How To Use This Problems Section
The chart is organized to give you a quick and dirty summary of the possible symptoms that you may encounter. Those problem causes for which we have full files will be linked to those files. Those causes with no link will have a paragraph below the chart helping you deal with that particular problem.
| Problems of Basil | |
|---|---|
| Symptom | Probable Cause |
| Bland Flavor | Too Much Fertilizer |
| Bitter Flavor | Blossoms Not Pinched Soon Enough |
| Weakened Plants; Yellowed Leaves | Whiteflies |
| Skeletonized Leaves | Japanese Beetles |
| Ragged Holes In Leaves | Slugs |
Bland Flavor From Too Much Fertilizer
Basil does not need very much fertilizer during the growing season. If you get over enthusiastic with your fertilizing, the plant will put great energy into producing abundant foliage but the flavor in the foliage will be quite bland. If that happens, take some cuttings from the plant and root them in water and start new plants and hold back on the fertilizer.
Bitter Flavor Caused By Blossoms Not Pinched Soon Enough
As soon as you see the little white blossom heads on the basil, you should know you are about a week late in keeping your plant pruned. If you snip those blossoms off right away there should be no problem, but if you leave the blossoms on the plant and sit there and go to seed, you will discover that the flavor of the leaves of the plant have become bitter. If that happens, take some cuttings from the plant and root them in water and start new plants. Next time pinch off all blossoms as they appear.
