My basil keeps drooping every afternoon. Am I killing it?
You're not killing it. If it were dying, it wouldn't bounce back overnight. It's just dramatic about the afternoon heat
But if it's still drooping after a proper deep soak, the water isn't staying around long enough. That's the rootball problem I mentioned. Tip it out of the pot tomorrow morning and look: roots wrapped tight in a solid mat = it needs a pot 2 inches bigger, stat
Also, quick check: any crispy brown edges? If yes, the west window is cooking it even with water. Pull it back from the glass a foot and it'll relax
And if you see tiny flower buds up top, pinch them. Basil that goes to seed stops growing leaves and goes bitter
Do the pot-tip tomorrow and tell me what the roots look like. That'll tell us everything
A few brown edges, yeah. The soil is dry too.
Brown edges + dry soil + droop = that window is cooking it. The droop is thirst, the brown edges are sunburn. Both, at once
Plan: tonight, deep soak it. Tomorrow morning, move it back from the glass a foot or two, same window is fine, it just wants less direct blast. Then tip it out and check the roots
If it's rootbound, bigger pot + fresh soil fixes the whole cycle: more soil holds more water, so it stops hitting empty every afternoon. Do that and I bet the droop goes away in 2 days
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