gardening_is_fun
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Joined: 02 Nov 2006
Location: Newport News, VA, Zone 7b
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2006 11:42 pm Post subject: Basal as a houseplant |
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I guess it is obvious what I am asking here. Would basal make a good house plant or would it be better to just let it die? I grew some gorgeous cinnamon basal this summer and would like to save some if it is possible.
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eileen
Moderator & Resident Taxonomist
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Joined: 07 Feb 2005
Location: Scotland (Map)
Posts: 14179
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| Posted: Fri Nov 03, 2006 12:01 am Post subject: |
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Hi there,
I know that basil grows well when it's given a lot of sunlight in the garden (approx 5-6 hours a day). Since winter's on its way it's unlikely that you'll be able to get enough sun to grow basil indoors unless you live somewhere where there's plenty of sunlight all year. However, don't worry too much as there's a solution you might like to try. Your best bet is to go to any hardware or DIY centre. They always have a huge selection of good lights for growing plants. You should be able to find a light bulb that you can pop into one of your current fixtures. If you give your cuttings enough 'daylight' in this way you should find that you'll have basil to enjoy all year round. Hope this helps. 
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gardening_is_fun
Just Arrived
Joined: 02 Nov 2006
Location: Newport News, VA, Zone 7b
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Fri Nov 03, 2006 2:34 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for your reply. I would be keeping the basal in our solarium (south facing) and, once the leaves fall off the trees, it gets lots of sun in the winter. Until then, it's not that sunny. One thing I would like to know is if they take well to being dug up and transplanted into a more confined space. The cinnamon basal we have growing has hardened up and become tree like. Which is unusual to me because all the basal we've grown never hardened up like that before. I want to pot it up because it is so pretty especally when flowering and I love the smell.
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dooley
Official Garden Turtle
Joined: 03 Jul 2005
Location: Texas (Map)
Posts: 4204
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| Posted: Fri Nov 03, 2006 4:37 am Post subject: |
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Basil is one plant that you can grow on a windowsill in winter. A sunny one, of course. I have basil in a pot shaped like a pig. Right now, it comes in at night and goes out during the day. When it gets below freezing it will stay inside. But, I planted it from a small plant from the nursery. I didn't transplant it from the garden and I don't know how well a big plant would transplant. Maybe if the pot were big enough and you used a rooting hormone it would do. Dooley
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achicade
Just Arrived
Joined: 09 Nov 2006
Posts: 1
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 5:33 pm Post subject: basil as a houseplant |
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Hello, just wanted you to know i also grew Cinnamon Basil and it does appear to be more "woody" than regular basil. I grew my "regular" (genovese sp?)basil in a pot and then moved it into the house, in a sunny window, and it appears to be doing fine. However, it is an annual, so i don't know how long it will be "fine"...haha...i plan to snip it occasionally to see if it rejuvenates like it does outdoors when i snip it. The cinnamon is still hanging on outside...perhaps i should bring it in, too, just for grins!
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gardening_is_fun
Just Arrived
Joined: 02 Nov 2006
Location: Newport News, VA, Zone 7b
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 8:18 pm Post subject: |
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Well, right now, it doesn't appear to be hanging in there. All the leaves have dried up and fallen off. I'm hoping it comes back out. Wen you dig it up, make sure you get as much roots as possible. They have tree like root systems so you might have to dig deap to get enough roots. Good luck to you achicade.
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