🌿 7 mistakes to avoid if you want to grow basil successfully in a pot

Basil is an essential aromatic herb, much loved for flavouring summer dishes, salads, sauces and especially the famous pesto. But growing basil in pots is not as easy as it sounds. Between yellowing leaves, wilting stems and plants that go to seed too quickly, disappointments are common. Here are the 7 most common mistakes to avoid to keep your basil in tip-top shape all season long.

🌞 1. Giving it too little light

Basil is a Mediterranean plant: it loves the sun. A common mistake is to place it indoors on a window sill with little exposure or in the shade on a balcony. The result: it turns pale and grows upwards in search of light.

Best practice: place your basil in a sunny spot, ideally with 6 hours of direct light a day. Indoors, choose a south-facing window. Outdoors, avoid corners that are too windy or shady.

🚰 2. Too much or too little water

Basil likes cool, but not soggy, soil. Irregular or excessive watering can cause the leaves to wilt, or even rot the roots.

Best practice: water regularly, as soon as the surface of the soil is dry to the touch. In summer, this can be once a day, especially if the pot is small or exposed to the sun. Use a pot with good drainage to avoid standing water.

🪴 3. Choose a pot that is too small

Basil needs space to develop its roots. A pot that is too small limits its growth and increases the risk of drying out.

Best practice: choose a pot at least 20 cm in diameter, with holes at the bottom. If you're planting several plants, space them far enough apart so they don't get in each other's way.

🌱 4. Not pruning it regularly

Letting your basil grow without pruning it is a classic mistake. It goes to seed quickly, becomes bitter, and produces fewer leaves.

Best practice: regularly pinch the stems above a leaf node, as soon as the plant reaches about fifteen centimetres. This stimulates branching and keeps your basil bushy and productive.

🧂 5. Let the flowers grow

As soon as it feels at the end of its cycle or stressed, the basil starts to flower. This interrupts leaf production and changes the taste.

Best practice: as soon as the first flower buds appear, cut them off immediately. This extends the life of the plant and its productivity.

🧃 6. Do not feed the soil

A potted basil quickly depletes the nutrients in the potting soil. A lack of nutrients makes the leaves small and dull.

Best practice: use quality potting soil, and add a nitrogen-rich organic fertiliser (such as compost or a fertiliser for aromatic plants) every fortnight.

🧊 7. Expose it to the cold

Basil is very sensitive to the cold. A cool night or a draught can be fatal to it.

Best practice: only take your basil out after the last frost. If it suddenly gets cold (below 10°C), take it inside or protect it with a veil.