Bumps on basil stem. - Ask Extension
This basil plant started shriveling in July in ways thay didn't match pictures i found online. I've brought it inside because of cold and found lines...
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Bumps on basil stem. #675692
Asked September 28, 2020, 8:49 PM EDT
This basil plant started shriveling in July in ways thay didn't match pictures i found online. I've brought it inside because of cold and found lines of nodes/cysts/eggs?? Alone the stem and some branches. They are hard and don't scrape off easily. What are the chances these are eggs that will hatch in my kitchen this fall?
Amy
Douglas County Nebraska
Expert Response
Based on the pictures and your description it sounds like scale, an insect that makes a hard shell over itself. I'm not sure if they will hatch over the winter but they will continue to sap energy from your plant - I'm having trouble locating the life cycle of basil scale.
If it were my plant, I would send the plant and the soil to the city compost and get a new one. My favorite trick is to buy grocery store basil, root it in water, and plant.
