I'm very new so I hesitate to give advice, but I have basil in a terra cotta pot with regular potting soil. I know it likes a lot of sun and i'ts considered an annual, but I will bring it in for the winter and try to get it as much sunlight as possible. I water it once or twice a week and let the soil dry in between. Hope that helps!

Amy if you want to keep your basil going for several years just make sure you don't let it bloom. I've had mine for quite awhile now and it is still growing and doing great. Of course I pinch blooms off constantly but since I don't work I have the time.

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Hi there CountreecityGarden!

I see no reason in the world why you couldn't plant that Basil in a pot & revive it! This past summer when I entered some of my purple Basil in the county fair, I yanked it up out of the ground ...instead of submitting a cutting, as I figured that even though it would be in a container of water, it would probably remain "perked up" if its roots were intact. (And, I wanted to try putting it back in the garden when the fair was over!)

It did just fine, there in the Floral Display Building for 4 days (& took 2nd place. I think the judges liked green Basil better!)
... And, it was still fine a week later, when I hadn't gotten it back into the ground yet! It did start getting droopy shortly after that, & I knew that it wanted to be back in the dirt. (See Weezie's bit of wisdom about "water roots" & "dirt roots".) I did replant it in the garden, where it wavered for several days, then it kicked right back in & is still going, today!

Basil is generally considered to be an annual, because it requires temps above 50* ...but it likes the heat (80's and 90's) best, & won't live through even a light frost. It can continue to thrive indoors during the winter, like TK's, if it gets enough direct sunlight. As Comfrey cautioned, don't overwater Basil... it should be in a pot with good drainage, so the roots don't stay too wet. (I wouldn't necessarily let it go completely dry between waterings, though...the leaves seem to have more vitality & are more tender with regular watering. Also, for a really lush Basil plant, be sure to fertilize it.)

TK has the method down pretty well for keeping Basil going, by not letting it go to seed. You can enjoy the pretty flower spikes for a while, but pinch them off after a few start dropping off (all the way to the leaf junction), & the plant will put out new leaves.

Basil is susceptible to spider mites (more-so when it's grown indoors, I think) but insecticide soap spray takes care of them real well, if you get them.

Come back & let us know how it does, OK?

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I hope you have friends that like basil. I have two mature cinnamon basil plants and I can't stay ahead of it's produce.

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Am I the only one who smells only licorice when I smell cinnamon basil???

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