Question
Hi, I live in an apartment w/o a balcony so all plants need to be grown inside.  I do have a good afternoon sun exposure.  My mother recently purchased a small basil plant for me.  It's in a 4-in container (with soil) and drainage holes.  I'd like to keep it alive long as possible.  Should I give it fertilizer?  Should I transplant to a bigger pot?  It seems to require water daily--does that indicate it's unhappy?  And last, how should I pick leaves for cooking--meaning should I take one leaf from each cluster or pluck an entire cluster of leaves?

On a separate note, do you have an opinion of the Aerogarden equipment?  I'm tempted to purchase, but it's a lot of money for me, and I don't know if it's a worthwhile investment.

Thank you.

Answer
Deborah:
Basil hates the indoors. It needs an eastern location with early morning sun all day. It is a light & heat loving plant. Move to a 6" or deeper pot. Do not water every day. Water every 3 days, but do not let it get soggy. Fertilize with a liquid fish and/or seaweed mix every 3 weeks. Prune 1/3 off each branch from the top down. Pluck a few leaves. Unhappiness comes from too much water; not enough light or heat. Do not know anything about the aerogarden. If it is expensive, I would stick with the old fashion way.

Leroy