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Old October 5, 2013   #9
cythaenopsis
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Hoboken, NJ USA
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Speaking of basil afflictions, mine got hit rather badly by one. I think it was an aphid infestation. Aphids are typically light green but these buggers were brownish, camping out all over the stems and leaf undersides. I just didn't notice the creeping infestation, because the main stem had started to become a bit woody. What caught my attention was the sticky goop covering the plant. The top most leaves didn't have this, but the rest of them did. Nasty, sticky stuff all over, as if someone had sprayed the plant with sugar water. I got out the magnifier and had a look... hopeless. Had to toss the whole plant.

What really got me is that this plant was outdoors only briefly for a couple of weeks during the summer. It had been inside for over two months before I'd noticed something peculiar happening--a black curling of leaf edges. I just thought it might be sun scald, as it wasn't happening to mature leaves.

Anyway, thankfully basil is cheap and I'll just pick up another plant. But wow... next time I'm keeping a better eye on this. I've no idea where these aphids came from. None of my other plants have any aphids on them.
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