Hi,

My wife brought some kapow - ?????? seeds here to farang land and we planted it.

Its growing ok, but something seems to be eating the leaves right after they germinate. Any ideas? I've sprayed it with multiple sprays yet every morning when we go look, something is chowing down bigtime.

Sean

Hi,

My wife brought some kapow - ?????? seeds here to farang land and we planted it.

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Rabbits and deer love fresh grasses. If you're in the UK, that would be my bet. You'll probably need some chicken wire.

Could be slugs and or snails.

BTW what is kapow?

kaphrao กะเพรา

In English most often known as 'holy basil', and less frequently as 'hairy basil'. The Latin name is Ocimum Sanctum. One of the two most commonly used types of basil in Thai cuisine. The other one is 'horaphaa' Ocimum basilicum - โหระพา.

Unlike horaphaa, kaphrao needs to be heated up to really give off its distinctive flavour.

'Kaphrao' leaves are used in one of the most common lunch dishes eaten in Thailand - 'phad kaphrao', which is mince of pork, chicken, shrimp, squid stirfried with oyster sauce, chili, and holy basil leaves. Exceptionally tasty if prepared the right way.

'Horapha', on the other hand, is perhaps most well-known for Westerners as the garnishing leaves that top off a green curry. These leaves have an aniseed-like flavour.

kaphrao กะเพรา

In English most often known as 'holy basil', and less frequently as 'hairy basil'. The Latin name is Ocimum Sanctum. One of the two most commonly used types of basil in Thai cuisine. The other one is 'horaphaa' Ocimum basilicum - โหระพา.

Unlike horaphaa, kaphrao needs to be heated up to really give off its distinctive flavour.

'Kaphrao' leaves are used in one of the most common lunch dishes eaten in Thailand - 'phad kaphrao', which is mince of pork, chicken, shrimp, squid stirfried with oyster sauce, chili, and holy basil leaves. Exceptionally tasty if prepared the right way.

'Horapha', on the other hand, is perhaps most well-known for Westerners as the garnishing leaves that top off a green curry. These leaves have an aniseed-like flavour.

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I agree.... exceptionally tasty...

totster

Hi,

My wife brought some kapow - ?????? seeds here to farang land and we planted it.

Its growing ok, but something seems to be eating the leaves right after they germinate. Any ideas? I've sprayed it with multiple sprays yet every morning when we go look, something is chowing down bigtime.

Sean

Howdy Sean,

We had the same problem with something eating our herbs.Mainly the hot and sweet basil.Same as you.We finaly found out that it is a type of weval that is enjoying the fruits of our labor and leaving us with the stems.We noticed that the basil that was close to the garlic chives or green onions seemed to have less of a problem of being eaten.We planted green onions all around and in between the basil plants and now after about 4 weeks YEPPEEEEEEE!!!!The basil is now supplying our need and then some!!Give it a try.Oh to start with we also would look for and remove any bugs that we could find a couple of times a day.

Lovekindness to All

Try these websites for some ideas:-

http://www.ghorganics.com/page9.html

http://eartheasy.com/grow_nat_pest_cntrl.htm

http://eartheasy.com/live_natpest_control.htm

I also Agree with blue eyes, planting Garlic or even marigolds around the basil will keep the buggers away as well.

Hi,

My wife brought some kapow - ?????? seeds here to farang land and we planted it.

Its growing ok, but something seems to be eating the leaves right after they germinate. Any ideas?  I've sprayed it with multiple sprays yet every morning when we go look, something is chowing down bigtime.

Sean

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If it's Snails or Slugs the old remedy is to put down a line of salt - just ordinary table salt- around the base of the plants. Don't let the salt get into or soak into the plants as it will kill the plants. Slugs or Snails won't crawl across a line of salt as it hurts them when they try to crawl across it. Won't do any good though on other animals who are browsing on your herb garden.

I wouldn't put salt on the ground in my garden...it is bad for the soil. For slugs I put a tablespoon or two of salt in a quart jar and then fill it 10-20% with water. I plant dwarf marigolds around the edge of the vege garden and slugs love to eat them. Every morning I take a pair of chopsticks which I keep for this purpose and I go and pick the slugs off of the marigolds and drop them in the salt water. Also I put old boards on the ground in damp areas (or use a hose to make a wet area) and in the morning I turn the boards over and voila!!! lots of slugs like to hang out on the underside of the boards...I pick these and put them in the salt water too. The salt water dissolves them...if you have a big garden you may very well end up with an entire quart of salty slug juice!!!! yummy!!!! no no no not really...just joking...even in Thailand they wouldn't eat salty slug juice!!! At first you'll get quite a few (if you have them at all) but after a few days you will notice that there really aren't very many any more....but you've got to do it every day for a while...twice a day is better...until you get the population down...then you can miss a day now and again with no big problem resulting.

I wouldn't put salt on the ground in my garden...it is bad for the soil.  For slugs I put a tablespoon or two of salt in a quart jar and then fill it 10-20% with water.  I plant dwarf marigolds around the edge of the vege garden and slugs love to eat them.  Every morning I take a pair of chopsticks which I keep for this purpose and I go and pick the slugs off of the marigolds and drop them in the salt water.   Also I put old boards on the ground in damp areas (or use a hose to make a wet area) and in the morning I turn the boards over and voila!!! lots of slugs like to hang out on the underside of the boards...I pick these and put them in the salt water too.  The salt water dissolves them...if you have a big garden you may very well end up with an entire quart of salty slug juice!!!! yummy!!!!    no no no not  really...just joking...even in Thailand they wouldn't eat salty slug juice!!!  At first you'll get quite a few (if you have them at all)  but after a few days you will notice that there really aren't very many any more....but you've got to do it every day for a while...twice a day is better...until you get the population down...then you can miss a day now and again with no big problem resulting.

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Howdy Everyone,

As far as the slugs and snails go.For many years we have kept them under control almost to the point of having none.The trick to it is to give them a drink!!Around every garden that I have had I place (as many as needed) pie plates level with the ground and fill with BEER!In the states we call it the snail bar !It works fantastic.Snails love a good beer.They snife it out, belly up to the bar and climb on in for a drink and then drown from drunkenes.Snails LOVE beer.I guees the only draw back to this is you have to supply the beer, word gets around that you have a snail bar and all the neighberhood snails come for a drink.But hey it really does work.

Lovekindness to All,

Gee