Sweet Basil - Black leaves

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MikeIL

New Member
Hello all. See this picture?

Picture Link

What causes some of my basil leaves to turn black? Is that some kind of disease or just sunburn?

I bought the plant already started by a nursery. That picture was taken two days after I purchased the plant. It's doubled in size already. How can you tell is a leave is ready to be pulled and used in a recipe? This is my first year trying herbs beyond cilantro.

I'm afraid this basil plant is going to produce more than I can use, hehe. I think maybe I better google how to dry herbs :)
 

Kya D

Active Member
Maybe too much water or like you said sunburn??? I am not at all sure.
I dehydrate lots of stuff including herbs. They are very easy to dry. You can tie the basil stems in bundles and hang them or put them in the dehydrator
 

Crabbergirl

Super Moderator
Staff member
You are right Kya both will cause this. There are 2 different black spots on your leaves. One is water and one is sun. The lighter brown/black spots are sun burn. Give your plant partial sun/shade . Usually the hottest part of the day you want your plant in filrtered light;)
 

Flower4Yeshua

Super Moderator & vegemm
Staff member
you have your answer on the black leaves....on the dring...you can pick leaves and lay them out in a dark warm spot to dry or cut long stem and hang to dry ...really rather easy...
also you could make a pesto up and can or freeze it.
 

MikeIL

New Member
On the over watering, guilty. At least for the first week. Then I read the tag that was in the pot a little closer and it said not to water them a lot. I'll also move the plant to where it gets some shade. Right now it gets direct sun for about 8-9 hours a day.
 

GardenBear1

New Member
I have Basil in the full sun and there doing great, I never top water them, I water under the plants and water in the morning, wet leaves will burn faster than dry one will
 

Crabbergirl

Super Moderator
Staff member
If a plant goes from full shade to full sun it will have issues. mine is in full sun too but it was also seeded there. A lot of times if you buy a plant it has been at a store with shade cloth roofs, when you put it in fulll sun it fries.:( Think of hardening off , you must give that plant a trasition period Some times during long hot periods of direct sun even my plants raised in the garden will burn, I cut palmetto fronds with long stems and make umbrellas for them for the hottest part of the day. Remeber not all plants are raised the same. LOL Like children. Anyway the point is that if you have an issue you might need to change the condition of whcih the plant is exposed.;)
 

KallieLashay

New Member
My basil last year did the same thing..then the stalk got really tough and it died out. But for the longest time I never had one problem with my sweet basil.
 
8

80stillgardening

Guest
Mmmmmmm. Basil. The aroma of basil when you cook is fantastic. It gets the whole house ready for dinner. hehe. It doesn't have as much flavor as the scent would suggest but the smell of the meal is part of the whole package. I'm sure you know but you shouldn't pour water on the leaves; just into the dirt. Water on the leaves can certainly cause sunburn so be careful of that. Otherwise, enjoy what comes out good!
 


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