Last updated on September 23rd, 2022 at 12:06 pm
Basil originated from tropical zones where they enjoy sunny and dry weather and experience warmth all day and year-round.
As a result, they tend to adopt a perennial nature (i.e., they tend to grow for more than a year when they ought to grow annually).
Also, it retains its nutritional and aesthetic value, whether you produce Basil in the tropics or in the summer of other zones.
However, when winter arrives, Basil begins to retard slowly and eventually withers. So, let’s find out how winter affects Basil.
Does Basil grow back after winter?
Basil plants do not grow back after winter. No matter how productive and resilient Basil is, it remains an annual herb lacking dormancy. No part of the Basil plant survives after death; only the seed can see another summer to make new plants when adequately preserved.
Is it possible for the Basil Plant to Regrow After Winter?
Basil remains an excellent herb for many reasons: the ease of propagation and cultivation.
All it takes is spraying and not necessarily submerging the seed in moist soil or simply cutting off a healthy stem and planting it directly in the ground.
Before you know it, you have a healthy Basil plant. However, does this apply to regeneration after winter and fall? Once dead in winter, Basil cannot regrow.
As the temperature begins to drop in winter, the health of Basil also begins to decline steadily, starting with an irreversible blackening of leaves until the very roots of the plant die, by which time the plant withers.
When this happens, the plant is incapable of growing again.
The reason for this is quite simple. Higher plants have two active generations, the Sporophytic generation responsible for producing dormant and resistant spores.
They enable the plant to regenerate after experiencing a harsh conditions such as scorching or winter, and the Gametophytic generation makes the vegetative(leafy) parts we are familiar with.
Unfortunately, Basil produces no spores; thus, when the gametophyte, the vegetative part of Basil, dies, this is often the end of the Basil plant as there are no spores to facilitate regrowth.
Does Basil Survive Winter?
It is not the mere presence of winter that scares and kills Basil, just as the light automatically kills darkness.
Instead, the temperature comes with winter, that chill and cold; Basil abhors even the darkness of winter since it cherishes light.
Basil thrives best at temperatures far above 50 Degrees Fahrenheit and about 8 hours of sunlight daily, with all these natural conditions absent in the winter months. Does Basil survive winter?
I would say Basil can stay in winter. The experiences of many have proven this statement to be correct. The word can is employed here to indicate a possibility and not a naturally defined order.
And this probability, as many have shown, can only come about as a result of a conscious effort and diligence on the part of the cultivator.
Can the Basil Plant Stay Outside in Winter?
Like Basil, thyme and sage are also essential herbs.
Still, during winter, they stand out in the cold day in and day out, enduring the increasingly cold temperature without visible growth. However, they remain alive to resume growth when the conditions become favorable.
Can this also be said of Basil?
In simple terms, the Basil plant cannot stay outside in winter. You must have noticed that Basil grows as unrestrained and uncultivated plants, sometimes even shrubs in the tropics.
The reason is that they stay out all year round with no danger of death. Leaving Basil outside during winter can only be described as a death sentence to the Basil plant.
This occurrence is because, even though there is a periodic and limited dose of sunlight and warmth available during winter.
It is never sufficient for a plant like Basil which requires a minimum of 8 hours of exposure to sunlight and constant high temperature.
Also, the continuous freezing winter temperature in the mornings and evenings is too much for a medium-sized plant-like Basil.
How Long Can the Basil Plant Live?
All that we have discussed so far leads us to this reasonable conclusion; the lifespan of Basil depends on the region and condition in which they are grown.
Notwithstanding, Basil has a life cycle, and thus a defined length of time to complete that cycle then ceases to exist. How long is that?
Functionally, we classify Basil as an annual herb. This classification means it is supposed to conclude its life cycle within a year.
This includes germinating, producing edible leaves, and flowering, i.e., the growth of purple flowers containing the Basil seeds at the top of the plant.
After flowering, Basil begins to decline progressively until it completely dies. All of this happens within a year.
However, you can keep the Basil plant alive for two years. Then, all you have to do is continue to provide all necessary for Basil, such as water, sunlight, and nutrients. Another important action is pruning.
Pruning basil leaves at the top helps it to grow more widespread and beautiful.
Still, more importantly, it prevents the plant from flowering, allowing it to focus on keeping its body structure healthy rather than reproducing.
In this way, one can extend the lifespan of Basil.
How Do I Save my Basil Plant For Next Year?
One way to save your Basil plant for the next year is by growing your Basil indoors. You can take Basil in a nice smooth pot and cultivate it indoors.
All you have to do is provide as much sunlight as possible by placing your Basil pot on a windowsill whenever the sun is up and by providing artificial lighting for the plant, as the available sunlight and heat are barely sufficient to keep Basil alive.
Then, with proper care, you can ensure that your Basil will survive the winter up till the following year. Another way to save your Basil plant is by preserving the seeds.
To do this, allow your Basil plant to flower just as winter begins, cut off the flowering part, which contains the seed, and store it in a cool place until it is completely dried.
After drying, you shake off the black Basil seeds into an airtight container where it is preserved until the following summer—allowing you to enjoy your most cherished variety of Basil all year round.
Conclusion
The Basil plant, which is of tropical origin, thrives well in a fitting alternative climate. Winter becomes an enemy of Basil, slowly reducing its activities until it is completely dead.
However, as we have seen, the presence of winter does not necessarily have to be the absence of Basil, and we have seen how Basil can survive until the following summer.
If you want to enhance your Basil plant’s longevity, this article must have been a great help!