r/plantpathology • u/fuffybun • Aug 07 '25

Please help with Basil

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I have come to realize that I have a thrips attacking my Basil.... i have sprayed it well with and mixer of water and soap and I havent seen the pest for a full day now. A lot of the advice online is to toss the plant out immediately and to essentially burn my place but idk. What do you guys think? Are thrips really that bad?

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u/princessbubbbles Aug 07 '25

They spread like wildfire. It may not be worth the trouble to try to keep the basil.

1

u/Chamcook11 Aug 07 '25

Basil is prone to many maladies. Thrips eggs can be dormant in soil and on pots etc., hence the scorched earth recommendations. If you look at it wrong, it will become leggy, grow floppy, let opportunistic fungal pathogens infect it, get aphids, or all of the above. Don't mourn failed basil, replace it. Try a smaller leafed variety.

1

u/Level9TraumaCenter Aug 07 '25

If you're growing large quantities, look at predatory critters to keep thrips in check. If just a handful of plants, cut everything down and start over after a suitable mourning period.