Limelights are very hardy. They dont like wet feet. They can grow in part shade to full sun. My Limelights are in there pots without protection year around. I have one in a pot that only gets rain water and is ok. I think that yours are getting over watered or over fertilized. Gary

DIpps, you cannot start a new basil plant from a dry leaf. One normally may grow a new plant from a stem cutting, BUT I would NOT try to propagate a new plant from this scale-infested one you have as it is a near 100% probability that the scale insects will come with it. Must strongly disagree with floral_uk about the adventitious root theory! But yes - daily watering is too much. I was interested to see that two people have posted photos of basil showing scale infestation. In all my decades of gardening I never have seen scale attack basil. I only have scale problems on my 3-year-old potted bay tree, and then only starting indoors in January. Outdoors during the summer it is fine. I am assuming there must be enough predators controlling the pests then. Indoors, I must resort to the alcohol swab cleaning technique.

I am new to gardening, but have a background in turf. I planted 3 twist and shout hydrangeas this spring and they are doing somewhat well, I just noticed that some on the leaves are fading to purple from the middle of the leaf to the end. It's not everywhere, just some here and there. I also noticed that this is happing on stems that are beginning to produce flowers. Also inside the plant some leaves are turning yellow-white (the vein also) and will fall off to the touch. This is happening to my Tardiva's and my limelight as well. Is this normal. I have noticed that jap beetles or some incsect have been chewing on the leaves last week, but I sprayed imidacloprid and cyfluthrin twice, 7 days apart. They get late morning sun to filterd evening sun. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

I don't use any oils or pesticides for insect control as I grow organically. google Arbico. they specialize in beneficial insects. I ordered three praying manti egg cases. one for my yard and for my neighbors on both sides. one egg case hatches abou two hundred manti. They devour every insect you hate. and once they live out their life cycle they lay their own egg cases. so now I have an ongoing population of manti. I live an hour north of death Valley so its a desrt hot blazing summers freezing winters if my manti can stay alive year after year your area will support them as well. also consider Ladybugs these are literalyy the toughest bug in the pack they eat every single pest bug you can imagine problem is when they eat everything they move on to find more food. I even take my baby manti indoors to work over my bonsai and houseplants I leave a couple of windows open all the time for my cats to get in and out. so manti have an escape, or entrance if they choose. I grow vegetables, tobacco, fruit, housplants and bonsai. this was a permanent and inexpensive solution to my bug problem. Good Luck!!!!