Sweet basil has deformed and jagged edges

[Casst3]

I am new to gardening and also new to this forum and I am here because I have a problem that I can’t figure out. I have grown the sweet basil from seed, completely indoors and in organic soil. My leaves are quite deformed and they are also jagged and no matter how much I search the Internet, I can’t figure out what’s going on with it. I have inspected for pest, with a magnifying glass and none are visible. I’m hoping someone here can help me out. Thank you in advance.

[Vanisle_BC]

Hi, Casst3 and welcome. I think the jagged leaves on your basil are just a feature of the variety you have. The leaf deformity I sometimes see on a leaf or two of my own basil but it seems harmless. I don't think you have anything to worry about regarding the health of the plant.

[imafan26]

Hello. I don't know what variety of basil that is, but the puckering is not in the same place on the leaves. Another possibility is aphid or white flies. You need to look under the leaves for them. Green aphids can be hard to spot since they blend in. But they will leave your hands feeling sticky when you rub the bottom of the leaves.

Since you are growing your basil indoors over watering is a frequent cause of stress on plants. Making them more susceptible to pests and too much water will rot the roots which will show up as problems with the leaves like curling, yellowing, and dying. Your soil looks very organic, and it will hold onto water for a long time. You need to be careful not to over water.

[pepperhead212]

Welcome to the forum!

Those leaves don't look bad to me, either. Those couple of deformed ones I sometimes see on a few early leaves, too, and the jagged edges are on a number of varieties; the one I have like that is named serrata, due to the jagged edges.

[Casst3]

Thank you all so much. I will check again for pests and be careful to not overwater.