Why Pot Size Is Important

I planted my basil cuttings last month in the flowerbox located at our veranda.  The soil was purely made up of clay garden soil that my mom-in-law bought several years back.  The flower box only had one small flowering plant in it and I amended the soil with 14-14-14 Osmocote fertilizer.  These are the two basil cuttings that I have made previously.  The leaves are really green and shiny, with the stems soft and tender.  Once you are at least a foot from the plant, you will definitely smell the fragrant aroma of the leaves.

This one was planted in a smaller container because I was sorely lacking in potting soil.  As you can see, the plant is small even if the potting soil was given fertilizer.  The restriction of the roots has created a plant that is stunted in growth.  The best size for basil is at least 12 inches both in depth and in diameter.  I’ll see what I can do with this one; I would probably buy another set of potting soil next month for this.