On 25 Jun 2006 13:22:17 -0700, "fanbball"
wrote:

I have started growing basil this year and used it once for pesto.it
was great. will my plant continue to grow new leaves? i bought two
types of basil plants this year. once had the broad leaves, the other
tiny little leaves. not sure what that one is for. does anyone know the
difference?

Yes, the leaves will grow back. Pinching the flowers off will
make the plant bushier and give you even more leaves for pesto.
*Not* pinching the flowers off won't make your basil die, bolt,
or suck all the flavor out of the leaves, but it will make a
leafier plant, and that's sorta the point with most basils. It
would be a full time job to keep the blooms snipped off the basil
plants that grow wild on the edges of my yard, so I can assure
you nothing dire happens if you don't cut the flowers, but you
won't get as many leaves. The bees love basil flowers, btw, so I
always thought basil would make a good buffer between areas
where you're trying to save seed.

The small leaf basil is just a more ornamental or tidier form.
Use it the same way you would the large leaf. Some people prefer
the smaller leaves because they look better in containers or
salads and vinegars.


Penelope



--
You have proven yourself to be the most malicious,
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- "pointed"