Hi all,

Rookie gardener here. We're trying to grow some herbs but a little grub is making our lives very difficult.

Does anyone know what this might be and how to fix it?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Lachlan

The little black balls are bug poop. If you inspect your plants closely, including under the leaves, you'll probably find the little poopers. You can pick each one off and squish them or throw them outside or whatever works for you. Do that on a regular basis and your plants should be happier.

Once you've done that you'll need to figure out where they came from. Are there other plants nearby? Are you growing them outside?

The little "poopers" that Henderman mentions are most likely caterpillars, and judging by the size of the chewing and the size of their poop, they should be quite visible. They will probably be a shade of green — might match the plant, so look closely. There could be several sizes. One way to find them is to brush away all the poop in the evening (it is actually called frass), then check first thing in the morning. Find the new frass and look directly above it. With luck, the culprit will be munching above where its dropping landed. Good luck!

LachlanO said: Hi all,

Rookie gardener here. We're trying to grow some herbs but a little grub is making our lives very difficult.

Does anyone know what this might be and how to fix it?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Lachlan

Hi! Those leaves have bites in them, so i think it's an insect infestation. Also, don't forget to water your basil regularly, as it's a water and sun loving plant

I found the culprit!!

Thanks for your help everyone. Here's hoping I didn't miss any of his mates.

Truly need help with Basil plants. We buy very well established Basil plants from grocery stores (like Trader Joes). The problem is that within days the plant starts to die a slow death. Be want to get a great basil plant selection in our school garden. The students really love to eat the slices of mozzarella with the leaves of the basil plant. Can someone provide me some thought about how to maintain them

Also is there a technique to support redevelopment of the plant. when it comes time to pick some of the leaves to sue to eat is there a certain technique.

Wonderful that you have a class garden!

The drawback to buying developed plants at Trader Joe's for the garden is that there are too many packed into the pot and their roots are completely intertwined, so either they will be too crowded if you plant them together or you'll break the roots trying to separate them. It's doable if you're careful and the plants aren't too big and you keep them shaded and well watered after transplanting until they establish roots. Otherwise, you might be better off with seeds or multi-packs from the nursery. Space them about a foot apart.

When havesting, pinch off the stem ends 2-3 nodes down rather than just plucking leaves—that will cause new side branching and create a thicker plant. Harvest them in gradual sequence down the row so when you get to the end there are new leaves on the plants at the beginning.

Basil is quite easy to start from seed - and there are SO many interesting varieties! But, it is also easily propagated from cuttings, from the grocery store plants or whatever - take cuttings from the tops of the plants that are about 3-4 inches long, pull off the lower leaves, stick the stems in water, and when they have roots about an inch long plant them in the ground or potting mix.

Greg, are they getting too dry? Sunburned?