Basil: An Herb Society of America Guide

Pests & Diseases (continued)

Basil is subject to a variety of bacterial and fungal diseases. Basil's most notorious disease is probably Fusarium wilt, an infection caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. basilicum that stunts growth and, as the name implies, causes wilting (27, 79). One way to prevent Fusarium wilt is to plant resistant varieties like the cultivar 'Nufar.' Fusarium can infect seeds and live in soil (24, 79). Preventative measures include crop rotation, soil solarization (heating soil to temperature that will kill pathogens and pests using a plastic covering) (32), and insuring proper sanitation, aeration and drainage (24, 79). If your basil does succumb, pull and discard the infected plant before it has a chance to infect its neighbors (1, 8, 84), but don't throw it in the compost pile where Fusarium can survive and infect future generations of plants (45, 84). 

Basil is also subject to root rot caused by the fungi Pythium and Phytophthora and aggravated by overwatering (25, 24, 51). Bacterial soft rot, Erwinia, can also be a problem but can be prevented using pine and hardwood bark mulches (79). For additional information on basil's diseases, see The Big Book of Herbs by Arthur O. Tucker and Thomas DeBaggio and Basil: An Herb Lover's Guide by Thomas DeBaggio and Susan Belsinger.

With proper care, basil can be relatively pest and disease free. To prevent pests and diseases, make sure your basil plants have a healthy living environment including proper drainage and aeration and sterilized potting medium and/or compost. If you will be reusing containers, sterilize them with a 10% bleach solution (84). Crop rotation and the introduction of beneficial insects can also be helpful (25, 71). Be wary about using insecticides, especially on plants that will be eaten. Insecticides can be toxic for basil as well as the insects, although some sources suggest that pyretheums, plant-based insecticides, can be used without problems (47).

Next topic: Pruning & Harvesting

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