Keeping basil alive in the pot: how you can keep your supermarket purchase for a long time
Created: 06/09/2022, 16:19
By: Juliane Gutmann
In the supermarket you can buy basil loose or in pots.
The latter often turns out to be a bad buy because the herb is quickly lost.
You should know the following tricks.
Tomato Mozzarella: A wonderfully simple and delicious summer dish.
Indispensable: fresh basil leaves, which you spread over the salad.
Anyone who can look forward to a garden or a raised bed on the balcony may have already planted the herb.
But many also like to use the potted plant in the supermarket.
In any case, this lasts longer than a cut bunch of basil,
but often the potted plant dies for no apparent reason shortly after purchase.
Why is it that basil from the supermarket “dies” so quickly?
On the one hand, the reason can be found in the type of breeding.
According to the portal Myhomebook, supermarket herbs are often cultivated for consumption in the near
future, in which case the leaves often wither shortly after purchase.
Another possible reason why basil doesn't last long at home: the potted plant hasn't had any water on the way to the supermarket for a long time or was stored too cold.
Alternative lawn made of herbs and moss
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Is this what your bought basil looks like within a very short time?
Then you should apply a few care tips.
© Robert Kalb/Imago
Basil: the right location is crucial
Basil does not tolerate direct sun, according to the Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR).
The kitchen herb originally comes from subtropical forest areas and needs sufficient moisture and nutrients, it is said.
In addition, high temperatures have a positive effect on the growth of the plant
.
It is therefore best to place the basil pot in a sheltered, light and not too cool place.
Also important: the soil must not dry out.
With regular watering, if possible moisten the soil, but not the leaves, according to the NDR.
In the supermarket pot, many basil seeds are usually planted very close together.
According to Myhomebook.de, these should be separated from each other and replanted with a little more distance from each other.
This allows the herb to absorb more nutrients through the roots and spread well.
It is best
to use quality potting soil mixed with sand.
The latter ensures that the soil becomes even more permeable to water, which is good for the basil plant.
(jg)
