I bought a lettuce leaf basil plant in a small pot a week ago from Walmart. I've been watering it moderately (when the soil is dry). It is placed indoors beside my balcony for sunlight. I woke up today and saw the that the bottom side leafs have suddenly dropped/wilted. I felt the soil, it was completely dry even though I had just watered it the night before. There is also a small black spot on one stem.
Here’s a link to a photo of my plant for reference. You can see the bottom leaves wilt and a small black spot on the middle stem.
[url]https://i1256.photobucket.com/albums/ii498/dinajawad/2012-04-15132108.jpg[/url]
I'd would really love to freeze the basil leaves only if they are safe to eat at this point.
Has my basil plant been infected with fusarium wilt? Are the leaves safe to eat?
I don't think fusarium wilt has anything to do with safe or not safe for humans. Lettuce-leaf has been terribly vulnerable to the problem when I've grown it, however. I've decided to just NOT grow it because of that. There are large-leaf types that have resistance and are just fine.
Your plants, however, do not quite look like lettuce-leaf, really. Perhaps, it is a different strain of the variety. However, that pot must have 10 or 12 plants in it!
At that stage, it may be a little difficult to transplant. If you move the whole thing to a larger pot, be careful with it. I'm not sure that the plants could be "teased" out and separated. You could, probably, root a stem in water if you wanted to cut one out and do that.
I think I would do as Unikorn suggests and just toss the stem with the spot. Then, make some tomato sauce and harvest most of those weak plants right down to the soil surface. . . . Anyway, that's my 2¢ & what I'd do.
Steve
Your plants, however, do not quite look like lettuce-leaf, really. Perhaps, it is a different strain of the variety. However, that pot must have 10 or 12 plants in it!
At that stage, it may be a little difficult to transplant. If you move the whole thing to a larger pot, be careful with it. I'm not sure that the plants could be "teased" out and separated. You could, probably, root a stem in water if you wanted to cut one out and do that.
I think I would do as Unikorn suggests and just toss the stem with the spot. Then, make some tomato sauce and harvest most of those weak plants right down to the soil surface. . . . Anyway, that's my 2¢ & what I'd do.
Steve
Lily, I have grown Nufar fur quite a few years, fur and away a better choice fer my basil growing!
Where do they come up with these names??
Last year, I also had Gecofure. Here's what Richters says, "The breeder’s choice of variety name ’Gecofure’ is an unimaginative contraction of ’GEnovese COmpatto FUsarium REsistant’. But what the breeder has done to the variety’s performance, leaf quality and disease resistance is far more inspired. Excellent uniformity, aroma and flavour. Perfect for pot production."
I didn't find it "compact" if that is what the "CO" stands for. It was a very nice basil but not very different from Nufar.
With all the trouble I had with Lettuce-leaf, especially, it is good for me to grow some that just don't seem to have any problems with fusarium.
Steve
Where do they come up with these names??
Last year, I also had Gecofure. Here's what Richters says, "The breeder’s choice of variety name ’Gecofure’ is an unimaginative contraction of ’GEnovese COmpatto FUsarium REsistant’. But what the breeder has done to the variety’s performance, leaf quality and disease resistance is far more inspired. Excellent uniformity, aroma and flavour. Perfect for pot production."
I didn't find it "compact" if that is what the "CO" stands for. It was a very nice basil but not very different from Nufar.
With all the trouble I had with Lettuce-leaf, especially, it is good for me to grow some that just don't seem to have any problems with fusarium.
Steve
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PunkRotten
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PunkRotten
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- Posts: 1989
- Joined: Sat Apr 16, 2011 8:48 pm
- Location: Monterey, CA.
