Basil Growing Problem

[BasilM]

Hey everyone,
This is the second season growing (at least trying to) basil after a very successful season.
Last year toward the end of the season i grew and propagated basil and it was a success.
So this year i took it to another level, but im very disappointed. My basil donyt grow almos at all or very slowly, not the right shape or color. Very bad.

The situation is like this:
1. PLACE = Same place as last year, outside, so should be good.
2. PESTS = Last season the pests were the worst, so ive bought a anti-pests mesh net wich is great, very little pests this year, maybe a fly mangaed to get inside here and ther but thats it. Pretty much safe to say this ia not a problem.
3. WATER - this year ive bought automated system so water is consistent, i am trying between every say / every other day.
4. SOIL - good soil, i mixed it with some ground used coffee and banana peels, even some stuff from my fish pool. So pretty much good, and i should mention last year i didnr do that so i guess its just a plus. Good drainge.
5. Sun - Usually Morning sun until about 12-13, and then bright light not sun directly. AGAIN, same place that proved to be good last year.
6. SEASON - yes this is the season to grow basil where i live, its hot and good temp.

Pretty much just improved all the terms from last year yet somhow leves very small, not deep green as basil shold be, not even the right shape. Growing Very Slowly, almost not growing and evolving at all.

Ive attached some photos for you guys to see. Most of the small plants are few weeks old by now. All of them Between 2-5 weeks. The big ones are older but of course new plant from this season not last year.

Ive propagated every of the small plant you see in the photos 1 and 2 from those "big" ones marked 3.
*images a bit processed by my the phone, the planr are not as green, they are less green. A "dullish" green.

Any help would be appriciated.

 

[Chuck]

Looks to me like nitrogen chlorosis on all of the plants. They need to be fertilized.

 

[BasilM]

Looks to me like nitrogen chlorosis on all of the plants. They need to be fertilized.

Thank you !
Any organic way you can suggest ?
How to do it and how often?

 

[Chuck]

Thank you !
Any organic way you can suggest ?
How to do it and how often?

From what you described of coffee grounds, banana peels and fish pond water you feeding your plants with have small amounts of NPK. You need a balanced and total fertilizer. I don't know what is available as far as organic fertilizers are concerned in Israel. I would go to a nursery and talk to them about this. If you can obtain blood meal there, it and the banana peels might be enough. Banana peels add potassium, magnesium and phosphorus. The coffee grounds do have a nitrogen content of about 2% but using coffee grounds all the time will change the soil Ph and tie up some nutrients so the plant cannot uptake them. So, I would not use coffee grounds all the time. The blood meal has a nitrogen content of 12% and is fast acting. What I would do is make a banana "tea" of the peels. Just get a bucket and put the peels and water in it and let it soak for a few days before using it and then use some every week or so. I would also bury some of the peels in the soil. Chop them up into small pieces and mix with the soil. With the blood meal just sprinkle a couple of tablespoons around on the surface of the soil or mix with the banana tea. You might also get a bag of manure based or manure added compost and put this on the surface of the soil.

 

[BasilM]

From what you described of coffee grounds, banana peels and fish pond water you feeding your plants with have small amounts of NPK. You need a balanced and total fertilizer. I don't know what is available as far as organic fertilizers are concerned in Israel. I would go to a nursery and talk to them about this. If you can obtain blood meal there, it and the banana peels might be enough. Banana peels add potassium, magnesium and phosphorus. The coffee grounds do have a nitrogen content of about 2% but using coffee grounds all the time will change the soil Ph and tie up some nutrients so the plant cannot uptake them. So, I would not use coffee grounds all the time. The blood meal has a nitrogen content of 12% and is fast acting. What I would do is make a banana "tea" of the peels. Just get a bucket and put the peels and water in it and let it soak for a few days before using it and then use some every week or so. I would also bury some of the peels in the soil. Chop them up into small pieces and mix with the soil. With the blood meal just sprinkle a couple of tablespoons around on the surface of the soil or mix with the banana tea. You might also get a bag of manure based or manure added compost and put this on the surface of the soil.

Thank you very much for your informative answer ! I'll try it. much appriciated!

 

[BasilM]

Thank you Chuck, but your solution Didnt work.

Any other Suggestions ?

 

[Chuck]

Thank you Chuck, but your solution Didnt work.

Any other Suggestions ?

Its only been a week. Restoring hungry plants isn't instantaneous. Have they changed colors at all? Take another set of pictures identical to the way you did the first time and compare. What did you feed them with?

 

[BasilM]

I've fed them "banana tea", banana peel in waters for several days, also refreshed their soil to ensure drainage again, and filled it withe coffee too, and a little bit of banana peels. Posting photos.

How long do plants need to eat and get better? I read it shouod take few days.

By the eay, what frequancy do you think i should i water them ?

 

[BasilM]

Photos Update.

Also, from my experience, basil Grow Fast, like a lot of herbs. How could you explain that slow growth? Terms for them just improved from last year...

 

[Chuck]

I've fed them "banana tea", banana peel in waters for several days, also refreshed their soil to ensure drainage again, and filled it withe coffee too, and a little bit of banana peels. Posting photos.

How long do plants need to eat and get better? I read it shouod take few days.

By the eay, what frequancy do you think i should i water them ?

Read my prior post again. You are still not fertilizing them enough. You are doing the same thing yet expecting different results. I said to make a banana tea by letting the peels soak for several days and then use them each time you water. Banana peels mean phosphorus, not nitrogen being added. I said to use blood meal, are you? I said coffee grounds will change soil Ph and can tie up nutritional uptake, yet you still are using coffee grounds. Your plants looks a tiny percentage better but are still suffering from nitrogen deficiency. Use either the blood meal or an actual fertilizer to remedy this. You will not change anything if you keep using just coffee grounds and banana peels. You should water them every time the soil gets dry a couple of inches deep.

 

[BasilM]

First i want to thank you again, yet maybe i do not understand you correctly.

Blood meal the "manifactured industrial" kind i googled isnt easy to get here. If you have any homemade suggestion - please. Is this the only solution ?

Again, Maybe i didnt understand you properly.

- should i water them with the banana peals "tea" every time i water them or once a week to fertilize ? I currently do once a week.
- coffee grounds are good or bad ? I Rarely add because its already in my soil.

If i didnt mention, One of my main wishes is to do everything as organic and homemade as possible without using any big companies or others industrial items. Icould just go easily and byy some powders to fix it or even buy basil at the supermarket but it aint my goal.

Again, your help is appriciated friend, but as it probably obvious, tough i read a lot and studied, i am still not an expert, to say the least...

 

[Chuck]

First i want to thank you again, yet maybe i do not understand you correctly.

Blood meal the "manifactured industrial" kind i googled isnt easy to get here. If you have any homemade suggestion - please. Is this the only solution ?

Again, Maybe i didnt understand you properly.

- should i water them with the banana peals "tea" every time i water them or once a week to fertilize ? I currently do once a week.
- coffee grounds are good or bad ? I Rarely add because its already in my soil.

If i didnt mention, One of my main wishes is to do everything as organic and homemade as possible without using any big companies or others industrial items. Icould just go easily and byy some powders to fix it or even buy basil at the supermarket but it aint my goal.

Again, your help is appriciated friend, but as it probably obvious, tough i read a lot and studied, i am still not an expert, to say the least...

Can you get dried manure? Guano, chicken manure, fish emulsion? Anything that is high in nitrogen? You plants need nitrogen. They do not need, at this time, phosphorus. I would use the banana peel tea about every other time you water. I would add fresh coffee grounds to the soil about once per month. Too much coffee grounds will change the soil Ph into a more acidic soil than the basil will like and make the plant unable to use what nutrients are in the soil. Nitrogen, more nitrogen is what your plants need.

 

[BasilM]

I have a fish pool, is the "dirt" from the filter will be good? How to use it ?

I can also make grass cuts in water, i have read it should be helpful too, what do you think?

Another questionif i may, how is it that specificly my basil is in such a need/lack of nitrogen. My other plants are good. Last year was good. What is it this time?

 

[Chuck]

I have a fish pool, is the "dirt" from the filter will be good? How to use it ?

It will be good but whether or not it has enough nitrogen in it is unknown. Just mix it with water and water your plants with it.

 

[BasilM]

As i mentioned, what are your thougts ?

I can also make grass cuts in water, i have read it should be helpful too, what do you think?

Another questionif i may, how is it that specificly my basil is in such a need/lack of nitrogen. My other plants are good. Last year was good. What is it this time?