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Why is My Basil Plant Turning Yellow (4 Reasons Worth Knowing)

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Are you making your favourite curry in the kitchen? Did you go to the garden to pluck some fresh Basil to add to your dish? Well, you might be wondering why aren’t they fresh and green.

The question, “Why is my Basil plant turning yellow?” might be bothering you pretty much. It would be perfect if you didn’t worry now as we got you covered in this article.

However, if you leave it as it is, things might not be so good for you. Yes, we are talking about the issues that might follow. Basil is one of the vital plants used in cooking that adds colour and taste to your dishes. But yellow and pale Basil plants do not possess the quality they have when they’re green and fresh.

Hence, this article answers your query of why is my basil plant turning yellow.

So, let’s get started. 

Why is My Basil Plant Turning Yellow
Why is My Basil Plant Turning Yellow? via Reddit

Reasons That Answers Why is My Basil Plant Turning Yellow

It’s not rocket science to grow a healthy Basil plant. Proper care is key while growing this plant. You need to take primary care of the plant and make it grow well.

But sometimes, with all the care provided, things will not be as you expect. Your Basil plant can still turn yellow, impacting its quality and, finally, its usability. Below are some reasons worth knowing to find out why is my Basil plant turning yellow.

1) Lack of Proper Light

Ensuring your plant gets the proper light is always an issue, no matter which plant you grow. Is your Basil plant also growing in poor light? If yes, it’s time to think differently without a doubt.

Basil plant loves growing in sunlight. So, place your plant in a place where it can get more than six hours of sunlight in a day. If the current location of your Basil plant doesn’t get much sunlight, look for shifting your plant. The more sunshine on the Basil leaves, the healthier the plant grows.

Added to that, you need to understand that Basil is not a shade loving plant. It would help if you exposed the plant directly to the sunlight rather than having it shade under the bigger plants.  

2) Overwatering

A compelling factor that answers why is my Basil plant turning yellow is overwatering. When you’re reading this, think about the time when you water your Basil plant. Every plant loves water, and so does Basil, but too much water is not suitable for its proper growth. 

Many gardeners tend to ignore the fact that growing Basil on the ground is better than in the pot. When you overwater Basil plant in the pot, it makes the mud soggy and rots the root. One of the first and significant signs of root rot in the Basil plant is its leaves turning yellow.

When you buy a container or a pot, always check whether it has better drainage holes or not. When the drainage holes are improper, the water will fill up the pot, which eventually kills your Basil plant.

3) Fungal Infections

Why is My Basil Plant Turning Yellow 2
Why is My Basil Plant Turning Yellow? via Reddit

If the above-discussed reasons do not suffice to your knowledge of why is my basil plant turning yellow, fungal infections might be the one that does.

When you grow a plant in the pot or the garden, fungal infections tend to appear. Specifically, in the case of the Basil plant, it is Downy Mildew that needs to be known when we talk about fungal infections.

When the Downy Mildew hits your Basil plant, it affects the plant’s leaves and stem. Have you noticed the yellowing of your Basil leaf recently? If yes, you must check the plant for this fungal infection. The plant displays yellow colour with a grey-purple fuzz right at the bottom.

All of that means you need to clip off the parts affected by this fungal infection. The affected leaves must be cut out and thrown. Early detection and clearance of this issue might be helpful for you. But if you are not careful, the whole Basil plant might eventually die.

4) Pests

You might think fungal infections and pests are the same. But they’re not. When we talk about pests, it is more about the Bugs, Battles, Aphides, and many more. All of them hinders your plant’s growth.

These pests suck the essential juice off the plant. When these juices are sucked off the plant, it tends to affect the overall growth of the plant, making the whole Basil plant look yellow in outlook. There exists a particular circular region in the affected part of the plant where you can find the Aphids.

You might think of using pesticides in your mind to get rid of these pests. But that’s not the best thing to do. Instead, you can use a water hose in the infected area to blow away the bugs.

Do it twice a week. This helps your Basil plant stay away from pests and bugs, which aids in the plant’s proper growth.


Conclusion

In this portion of the article on why is my Basil plant turning yellow, you will hear the final words on this topic. Well, it’s time to get to the business.

The answers to your query of why is my basil plant turning yellow has already been discussed above. But to summarize it in a short and sweet manner, it has various reasons.

The likes overwatering and lack of proper sunlight can affect the overall growth of the plant. Besides this, fungus and pests can also be the reason turning your Basil plant yellow. Also, one main reason can be the lack of nutrients in the soil.

Everyone wishes to grow a beautiful plant that adds flavour to the food. But what’s important is that you need to take measured care of the plant.

If you fail in doing so, your Basil plant will surely not grow well. It will turn pale and yellow, and eventually, the plant dies. Take good care of it for better results.