if full sun is too much.. based on your failures.. then try in full bright shade.. especially during the heat of the day .. basic hosts info i would give to anyone north of FL ..lol ..

and im surprised art your description of the soil .... i thought native soil was sand ... how did yours become so amended??

ken

Basil is a tropical and sub tropical plant and commercial growing in Florida. I've seen pictures of basil growing at Stephen's produce in palm bay county set out in the field under full sun and they looked good. But the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, university of Florida states It prefers sun (with a bit of afternoon shade to protect it from the heat) and moist, but well-drained soil, OK, but actual growers in Florida (with about 500 acres in production) contradict what the university of Florida suggests and don't see them shading 500 acres.

What I did notice in basil field pictures in Florida was raised beds which does supports the university about well-drained soil. Another thing about basil is they don't tolerate drought well, so raised beds kept well moistened with irrigation dippers would offer you the best chance of success growing basil. A sun screen of say 50% in the hot afternoon would be optional but I personally don't think it's the problem. You can get a simple dipper kit from home depot for less than $10.

A plant that is over watered will look similar to a plant that is under watered, and you don't want either one.

@ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5, thank you for replying! Florida native soil IS very sandy. When I said dry soil, I meant I keep the soil very dry because I've read a lot that basil does not like excess water, especially standing water (which is why many of my basils got grim-reaper'd by the torrential rains of FL summer). I also tried keeping soil moist by misting it a lot, or watering it frequently. Also--I tend to mix native soil with potting soil, or use potting soil alone. I wonder which would be better now? (Also, what do you mean by 'amended'?)

@outpaientzero, I completely forgot about looking at UF IFAS when it comes to basil! That is now my reference for citrus growing. You're right, though-- I've never seen basil put in shady spots in nurseries or garden centers, so hmmm. Thank you for your suggestions, too!

Maybe I WAS underwatering. Now that it seems the 32* nights are behind us, I think I'm going to try basil again. I'll keep you guys posted on if it starts getting all depressed-looking again.