Something appears to be eating it but I cannot find any small caterpillars in the bush. The plant is normally outside during the day and inside at night........ with a healthy supply of slug pellets down, it's not slugs or snails!
2007-08-29 00:04:57 · 7 answers · asked by fantagirlus 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
it may just be perishing, don't leave it outside at all, spray the whole plant with a very mild solution of washing up liquid,leave for an hour or two, then spray off with clean fresh water, allow to dry indoors so it does not get to cold, do not put out for a few days and see what happens.
It could be caterpillars or even birds.
2007-08-29 00:17:28 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
It could be the spider mites, aphids, beetles during the day...and it could just be time for sweet basil's end.. they dont' live forever! If you're wanting to hold onto this plant for awhile, you can wash off the undersides of the leaves with mild, soapy water every day for a bit, and see if you don't kill off whatever is enjoying your herbs. I had a BAD infestation of Japanese beetles that ate just about every annual leaf that I had planted this year.. and in Texas I heard it was grasshoppers this year. Sometimes that's all it is, is the year of THE BUGS!! Hope you can salvage enough for pesto! :)
2007-08-29 02:05:20 · answer #2 · answered by themom 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not really an outside plant and slugs don't really eat it anyway. Maybe it's whitefly! Look under the leaves for their eggs. I spray my peppers with diluted washing up liquid and this seems to keep them down.
2007-08-29 01:23:58 · answer #3 · answered by Gerry R 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Basil - beautiful plant for the deck!! I have huge pots of them growing and it helps with mosquitoes. Nothing has bothered them but me- when I am cooking.
If they needed 'dusting' for bugs, I would just put sevin dust on them - as that is safe for humans but bugs don't like it.
It is also good for all the rest of your plants and dog pests like ticks and fleas.
2007-08-29 02:01:37 · answer #4 · answered by mamacedar 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
small semi-circular nibbles out of the edges of the leaves, especially on container plants could be vine weevil.
2007-08-29 04:50:32 · answer #5 · answered by Jonathan F 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sorry - I took a few leaves to put in my salad!! Hope they grow back!
2007-08-29 00:11:49 · answer #6 · answered by Fluffy 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Grasshoppers could be dining on it.
2007-08-29 01:52:49 · answer #7 · answered by reynwater 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋