Basil (Ocimum basilicum) care

Herbs & edibles · needs attention to keep

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) wants full sun — six hours minimum. Water it every 3 days. Keep the compost damp — basil wilts fast and hard — but water in the morning, at the base, so the leaves are dry by night. Pot it in rich, free-draining compost. A balanced feed at half strength every two weeks in summer, and repot every 6 months. Humidity: room humidity is fine, with air moving. Non-toxic to cats and dogs, and edible.

Basil: the supermarket pot that dies in a fortnight, almost always because it is thirty seedlings crammed into one small pot competing for light and root room. Split it into three or four pots the day you get it home, give it the sunniest windowsill you have, and take cuttings through the summer.

Quick facts

Water: Water every 3 days. Keep the compost damp — basil wilts fast and hard — but water in the morning, at the base, so the leaves are dry by night.
Light: Full sun — six hours minimum.
Humidity: Room humidity is fine, with air moving.
Soil: Rich, free-draining compost.
Feeding: A balanced feed at half strength every two weeks in summer.
Repotting: Repot every 6 months.
Toxic to pets: Non-toxic to cats and dogs, and edible.
Difficulty: Needs attention.
Mature size: 30–50 cm tall.
Native to: Tropical Asia and Africa.

Watering a Basil

Water every 3 days. Keep the compost damp — basil wilts fast and hard — but water in the morning, at the base, so the leaves are dry by night.

That cadence is the one PlantParlour sets for this species when you name it, and it is deliberately on the cautious side — a plant that asks a day early is safer than one that asks a day late. Log each watering and the reminder moves with the plant rather than with the calendar.

Light

As much direct sun as possible. Supermarket basil dies indoors mainly because a kitchen windowsill gives it a fraction of the light it needs.

Humidity and temperature

Room humidity is fine, with air moving. Central heating in winter is what turns a comfortable room into a dry one, and it is the usual reason an established plant suddenly browns at the edges or picks up spider mites.

Soil and potting

A rich compost that holds some water but drains freely. The pot a supermarket basil comes in is far too small and far too crowded — split it into three or four pots on day one.

Feeding

A balanced feed at half strength every two weeks in summer. Stop feeding in autumn and start again when you see new growth in spring — feeding a plant that isn't growing just builds up salts in the pot.

Repotting

Repot every 6 months. Basil is an annual. Rather than repotting, take cuttings through the summer and start new plants.

Common problems

Whole plant collapses within a fortnight of coming home
Too many seedlings in one small pot, all competing.

Fix: Split the clump into three or four pots on the day you buy it, and put it in the sunniest spot you have.
Black spots and stems going soft
Fungal disease from cold, damp, still air.

Fix: Water in the morning at the base, improve airflow, and keep it warm.
Flower spikes forming
It is bolting; the leaves turn bitter afterwards.

Fix: Pinch out the flower buds and the top pair of leaves regularly to keep it producing.

Propagation

Cuttings root in a glass of water within a week. This is the practical way to keep basil going year-round.

A cutting taken in PlantParlour keeps its link to the plant it came from, so a propagation years later still traces back to the mother plant — which is the point if you ever sell or trade it.

Toxicity and safety

Non-toxic to cats and dogs, and edible.

Questions people ask

How often should you water a Basil?

Water every 3 days as a starting point — that is the cadence PlantParlour sets for Ocimum basilicum. Keep the compost damp — basil wilts fast and hard — but water in the morning, at the base, so the leaves are dry by night. Light, pot size and the time of year all move that number, so treat it as a reminder to go and check rather than a rule.

How much light does a Basil need?