Yeah, I have lots of things to write about, but for now…can anyone tell me what’s wrong with this plant?
The leaves at the top of the plant appear to be green and healthy, but the leaves at the bottom are yellowish and pale.
Anyone know what’s going on/what I should do?
My guess would be too little or too much water.
I think it’s light. Too much sun can make the leaves dull and colorless. Too little can cause yellowing. It could be that the leaves above are blocking light to what’s below. I would just trim off the yellow ones.
Have you tried pulling it up to see if the roots are cramped? That pot looks a little small to me. But it mostly looks like a healthy plant and I’d just make sure you’re using the top healthy leaves regularly–this encourages healthy continued growth.
A guy I used to know who’s quite the indoor gardener once told me that it’s a good idea every so often — a few months or so — to take your plants, put them in the sink without any saucers attached so the water will run free, and run cold water on them for about fifteen minutes or so. He said that over time, regular watering will result in a build-up of minerals at the bottom of the pot, because that stuff is never flushed out; the water that collects in the saucer evaporates away eventually. By running water through without the saucers, you flush the soil of all the buildup of minerals, which is good for the health of the plant. Then you just let the plant dry out a bit before returning it to its original location.
I’ve done this with our plants for years, and every time the plants end up looking healthier afterwards — and it always causes our Peace Lily to bloom!
This basil plant is infected with ennui. It feels that there is no point to doing anything: growing, being green and tasty, etc. I suggest a heart-to-stem talk about goals the rewards of hard work. A part-time job may not be out of the question. Basil makes an especially fine barista or member of the clergy.
Thanks for the tips, everyone. Especially Jay…I *never* would have realized that my plant was suffering from ennui.
Seriously, though…I think I’ll give the cold water flush a try. I wish I’d known before I killed the peace lily. 😉