On Thu, 26 Jun 2003 20:38:44 GMT, "FOW" wrote:

I have some Italian ( green ) basil that I planted in a large pot.It is now
looking ready to pick, starting to flower.
Can I just pick the top off and some large leaves? Or should I just pull the
whole plant ?

Quick: remove the bloom spike and the 4 leaves (2 sets of opposite) at
the bottom of the spike. Whew! That was a close escape.

Blooming isn't a sign of "ripeness." It means the plant is going to
spend it's energy making seeds instead of putting out more leaves.
Keep pinching off blossom spikes to encourage leaf growth.

Basil can be "harvested" throughout the growing season. Pick leaves or
a branch of leaves to use in salads or anything even vaguely tomato-y.
If you have a very large, vigorous plant (or many), you can cut off up
to about 1/3rd of the growth to make pesto. (Recipes everywhere.)
Fresh basil is summer treat. It *can* be dried, frozen, or preserved
in oil, but nothing beats fresh basil flavor.