Further proof that I have a brown thumb.

[akeyoftime]

My mother bought me a basil plant shortly before we started sleeping in the apartment. I had expressed an interest in trying to have fresh herbs again, because they're tasty and it's way cheaper to grow them than to buy them. And you know what? I've been a decent plant owner. I let them dry out a bit once, but the soil has been consistently damp. I let my mother pick the spot where it should live (she knowing more than I about these things) and left it there. I picked off the diseased bits when little white bugs were found living off of some of the leaves.

And yet it is still dying.

I've tried moving to a sunnier spot, while has had no noticeable improvements. I pluck off all the dried shrivelled bits almost daily and I make very, very sure the soil does not dry out. And yet it continues to die. Even the spider plants, the plant that is supposed to be one of the very hardest to kill, are looking droopy and ill. Some of their long leaves have gone brown. The only plants still thriving are my rubber plants, a housewarming gift from a friend of the families. It should also be noted the little things hold their own water like cacti - they are very independant sorts.

I just. Don't. Get it. Maybe I should get a book on gardening, or something.

Comments

[i-paint-the-sky.livejournal.com]

It's like my mom and African violets...no matter how hard she tries, she just can't keep them alive. No problems with anything else, just African violets.

And YAY! You're letter arrived today!

[akeyoftime.livejournal.com]

Oh good ^^ I was a little worried about postage.

[theclevermonkey.livejournal.com]

Perhaps you are over-watering your basil (http://www.garden.org/plantguide/?q=show&id=2081).

Also, your plant is sitting by a window. and if it is sitting by a window it may be too cold (cold radiating through the window), or it may be too hot (sitting close to a radiator, maybe?).

[neonanightshade.livejournal.com]

I was also going to suggest that you were over watering it. It's actually not bad for a plant for the soil to get a little dry. You only need to water house plants once a week - sometimes only once every two weeks, if the house isn't too hot. I have a plant that sits in my tv room and I constantly forget to water - I give it a giant dose every time it gets bone dry, and it's doing really well. :P Which is probably a freak chance, but I would suggest less water anyhow.

[theclevermonkey.livejournal.com]

Great minds think alike

[neonanightshade.livejournal.com]

That they do. Especially when they're GENIUSES!

[akeyoftime.livejournal.com]

I suppose I've been overzealously watering everything but the Impatients then (which are permanently thirsty). My efforts to keep them alive are just hurting right now, so it's time to scale back! Thanks ^^

[akeyoftime.livejournal.com]

It's by a window on top of the radiator XD (Though the radiator is not actually on yet). Time to move it.

[yubsie]

Clearly it needs blood to survive. :p

[etlaviecontinue.livejournal.com]

so no success with the herbs yet? hopefully no reproduction of last years massive dying of ALL the plants!

[akeyoftime.livejournal.com]

We didn't manage to kill th spider plants! (Though I am well on my way to doing that now XD )