Basil is growing 'wierd' - first attempt - what's gone wrong?

[solar daisy]

Hi all, first post here, and my first attempt at growing Basil in a container.

It's been doing well for a couple of months. A few seeds grew about 6 inches high, and had loads of leaves that looked healthy and abundant.

I began harvesting them - taking larger leaves from the bottom, and pinching off a couple of cms from the very top of the stems - thinking this would encourage it to grow back in thicker. But it hasn't.

What I'm getting now, at the tops of each and every stem, are leaves that are growing in 'odd'. Like little twisted up, stunted, curly leaves.

I keep pinching them out, but they keep coming back, and the plant is not producing any more of the nice big 'normal' leaves'.

What's gone wrong? And what can I do about it?

Should I just plant some more seeds and try to grow a new plant?

Thanks.

[msbaylor]

I had this issue last year. Not sure what actually causes it, but I tossed in a bit of coffee grounds from Starbucks and BAM! the plants started growing like crazy. Something to try.

[Chris]

Leaf curling like that is typical of some pest problems or possibly some diseases, more likely a pest though.

Sometimes basil can be reinvigorated by a significant cutback.

Make sure it has plenty of nitrogen as well.