A few questions tomatos and basil

15 years ago

Hello all, my girlfriends friend wants a clone of our sweet basil plant. i was wondering if i could put a clipping about 3-5 in long in a jar of water on my window seal that gets some sun but is shaded most of the day. will it grow roots that i can plant for her and about how long? and if not how could i do it?

my other question is we planted our tomato plants around may 23rd they were only 4 in tall now there about 3 1/2 feet tall but bearly have any tomatos ( just started 3 days ago) . they are out side and get watered once a day in the evanings for about 10- 15 min. every other plant i have seen when i walk the dogs is small and scrony but has huge tomatos. what am i doing wrong? i used a blood meal mixed in the dirt when i first planted and an organic mulch tilled in about 8 inches.

any thoughts or help would be apprecated

charles and jessica in colorado

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Comments (7)

grandpop1
15 years ago
Basil can be propagated from cuttings.
Suggest you have a look at the "Watering Basics" thread posted today
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dirtdauberz5mo
15 years ago
The organic mulch is good, but blood meal is an all nitrogen fertilizer. Nitrogen promotes greening and growth, hence could be part of why you have lush tomato plants with little fruit. You need to balance your fert with more phosphorus and potassium.
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I have been pulling basils and transplanting them into either larger pots or putting them directly into the ground for years. In fact I pulled a lettuce leaf basil yesterday out of a gallon pot, and stuck it into a larger pot, rather than the ground, because I just had surgery 11 days ago and couldn't get down to plant the basil in the ground. Unless we get a freeze, our basils are actually perennials. I've had an African Blue that has been in the ground for over 5 years now, but it is starting to get very woody, so if it doesn't start looking better, I'm going to pull it up and throw it away. It doesn't take basils long to become root bound. I would pull it out of the pot, and if it is tightly root bound, take a sharp knife and make a shallow cut, maybe a 1/8" to 1/4" depending on the size of your root ball, through the roots in four places, from top to bottom. Cutting the roots is a common practice in potted plants, and it just allows for the plant to get jump started again. Like I said make a shallow cut, and you should see it take off soon. I agree with Bill about not fertilizing it right away, and if you do, I would use a fish emulsion and/or sea weed mixture. I seldom, if ever, fertilize my herbs. I'm not much good with tomatoes other than the grape varieties, so I can't give you any advice on them. Good luck.
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I have put small amounts of fresh basil leaves, and also of fresh garlic, in with tomato sauce. Similar amounts to what you're thinking---I would put just 2 or 3 leaves in a pint jar, and a half-clove of garlic. From looking at approved recipes for seasoned sauces with various additions, I felt quite confident that that small amount of low-acid stuff wouldn't change the process or amount of lemon juice I needed. Mostly I've stopped bothering, though, because the effect was so subtle. To make a sauce taste really basil-y you need to add a LOT, and that can become bitter over time as Dave says. So mostly I make big batches of plain sauce and small batches of an approved pasta-ready seasoned sauce for just plunking over spaghetti on a tired night. THough a jar with a bit garlic clove and a sprig of basil looks nice for gift-giving! ;-) Zabby
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nylar
Original Author
15 years ago
thanks that helps a lot with the cloning.

i just was out side and it looks like i got 9 tomatos on each plant with more flowers starting. i think 12 plants were to many lol
what would be the best phosphorus and potassium fert to put on the plants.

thanks again
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dirtdauberz5mo
15 years ago
Sounds like they're not doing so bad after all, just got a head start on the green.

The best fertilizer really depends on many things, not the least of which is your soil. The first step on that is to have a soil test done. Then you can decide on where to go from there.
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Annie
15 years ago
I've seen soil testing kits at WalMart. You can do the tests yourself.

I tested my soil with a do-it-yourself kit. My soil is sandy and naturally very alkaline. It leaches out continuously, so I add peat, manure, leaf mold, and compost. I use good old composted manures in my garden and get great results with everything. I mulch with hay, leaf mold and wood chips, grass clippings and litter from the geese, chickens and rabbit, and that adds to the soil as it breaks down to bring the pH down to the middle range. The peat has greatly improved my soil. Shredded fall leaves and pine straw (dried pine needles) works great too. These things add acidity to my soil and improves moisture retention.

If you have a wood stove or fireplace, you can add some of the wood ash to your soil for a potash substitute. More blooms means more fruit!

Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom salts) can help tomatoes and peppers produce, too.

~ sweetannie4u
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User
15 years ago
Basil will root easily from cuttings, just be sure that the stem you use is a more woody part, not something from the more tender top. I have put sprigs of basil in a glass to keep fresh on the kitchen counter and in a couple of days, roots are forming.
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nylar
Original Author
15 years ago
my soil is not really sandy but i would say about 50% sand. the weeds seem to love it but the grass dose not. oh well just means i have a dirt yard with 2 white dogs that are never white. when i orginaly tilled the 20X 20 area i put in 10 bags of the organic mulch. and thin sprinkled a cup of the organic blood meal around the 20x20 area.. i then planted and dug iragation so as not to spray water on the leaves. and poked holes in down below the roots so the water could get down there and minamising the watering i have to do. its worked great so far. i guess i just need to ad some pots and phos to the soil. and be cadful beacuse of the holes i have to the roots or i could burn them. and test the soil. thanks again for all your help.... next year i'm going to do things diffrent extending the garden 30x30 make it lazania type layered thing. and see how that works. of course the ball and chain will just be oh look at how nice it is i cant belive we did all of that sitting in her chair drinking her beer while i'm doing all of the work... oh well
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A few questions tomatos and basil

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A few questions tomatos and basil

Comments (7)

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