Ocimum sanctum or holy basil leaves look like crushed paper!

[Rajesh Sethi]

I transplanted few of my seedling that I grew in poly grow bag to pot.

All of them are growing well except one. I don't know what is happening to it, it looks like crushed paper.
Normally, the leaves are flat, smooth that looks like valley fold at the midrib of leaf.

Any idea whats happening to this one.

Sorry the images are blurry!

I checked, there is no pest, or aphids(Common to this plant type).

 

[marlingardener]

Gosh, I'm not sure, but it could be one of two things.
First, you got a Genovese Basil seed mixed in with your others. The Genovese has a more wrinkled leaf and although it has a great flavor, the leaves are not flat.
Secondly, if the soil is different from the other transplants, it might be a fertilizer deficiency. You could try a dose of balanced fertilizer for that seedling and see if in a week it looks any better.
Good luck--basil is such a great plant for seasoning food--we use a LOT of it!

 

[Rajesh Sethi]

It might be aphids, that have sucked the leaf when it was small then they might have left, as today I checked other seedling some of them are infected by aphids.

I gently inverted the plants and allowed tab water to trickle on it till all the aphids are washed away. I don't like insecticide on edible plant.


Thank you for the help.

 

[zigs]

You can use soapy water on aphids

 

[Dinu]

Some type of lice I think, will affect Basil. What we get is blackish here. I was not doing anything earlier, leaves turned brown, wilted and fell. This time I am going to spray [trial] diluted neem oil to them and see what happens, if it is attacked.

 

[(Sub)Urban Farmer]

I am growing Holy Basil too. Only 3/8 seeds germinated. All 8 of the other types of basil germinated. Does this match with your experience?

Also, does anyone have a recommended homemade organic insecticide formula? For basil in particular. I know I can google it, but I thought I'd see if anyone had a tried-and-true recommendation first.

Thanks,

 

[Rajesh Sethi]

I use neem oil:soap:water mix (5ml:0.1ml:1000ml) (for leaf eating insect ) but it does not work well for those suckers (aphids, mealybugs).

Best way it to spray plain water and use a small painting brush with soft bristle to remove them from smaller plants and try to put ant repellent around the pot, ants used to carry mealybugs from one plant to other in-order to feed them from tender leaf in exchange for honeydew

You can also find bagworm moth (Psychidae) if you are lucky.

I heard if you smoke tobacco* near your plant, can keep it insect free (its for experiment purpose only)

*Tobacco smoking is harmful to health.