Basil is an annual, and will usually die in winter. In very warm climates, it may last a little longer than one growing season.

I've managed to sucessfully overwinter basil in the house. I put mine in a little warm greenhouse thats a constant 70 degrees and it loves it. Basil won't know it's winter if you don't let it get cold : ) I'd pot it up and give it a try.

You probably be better off to take cuttings from it, and pot them up inside. Chances are when dug and transplanted, it would loose leaves, become leggy and loose alot of vigor. A nice cutting of it would have a better chance at survival. Alot of folks have had great success just rooting it in water.
Go for it! Lynn

I agree with the cutting suggestion. Or do both, take a couple cuttings and pot up the plant too. See which works better.

I just wanted to point out that basil needs good sun. We grow it inside in the winter all the time in FL and GA but you have to have a window with GOOD light-more light the better. Atleast a window with direct morning sun or evening sun. Or be lucky like mystdragyn and have a greenhouse.

I'm thinking of take some cutting and let it root in my apartment over winter. However I don't have very good sunlight since my windows are facing North. Can I keep everything survive with just a fluorescent plant light? The apartment will be in between 65 to 78 degree.

It will probably live, we had ours in a room with less than perfect sun, and it did get leggy. a bit of flourescent light might help- but an indoor basil without good sun probably wont get big enough to make pesto. If you want a few leaves for flavings, you should be fine. Mine got a bit leggy and woody last winter.

Thanks, I just need to keep the plant alive so that they will be ready to repropegate in Spring. BTW, you can get a solution from QVC call Spray n Grow, it does make plants grow bigger, and claim to be safe as it's just nutrient for plant. So hopefully it can still make the basil big enough even it's indoor for the winter.

If the reason for bringing it in is to use thru the winter, I think a better idea is to blend the leaves in oil to make a very thick paste, kind of like pesto without the nuts and cheese. Freeze and use all winter. This can be done with all herbs. I learned this from Madeline Hill, the Texas herb guru

Playthyme,
How do you mix the basil and oil- any special instructions- I REALLY want to keep as much of my basil as possible for winter use.

Thanks

Naturelover1946

I agree. Try one from a cutting and try the other from digging up part of the plant from the garden.

I dug up part of mine to put in a small pot in the kitchen. I made sure I took enough dirt around all sides of the basil so as not to disturb the plant at all.

It looks now as wonderful as it did outside. Thriving, green, healthy.

BTW....the kind I transplanted was Lettuce Leaf Basil.

Basil transplants easily without setback. I transplanted a few hundred plants into soil in a high tunnel which I'm cutting now and I'll transplant hundreds or smaller plants from garden soil to pots all summer long. But when it comes to overwintering I've never seen a reasonable looking plant past December. Intense light is needed to grow well and although artificial light may work it would be expensive.

For better looking potted plants try a variety like Spicey Globe that is a shorter growing mouse-eared type. It may taste somewhat different but it will also have a more presentable appearance on your window sill.

I still have a few flats of Italian basil that didn't get transplanted and my observation is that when the soil is shaded by the plant you are setting yourself up for stem rot. If you are going to pursue the potted plant you might want to use a rot resistant variety like Nufar that will taste the same but last longer under potting conditions.