Sick Plants

[Danny Daniel]

Hi,

 

a few of my plants in the grow bed are looking like they dont feel to good : / lol.

 

they are purple basil and it looks like the color is being drained out of the plant. it should be purple but the leaves are turning a pale type of color.

 

not all the plants but a few in the grow bed are looking like that, and some plants are looking wrinkly.

 

can anyone help me out?

[Vlad Jovanovic]

Well, I suspect that your plants may be ready to bolt soon...

Many of my purple basil will start to revert to a pale green, while others wont. There is a type of African basil which will almost completely revert to green upon maturing. Other types of purple basil will start to go pale when there is too little light. But, I suspect that your plants may just be entering the end of their vegetative phase. Leaves will become thinner (and in the case of some purple basils, more pale) and sort of wrinkly as the plant diverts most of its energy towards reproduction rather than leafy growth. Many of these purple hybrid varieties will try to revert back to their natural colors for a number of reasons, too little sun, too much heat, plant is going to bolt (go to seed) etc... The 'Purple Ruffles' variety is a notorious reverter while Dark Opal stays purple a bit longer. If you really like the purple colors, take cuttings of your strong colored plants. Don't try to grow from seed as apparently the plant's hybrid parentage may cause its genetic instability when grown from seed; leaf color often varies from plant to plant and large numbers of pure green plants maybe be produced.

If the other plants in your system are doing well, (enough light, nutrients etc)...and your basil has been in your system long enough to want to start to flower, I really wouldn't think that you have much to worry about. They don't look as pretty, but they are fine. 

[Danny Daniel]

makes so much more sense :))).

 

:)) thanks so much for the help.

 

i should start cloning soon that is a very good idea :).

 

 

[Vlad Jovanovic]

:)