I need growing basil for dummies! (help)

[mattie g]

The problem with downy mildew is that it is in the air for quite some time and the spores can persist. Basil seed can also spread the disease. Lime, lemon, cinnamon and purple basils have better resistance.

It took me two years before I could plant basil that was not infected in the seedling stage. Unfortunately, I am still finding basil being sold at a Walmart 5 minutes from me that has the disease, and if people buy and keep it, it will be hard for me to keep my plants clean for long.

I get my basil plants from my local nursery, so I wonder if their supplier is the issue. Maybe I could try buying from somewhere else and see what happens. But the issue is that the plants aren't obviously affected for at least a few months, then POOF! Downy mildew all over the place.

[hendi_alex]

I Googled the topic earlier and it seems that mildew spores are most everywhere. It just takes the right conditions of temperature and humidity for the spores to start actively growing. The best remedy may be adequate air circulation and sunshine. Next would be preventive sprays. And last would be careful removal and separation of any affected plants or pant parts.

Basil is so easy to grow from seeds or from cuttings, that I always over plant and most always have some young replacement plants getting started. Be sure to start any cuttings from a clean plant that has no signs of mildew.

[imafan26]

Basil is rarely sold here now because even the growers are having a hard time keeping the basil clean. I think the growers have been spraying the basil, but once it gets to the stores it only takes a couple of weeks for the disease to show up. The staff at the stores don't realize or recognize the plants are sick and people who buy them don't know better either.

If you live in an area that does not have the disease, you are lucky. Basil has the best chance to survive here when it is grown in drier weather and in drier locations with drip irrigation and wider spacing. If your basil is clean it is a good idea to save seeds.

Basil seedlings are easily stunted and killed. Older plants can last awhile longer. The disease here at least can show up in just a couple of weeks in the right conditions.

[Susan W]

OK, here's the dummer question.....
What are the signs of Downy mildew? That being early signs that may be treated or plant eliminated, before it goes south.

[shadylane]

I had thought that downy mildew grows from with in the plant coming up from the soil, and powdery mildew transports plant to plant from air born spores

pale yellow patches on the leaves from downy mildew, it takes the nutrients from the plant.

Powdery mildew makes white grayish spots on leaves..does about the same thing but from the surface growing straw like life to take nutrients from plant leaves.

[mattie g]

OK, here's the dummer question.....
What are the signs of Downy mildew? That being early signs that may be treated or plant eliminated, before it goes south.

The tops of the plants might start to yellow a little, with some yeloowing in other parts of the plant, as well. Then you'll see fuzzy grey patches on the undersides of the leaves that look like dirt may have splashed up on them. These are the spores; they spread very quickly, even on the biggest and helathiest of plants. The leaves then start to wilt and develop patches of yellow, brown, and grey.

As I mentioned earlier, once I see the spores, I know the plant will be a goner within a week or two. You can still eat the basil, and the taste is just fine, but it won't store for very long and it doesn't look pretty. But there's no question that, once you get downy mildew, there's no way to get rid of it. It's now just something I expect to see come mid- to late-summer.

[imafan26]

Susan W wrote:
"OK, here's the dummer question.....
What are the signs of Downy mildew? That being early signs that may be treated or plant eliminated, before it goes south."

I am reposting the link to cornell basil downy mildew website. It describes the symptoms.

Some basil are more tolerant of the disease. Lemon, lime, holy, cinnamon, and purple basil do better. Thai basil has moderate resistance. Infected leaves need to be picked off as soon as possible. Sweet basil is the most susceptible. I pretty much have to pull the basil when the disease occurs because I have not successfully saved one yet.

https://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell. ... Downy.html
https://extension.umass.edu/vegetable/ar ... ldew-basil

[Susan W]

Thanks for further info on downy mildew, something we all need to be aware of.

Speaking of basil, another cool wave is on its way. Fortunately I hadn't gotten to planting most of the large containers with basil. Looks like tomorrow PM going below 40. Yikes! I can pull the starts in, and get the smaller pots under shelter. Sigh.