# How to care for a basil plant?



## kitchengoddess8 (Jul 27, 2012)

I just bought a basil plant at the supermarket and I don't know if it needs to be repotted. It's in one of those cheap plastic containers. Does anyone know if I need to repot it, or is it okay to leave it as is?


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## Dawgluver (Jul 27, 2012)

Poke it in a bigger pot, or even better, in your garden.  It will keep for awhile in the little plastic pack, but you will need to water almost daily.


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## kitchengoddess8 (Jul 27, 2012)

Dawgluver said:
			
		

> Poke it in a bigger pot, or even better, in your garden.  It will keep for awhile in the little plastic pack, but you will need to water almost daily.



I wish I had a garden, but I live in an apartment. Does it need a lot of sun?


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## Dawgluver (Jul 27, 2012)

I have one I dug up from last fall sitting in my window, was able to pick leaves from it all year.  The window gets sun about 4 hours a day.  Basil is pretty tolerant, it might get leggy, but it still tastes good!

I usually direct seed basil into the garden, the drought has really taken a toll.


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## GLC (Jul 27, 2012)

Re-pot it in a larger pot. If it's in a three or four inch pot, put it into an eight-inch pot or larger. Handle it gently. Rough repotting often causes great harm to the critical tiny rootlets. It will get badly root bound in the small pot, if it's not already. Use potting soil or garden soil. Basil is fine in full sun down to filtered sunlight or bright shade. It will likely grow to something from one to two feet tall. Eventually, it will bolt, will form flowers, but when you see them emerge, if you pinch them off, it will last longer. Like many herbs, it doesn't need much babying, just adequate water, but err on the side of not overwatering. Most herbs taste better when abused. But pots dry out quickly, so a little water each day is appropriate. When mind reach the point where they insist on bolting, I harvest and freeze some roughly chopped in small freezer containers and make some into pesto and freeze. Small basil repotted into large containers grow and last for several months for me.


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## kitchengoddess8 (Jul 27, 2012)

Thanks so much for the suggestions. The plant does seem a bit cramped in the plastic container.


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