435
Click to expand...

They won't last forever in the store bought containers but the trick is to stand them in saucers and water from the bottom. When all the water is sucked up by the plant, add more water. I've managed to keep basil going for several months by doing that.
 
Morning Glory said:
They won't last forever in the store bought containers but the trick is to stand them in saucers and water from the bottom. When all the water is sucked up by the plant, add more water. I've managed to keep basil going for several months by doing that.
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It looks like Puggles has the pots in deep round water catchers.
 
I grow basil both indoors and out. The outdoor plants have to be watered twice a day in this 100-plus heat we are having, but they are doing okay.

The indoor plant is in a South window in my kitchen/dining area. I've been growing basil there for a few years. They never look stellar, but they look okay and the leaves taste good.

For the indoor basil plants, I move them to a much larger pot, and tear at the roots before planting to stimulate root growth. I can easily get 6 months out of a large plant before I pick them too bare to survive.

My outdoor plants are in a six inch based bed with good draining soil. I water them twice a day when it is over 100F/38C (it is 105F/41C right now.). They wilt some during the afternoon, but bounce back once the sun goes down and I give them some water. Oh, the good draining soil is needed because the soil should be moist, but not waterlogged.

Same with the indoor plants. Keep the soil moist, but don't let the soil at the bottom of the pot get swampy. I've noticed that will kill them as fast as too little water.

CD
 
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