Can I put my basil plant outside?

[HunkaMunkasslipper]

It started life as one of those 'living herbs' you get from the supermarket-I always try to keep them going but have never succeeded before now.

This one has gone fricking HUGE! It's currently on my kitchen windowsill.

I don't know whether to repot it into a larger plant pot and keep it in the house, or same and put it outside, or plant it in the garden in my raised bed.

I'd be upset if it perished-I am quite proud of myself for keeping it going! I use a lot of basil so It's very handy, too.

Fine for it to be outside in the summer

We had a basil plant we got from the supermarket. It wasn't huge at all, we'd used most of it up, but I planted it in the garden a couple of months ago. It has done really well - is loads bigger and looks really healthy. But I'm fully expecting it'll die before the end of the year.

Why don’t you separate it into smaller plants ?

Yes. Mine is outside in a pot and flowering. I keep it in a pot on a stand so that snails don’t get to it and slime it. I’ll plant it in the ground once it’s done flowering.

I mean, LOOK at it (I'm sad, I know) from a teeny herb pot 🌿

Thanks all. I will risk it-that's a good idea @DustyLee123 if I can do it without brutalising it

Here’s mine also grown from supermarket living herb

How do you keep them over the winter, or don’t you ?

They like partial shade. So few solid hours direct sun in morning and then partial shade in hot part of day.

Basil is an annual plant that seeds itself thus far north. So when it’s flowered, I will put in ground and it will die back, drop its seeds and should have baby basil in spring. Which I then lift and pot and repeat. I’ve just moved here so starting over in terms of herb beds.

I tried putting mine outside once.

Let's just say that by the next morning, all that was left of my lovely basil was a few sad stalks. The local slug & snail population must have thought that all their Christmases had come at once. Bastards.

I have also managed to keep one alive this summer. Same as you, first time ever and it's massive! Am delighted, as the waste I incur in chucking basil plants is shameful. I think it's because I've been diligent about watering. I'm not going to try outside because I think the cold will kill it , it seems to be a bit of a diva.

That’s why mine is a metre off the deck on a stand! I have so many snails the local hedgehogs come for escargot every few days. I don’t believe in using any pesticides at all, so I leave them alone.

@ChopperC110P that's beautiful! Thanks everyone.

@toochesterdraws I am worried about that too!

@Assignedtoworryyourmother yes, I hated throwing them away too

You don't. It’s a tropical plant and tends to die off in the winter even if you bring it indoors. We have to treat it as an annual even though it’s a short lived perennial in warmer climates.

You can separate supermarket basil into individual plants, as they are usually clumps of plants. It's a bit more difficult to do when they are big but possible with care.

You can also take cuttings, put them in water then pot them on. It's very easy to grow in the warmer weather both inside and out.