While I do have a fairly green thumb, I've always been intimidated by gardening from seed. For Christmas this year, my fab friend Gloria gave me a bag of goodies from Ikea. In the bag was this kit to grow basil from seed.
I started it on 03/07. In the pot was a disc of potting matter that you soak for 15 minutes in 1 cup of water. It expanded to fill the pot, then you scattered the seeds on top... and wait.
I'm not known for being the most patient person, but this really started to sprout in days! One week later, on 03/15, this is what I woke up to find:
By 03/30 the bright green sprouts had started to take a yellow hue. I was also noticing fuzzy mold spores starting to appear. As the instructions weren't entirely clear, I wasn't sure how much water or sun I should be giving it. I'm not sure if there was something I was doing wrong or even how to correct it.
By 4/07, the mold was starting to take over. Sadly, this was the end of my Ikea basil plant.
I started it on 03/07. In the pot was a disc of potting matter that you soak for 15 minutes in 1 cup of water. It expanded to fill the pot, then you scattered the seeds on top... and wait.
I'm not known for being the most patient person, but this really started to sprout in days! One week later, on 03/15, this is what I woke up to find:
By 03/30 the bright green sprouts had started to take a yellow hue. I was also noticing fuzzy mold spores starting to appear. As the instructions weren't entirely clear, I wasn't sure how much water or sun I should be giving it. I'm not sure if there was something I was doing wrong or even how to correct it.
By 4/07, the mold was starting to take over. Sadly, this was the end of my Ikea basil plant.
6 comments:
I purchased the same product and got the same results. I'm going on about a month now. I'm thinking I'll have to buy a new pot because it looks like they're getting crowded and they aren't the vibrant green they were when they first sprouted. I was quite proud that something ACTUALLY GREW! (I have a history of carrying around a black thumb of death) Maybe I'm turning over a new, green leaf?
I just started the same "coltivation" (I received the same "kit" from my friend... and i had no clue where to start)
how is it going? do u water it? how often?
Hi Nicola, Unfortunatly I wasn't very successful. Mold kept growing on the top, and I wasn't really watering it too much, so I ended up throwing it away. I wish that they had included a few more instructions on the container.
Hi Amy,
I got the kit this weekend...
because of the lack of info on the kit... I started surfing to find more about the 'taing care' part.
I have a lot of expectation from the plant .. as this is the first time i am trying out something in the soil.
I was really glad to find ur post atlast....and I consoled myself and told myself not to expect much.
take care.. :)
Hi Anusha,
I was so disapointed with the outcome. Still, it was fun to try and I've since gone back to buying established basil plants. Best of luck, and please let me know if you get better results!
Best wishes, Amy
My friend and I each bought one about 5 days ago. That night we "planted" them and decided to each go a different way. I followed all 3 measly steps of the instructions and did nothing more (though the soil looked dry, wasn't filling the pot, the seeds didn't look like they were going to stick to the soil etc. ) I even put in on a bookshelf that barely gets any sunlight, EVER. She, on the other hand, was much more nurturing to her plant and added a bit more water and mushed the soil and seeds around the way you would with most plants, I guess (I'm not much of a planter, it's my first time.) Within 2 days my seeds had tiny sprouts and this morning (day5) there are sprouts and tiiiiny tiny little green leaves coming out of most of the seeds. Her plant, from what she tells me, is not doing much. It hasn't been long enough to judge either way, but if anyone's interested, I'll be posting the progress of our plants to my blog yourhippo.blogspot.com so come on by and take a look to see when that mold comes for our basil too.
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