It is the leaves that provide the exquisite herbal aroma to basil. If the foliage suddenly turns yellow, the royal herb signals great discomfort in this way. We have compiled for you the possible causes and effective methods of treatment.
Neglect in care causes the leaves to turn yellow
The linchpin for a vital basil plant with juicy green leaves is a balanced water and nutrient balance. If this gets out of balance, kingweed reacts to this with yellow leaves. How to water and fertilize the herb plant properly:
- an alternately moist soil does not dry out, nor does the watering water accumulate here.
- the substrate surface should always be allowed to dry out
- if fertilized weekly from May to September, the strong herb is satisfied
With regard to the dosage of watering water among amateur gardeners often uncertainty. If yellow leaves appear, put the pot in 5 centimeters of water. Due to the capillary action, the basil will draw the required amount into the root ball. If the thumb test reveals a slightly moist soil surface, watering is complete. If you administer only organic fertilizer, overdosing is excluded in this point.
- Sunburn causes yellow leaves
- As sun-loving as basil is due to its tropical origin, the plant can nevertheless suffer sunburn. This damage occurs when royal herb moves without transition from the house to a sunny location in the open field. Yellow leaves develop, as an indication of excessive exposure of the plant tissue to UV light.
If in doubt, bring the basil out of the sun into partial shade once again to allow it to acclimate to sunny conditions over 5-8 days.
Tips & Tricks
If a basil from the supermarket presents yellow leaves and wilts, only an immediate repotting can still save the herb plant. In this case, the damage stems from an extremely stressful transport in much too lean substrate, crammed in a much too small pot.
