HOW TO TAKE CARE OF BASIL DURING THE COLD MONTHS.

Basil is a very tasty and flavor herb used in many dishes. Pesto, salads, sandwiches, soups. The leaves grow large and crispy.

Basil does very well in the summer. It loves the heat. it can grow to be 4 feet tall with a lot of leaves. The leaves can be harvest the whole summer. It is very rewarding having basil in your backyard to use it directly in your dishes.

As the weather starts to get cooler basil needs to be taken care in order to keep the flavor. As the temperature changes below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The plant suffers. The leaves can easily become black. The first thing you can do is harvesting the plant as much as possible. Take as much of the leaves as you can. You can use the basil fresh, freeze or dry for later use.

If the basil plants are in pots it is the perfect time to bring them indoors. A sunny window will do the job of keeping the plants alive and thriving during the cold months. Basil plants need less water during the cold months.

If you are removing the basil from the ground into containers. choose a pot with a good drainage to avoid the roots getting soggy. Once inside the plants will take a little bit of time to adjust and bounce back and acclimates to the new indoors environment. It is also important to rotate the plant to make sure it gets equal sunlight.

Give the plants enough space to make sure there is enough air flow and prevent pests to attack the plant. Inspect the plants carefully when bringing indoors so they ate free of pests like aphids or spider mites. Having basil during the cold months is very rewarding. You can have it frozen, or dry. Once the plants are indoors you can also have fresh basil leaves during the cold weather.