I thought my basil crop was going to be a near-failure this season.
I put the plants in during our cool spring weather that later turned cold, dipping into the upper 30s. They survived — only the tips of the leaves turned brown — but they hardly thrived.
Then some pest or another started making little holes in the leaves. One of the plants, a Basil perpetua in the window box, wasn't getting enough drainage to handle the downpours and started to look like a goner.
But just when I was starting to think it was time to start over with fresh plants, the old ones turned the corner. Whatever pest was munching on leaves moved on. A stretch of hot, sunny days brought on a flurry of growth and dried out the poor basil in the window box to the point where it perked up again.
And, more surprisingly, the basil multiplied.
I've always been a little lax late in the season about topping my basil, so some of it goes to flower. Usually there's plenty of basil to keep up with my household needs, so I have to keep reminding myself to harvest enough to make pesto to freeze. (I know, such a problem to have.)
So I'm sure my neglected plants have produced seeds before, but this is the first time I've ever been so lucky as to have basil volunteers.
I nearly pulled the first seedling, assuming it was a weed, but realized that it had the telltale basil shape and the leaves had that unmistakable smell. Then there was another one, and another. Some are the standard variety; others are the Thai basil kind.
