In the supermarket the basil shone in its lush green splendor. At home, within a few days the leaves droop sadly and wilt. It doesn't have to come to that. We reveal how you can keep purchased basil fresh for longer.
Why does purchased basil wilt quickly and how do you keep it fresh longer?
Basil often wilts quickly after purchase because it grows in poor soil, crowded pots and under stressful conditions such as poor water supply and low temperatures during transport. Repotting in fresh, nutrient-rich soil and drainage will help keep the plant fresh longer.
That's why kingweed from the supermarket doesn't play along
It has long been a mystery as to why basil from the store shelf wilts so quickly. Only extensive investigations brought this to light. The seemingly vital royal herb is actually extremely stressed. The reasons in detail:
- The heavy feeders are in soil that is significantly too lean
- the plants have a long transport route in their shoots and leaves
- water supply during transportation is too sparse, if provided at all
- the temperature in the transport containers is too low
The young basil plants are crammed into pots that are far too narrow, so that there is fierce competition for light, water and nutrients.
Repotting prevents wilted basil - here's how to do it
After purchasing basil, do not wait for it to wilt. Ideally, you should take action immediately and free the herb plant from its distress by quickly repotting it. The pleasant side effect of this rescue operation is that you can create three specimens from one royal herb. Here's how to do it:
- Unpot the plant and cut it into 3 pieces
- Create a drainage made of pottery shards (€11.00 on Amazon) in 3 large pots above the bottom opening
- fill in a potting soil-sand mixture up to half the height of the pot
- plant one basil part each and water it
Ideally, the royal herbs find a sunny, warm place in the fresh air. Here they should be protected from pelting rain and cold drafts. With good care with regular watering and weekly fertilization, you can enjoy an aromatic harvest for many weeks.
Unsuitable for propagation
While basil grown by hand will not wilt if cared for carefully, the strained specimens from the supermarket are still damaged even after they have been repotted. They simply lack the vitality to propagate through cuttings.
Tips & Tricks
The shelf life of basil on the summer windowsill is a maximum of 2-4 weeks. In the fresh air, on the balcony and in the bed, royal herb unfolds its full potential from May to autumn.
