Not really sure if this is caused by bugs and/or water issues or what. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks!! Kim P.S. I'm not sure why when I save my pics right side up...they still post sideways on here....? My poor basil!!! ( photo / image / picture from poodledoodlemom's Garden )
PDM, I am not sure what is really wrong other than it could just be damaged from being battered. Basil (and most herbs) benefit from pinching them even when you are not using them. Your plant doesn't look bad, from what I can see. Pinching off those leaves wont hurt it either.
I get a few of those leaves once in a while, I just pinch them off to put in the compost barrel since the rest of the leaves and the plant look just fine.
Honestly, I don't think you need to worry about it, still pinch it and let it re grow. Where do you have it? outside, inside? in the sun, shade cold hot ? Basil is pretty hardy in the summer for me when it is planted in the garden, but potted I think it is wimpy. Give it time and water of course, but I think it will be okay.
When you say pinch it...do you mean pinch off the bad leaves? It's not looking too great today. I have it outside on my porch where I had one last year which did okay. If I bring it inside it'll die. I don't have enough sun light in here for it. That's what I think killed my cilantro. Brought it in because it was cold and it didn't like that. It's gets direct sun part of the day. And it's been warm here since I got it. I thought maybe it was bugs. I think I had bugs on my plant last year.
PDM, I don't think it will kill it. Where each set of leaves are at is a new set of buds that will produce new stems and leaves. You don't have to pinch the leaves all off at once..a few every couple days if you are worried that you'll stress it too much. When I am cutting it for a customer in the garden... I cut it all the way back to bare branches and it still survives. How cold was it for your cilantro? Unless it was going from hot to below freezing, I doubt that the cold killed it. I actually have it inside one of my high tunnels from last year... and we had weather that would freeze the abominable snowman in his tracks this year. One night my thermometer read -14f. It didn't get that cold in the high tunnel, but there is also no heat in there, either. It is just protected from the wind. I picked some just the other day. Most likely it was too dark, warm and dry inside for it.
It wasn't below freezing and it wasn't hot so I don't know. I'm afraid to get another one because I don't want to kill it, but I LOVE cilantro!!!
PDM...Get cilantro seeds and toss them in the flowerbed or a large pot and keep them watered. Seeds are cheap and you won't stress so much over when they fizzle out. Going to flower is normal, so when that happens don't stress over that, either. There is nothing you can do about it. It is normal.
