Avoiding wilt, mildew in basil
Q One of my favourite things is adding basil to tomato salads or other dishes. I have tried growing basil in the garden for the past several years and every year it starts out looking promising and ends up a huge disappointment. It just seems to shrivel and leave this world. Is there anything I can do to grow this thing successfully?
A Oh, you have touched one of my nerves. I can empathize completely as basil and I have never got along until lately. The problem with basil in the past is that it was very prone to fusarium wilt and/or downy mildew. There are now new varieties that are resistant to these two diseases. There is an excellent chart I've shared online showing the varieties of basil and their resistance to the two diseases.
If you are growing your basil from seed, look for varieties that are labelled DMR or Fusarium Wilt Resistant. Basil will need at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight per day in order to grow best. Basil likes to be watered deeply and then allowed to dry out slightly.
Use the “first knuckle” method of testing for moisture. Stick your index finger into the soil up to your first knuckle. If it feels dry it needs to be watered. Isn't it amazing that with all the technology on the market today the good old stick-your-fingerin-it test is still the best and most reliable?
If you forget to water your basil and it dries out completely, soak the plant, pot and all, in a bucket of water for 30 minutes or so and it should recover quite well.
This is the voice of experience talking. Yes, I actually do forget to water some plants, too!