(Sick) purple basil
03-08-10 · Herbs in my garden Tags: basil, herbs & spices
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Purple basil has a more intense flavor than Thai basil and it is prudent to use less for cooking. But what I really love to do with purple basil leaves is to use them for garnish. Rolled then finely sliced, they make a dish not only prettier but more flavorful too. But of the three basil plants in my garden, the purple basil is the one I use the least. Not for lack of good use for it but because the leaves always seem to be infected by some kind of fungus.
Or maybe those tiny round things are insect eggs. I don’t really know. There were times when I’d wash each leaf thoroughly so I could use them but the process has become frustrating. Water is a highly-valued commodity in times like this, what with the dry summer months already wreaking havoc with the water levels in dams, and using so much water to wash each leaf just seems wasteful.
Sad, really, because although many herb gardeners have problems with the leaves turning purple to green, mine have lots and lots of purple leaves on the upper portion of the shrubs which get more direct sunlight. Although it’s possible that the fungus-like growth is not harmful, it’s better safe than sorry and I’d rather not use the leaves for cooking until I know exactly what those things are on the leaves.
where did you buy your seeds,i like the thai one.i also read you have kaffir tree does that one have seeds too?i don’t have a garden i don’t have a green thumb…but i think basil would survive.i have stone garden in front of our house.
Not seeds but seedlings. At the Manila Seedling Bank.
thanks, i don’t think i hide the seedlings at
the immigration area…lol
Miss connie, that fungus is called “aphids” or “plant lice.” Be careful, or it will spread to other leafy plants, especially chili leaves. The “fungus” could be the insects’ residue.
It’s really a problem here in our area (Antipolo), because my own chili plants have the same problem. Chilis themselves are safe, but the leaves cannot be used for cooking.
Try to remedy it by picking off branches with infected leaves, then spraying it with water mixed with dishwashing liquid, or water with some vinegar and crushed chili (1 tbsp vinegar per 2 cups of H20 seems to work, or hot sauce) to kill the bugs. Crushed garlic also works.
However, if it’s serious, then sooner or later it’s going to die. Better uproot the plant and burn it, rather than have it infect the others.
To discourage aphid growth, spray other plants with garlic and/or chili crushed in vinegar (then diluted in H20), or water with dishwashing liquid (not good for food plants though); also constantly put banana peel under the plants, because the ethylene in rotting banana peels scare them away. Or spray with neem tree extract.
Sorry about your plants, Ms. Connie :p