Don’t be so good to basil
I know that basil grows best in poor, dry soil and doesn’t want to be watered all that frequently. I had to plant in pots this year, however, and I never have done before. So since potting soil doesn’t have nutrients, I mixed in some manure at the lower levels. Pots also dry out faster, so I watered them almost everyday. Both gigantic pots are in full Italian summer sun, after all.
The result is basil that has much less flavor than usual. Pesto is almost what it should be, but not quite. It looks wonderful, and rivals lettuce for beauty in a pot, but it isn’t what it can be and I must learn to be a bit mean. I shall water when they start to wilt. I shall continue to pinch off buds and cut to encourage branching. But no more food and much less water.
The above photo is the work of Sandra Caldwell, and the link is from iStockphoto.com and inquiries are underway for permissions. Should they not be received, I will shoot a photo of mine, which will not equal this nice shot.
It may be that witches grow the best basil.
3 comments July 23rd, 2007
