What basils should I try?

[kayrobbins]

Originally Posted by Labradors2

Gee thanks Kay for mentioning that High Mowing has free shipping. That's going to cost me a pile of money {LOL}.

Linda

You need to check since i notice you are in Ontario. I think it might just be for US sales.

[Labradors2]

Thanks Kay. Turns out that it's not free shipping for Canuks .

Linda

[ChristinaJo]

I am grateful for all the posts!

I didn't know there were so many different kinds until I came across the site: www.Ramonasbasilgarden.com. She's got a long list that I've been exploring on the net.

I do have some Lime Basil seeds that I will try this spring. I do want some Lemon as well.
I like to grow the OP's just because if it's a keeper, I'm set,since basil seed is easy to gather....

I grew the African Blue Basil this year and boy, was the flavor strong...A little goes a long way at this house. The bees went crazy for it, though. Very pretty plant. I did take some and they are rooting in water with indirect sunlight very well. I want to use them for the front landscape.

I am wondering though, I grew G. Basil and African Blue pretty close together. If seeds from the Blue are sterile, would I still be able to save seeds from my G. Basil?

[greenthumbomaha]

[QUOTE=kurt;437108]"got the fungus that causes spots and yellowing leaves."


If you are seeing a star shaped legion with a black interior it is caused by a leaf miner(blotched leaf miner).A member here(ChrisK)diagnosed it for me years ago.It is a little black fast moving fly that lays the egg then the leaf has a somewhat star shaped spot then eventually the whole leaf turns yellow.Removing affected leaves to stop life cycle and a spinosad spray regimen will stop it, takes time though.


My sad looking basil most likely had downy mildew. It infected a plant inside the house as well as the transplants that were growing outside for winter growing. Downy mildew came out of nowhere with a vengeance hitting everyone's garden and all the stores selling basil in this area, but its been lurking in other locations 2008. Just in case we have the leaf miners paying the midwest a visit anytime soon, is there any particular time of day we can snag the little mischief makers?

High Mowing Seeds has a dm resistant variety, but it is backordered as is the cold tolerant Kiera variety. TV effect!

- Lisa

Drew, what's your secret to growing under lights ? I have T5's but the growth rate is sooo slow and sparse. Does fertilizer play a part inside?

Hermitian, where did you get your Greek Columnar Basil ?

[drew51]

Originally Posted by kayrobbins

I use the same germinating mix that I start seeds in to root cuttings. I have T-8 lights but I am toying with the idea of getting some LED grow lights. I have been researching them but they are pricey.

Yes, so many types it's not only expensive, but confusing! You have halide and sodium lights too. I have a VHO t-5 4 foot, 4 bulb fixture. I don't like it. it is super bright, but is very hot! I run a fan. VHO bulbs have to be used, you cannot use HO bulbs. vho=very high output.
It looks and feels like the sun is in the room!
I have a 4 foot 2 bulb t-8 shop light and a 2 foot 2 bulb T=5 plant light, great for seedlings.
Here's what I have
http://www.hydroponics.net/i/137646

This is a nice store, look at the other lights. i want to buy this to put around my shelving rack too.
http://www.hydroponics.net/i/136324

[Cole_Robbie]

For growing anything other than flowers/fruit, I think metal halide is the best bang for your buck. Wiring your own fixtures is not that difficult, and it saves a ton of money. I typically use spiral CFLs for seedlings that I make from a porcelain light socket and a cheap extension cord, with aluminum pans as reflectors. I can build a light for 10-20% of what it would cost to buy a "grow light."

[kurt]

[QUOTE=kurt;437108]"got the fungus that causes spots and yellowing leaves." Blothched Leaf Miners.


Those little buggers seem to be active all day long.Bugs do not work,pay taxes like us humans.All they seem to do is eat,fornicate,lays eggs some sleep I suppose and hide from predators.I got them from some Homedepot store bought Greek Columnars.They went wild on all the other basils when I brought them to the herb garden.I actually stopped growing basils for a whole year just to clean them out.We don't have that killer winter cold period to control most of the garden maladies here in Florida.I saw some Greek Columnars the other day at our HDepot,almost grabbed some.

[greenthumbomaha]

ColeRobbie, I can barely hang up a grow light, let alone build one ! That;s a great skill, and yes it is very cost effective. They do mark them up !!! When it comes to electricity, its worth the money for me to buy pre-made for peace of mind. As they say, maybe after the first one the rest come easy ....

Drew, I have some assorted T5's too, very pleased I switched from shop lights for tomato/pepper transplants but the basils are still puny and sparse till they move out in some real sun.
On your VHO T5's, is that 7200 lumens per bulb? I think my regular 4ft T5 is around 2000 lumen. Does that sound right?

-L.

[Hermitian]

Originally Posted by greenthumbomaha

On your VHO T5's, is that 7200 lumens per bulb? I think my regular 4ft T5 is around 2000 lumen.

Lumens are a measure of perceived intensity by humans. It should NEVER be used for determining plant requirements. It is on the label only to meet archaic labeling standards for light bulbs. Instead you should be concerned with color temperature measured in Kelvins (6400K to 6500K) and actual Watts.

Originally Posted by drew51

Hermitian, thanks for the suggestion. So i assume Greek Columnar Basil is different from Greek basil?

From a reputable seller they are the same.

Where did I get mine? Why, I've had it for years because it's perennial here!

Lemon and Lime basils are typically Thai cultivars and consequently less hardy in the U.S. There is a Lemon basil cultivar that is biannual in USDA zone 11.

[drew51]

Originally Posted by greenthumbomaha

Drew, I have some assorted T5's too, very pleased I switched from shop lights for tomato/pepper transplants but the basils are still puny and sparse till they move out in some real sun.
On your VHO T5's, is that 7200 lumens per bulb? I think my regular 4ft T5 is around 2000 lumen. Does that sound right?

-L.

Yes and no, correct on VHO and I have a 4 bulb fixture You can buy 6 and 8 bulb fixtures too. You can buy 5000 lumen t-5 HO bulbs. With Halide the bulbs put out 140 thousand lumens! I have not looked at LED yet.


Put light as close as possible. I guess all we need is to get it through the winter. I'm looking for something else as the VHO runs way too hot. Without a fan on it, it would burn the plants. Maybe LED would work better for me? I have to look into it.

[Hermitian]

Originally Posted by drew51

... the VHO runs way too hot. ...

Your fixture is too close to the plants. 1 meter is about right.

Halide and LED are the wrong color temperature.

[drew51]

Originally Posted by Hermitian

Your fixture is too close to the plants. 1 meter is about right.

Halide and LED are the wrong color temperature.

Yeah That is what I do, but sometimes to force more light I put closer. i still have a fan on it anyway! One bulb was loose and man did it spark! It almost ruined the bulb connector! Argh! So now before I use when put away I re-tighten bulbs! It's certainly very bright! Better LED lights are now made that have what is needed. But I could not afford them! I would need to start growing pot to pay for them
The 350 looks awesome!
http://advancedledlights.com/3w-led-...-10w-cree-xml/

[greenthumbomaha]

Drew, Hermitian, ColeRobbie,

Sorry to hyjack the basil thread.
It looks like Drew's VHO is 6500 K, same as my regular T5's. If not extra lumens , what is the gain with the superior fixture ? It seems your basil does better than mine indoors.

Going to make tea to get sleepy. GNite all.

- L.

[drew51]

Originally Posted by greenthumbomaha

Drew, Hermitian, ColeRobbie,

Sorry to hyjack the basil thread.
It looks like Drew's VHO is 6500 K, same as my regular T5's. If not extra lumens , what is the gain with the superior fixture ? It seems your basil does better than mine indoors.

Going to make tea to get sleepy. GNite all.

- L.

6500 K is just the light spectrum (The blue spectrum), you could go with the red 3000 K lights for flowering or mix them up. The color of light is determined by how many cycles per second or how many complete sine waves per second. 6500K is blue, 3000K is red. 5200K is green etc. The output is 30% greater per bulb on my light. So the amount of light coming off mine is greater. More light=more growth.

Also do you have a t-5, or a t-5 HO? If just a T-5 output at best is 2900 lumens at 4 feet. So to put out as much visible light as mine you would need over 8 four foot bulbs. Most plant light bulbs are HO bulbs. A 4 foot four bulb t-5 HO puts out 20000 lumens. Mine puts out 28800 (30% greater output). If you have only 2 bulbs you are putting out 10K lumens. That may explain lack of growth. You know though I would expect weak growth, not a lack of growth, well i guess it depends, how plant reacts to low light conditions.

I have a jasmine that will grow spindly with weak light. With good light it grows thick branches. It will grow though either way.

Also I keep mine on for 12 hours a day.

[drew51]

Oh you can get African Blue and Greek columnar here, and a lot of others also!
http://companionplants.com/catalog/a...=basil&x=0&y=0

Sorry for going off track.

Going more off track the above link has an amazing colllection of herbs. I was looking for Cuban Oregano and found it there! Yeah! Also Hill Hardy Rosemary.