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#1
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Basil flowering
Is there any good reason why I should not let my basil go to flowers
as it is now doing? Does it lose its flavor or anything or is it ok to let it go and continue harvesting the leaves as needed? All suggestions welcome as I'm a newbie at Basil. Thanx... |
#2
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Basil flowering
In our last fun filled episode, Wed, 25 Jun 2003 11:51:06 -0600,
John DeBoo proclaimed: Is there any good reason why I should not let my basil go to flowers as it is now doing? Does it lose its flavor or anything or is it ok to let it go and continue harvesting the leaves as needed? Mmmm...baaaaasil... Pinching the flowers back makes even more leaves available for you to harvest as needed. The plant starts to put its energy into seed production instead of tasty leaf production when it goes to flower. It won't kill the plant or affect the flavor, I use Thai Basil as ornamentals in one of my flower beds, and I let it go to flower, then pinch it back as the blooms fade. Pam, who had her first basil and tomato sandwich of the season yesterday evening. -- "Maybe you'd like to ask the Wizard for a heart." "ElissaAnn" |
#3
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Basil flowering
On Wed, 25 Jun 2003 11:51:06 -0600, John DeBoo
wrote: Is there any good reason why I should not let my basil go to flowers as it is now doing? Does it lose its flavor or anything or is it ok to let it go and continue harvesting the leaves as needed? All suggestions welcome as I'm a newbie at Basil. Thanx... You should snip off the flowers. If it flowers, it will 'think' its lifetime job is finished and not make many more leaves. Snipping off the flowers forces it to put its energy into making more leaves. Snipping off the leading stalks also makes it bushier, this is good. Pat |
#4
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Basil flowering
On Wed, 25 Jun 2003 14:18:23 -0400, Pam
wrote: Pam, who had her first basil and tomato sandwich of the season yesterday evening. Isn't anything much better than that, is there? We've got the basil but not the tomatoes yet...only little ones on the miniature Red Robin plants. Pat |
#5
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Basil flowering
John DeBoo
Is there any good reason why I should not let my basil go to flowers as it is now doing? Does it lose its flavor or anything or is it ok to let it go and continue harvesting the leaves as needed? Once the plants have gone to flower the leaf production diminishes as the plant puts its energy into procreation/seeds. By pinching back flowers, flavourful leaves will continue to be produced; flowers pretty much spell the end to new, tastey leaves. Depends what you want, seeds for next year or leaves to enjoy eating. jcm Canadian zone 5b, don't know my U.S. zone equivilant, but it's really hot this week! |
#6
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Basil flowering
Pat Meadows wrote:
On Wed, 25 Jun 2003 14:18:23 -0400, Pam wrote: Pam, who had her first basil and tomato sandwich of the season yesterday evening. Isn't anything much better than that, is there? We've got the basil but not the tomatoes yet...only little ones on the miniature Red Robin plants. Pat Hmmm, the sandwich sounds MOST interesting. I *LOVE* mater sammiches with mayo - now I'll just have to add a few leaves of basil too. But like you, my maters are still greensigh. |
#7
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Basil flowering
In our last fun filled episode, Wed, 25 Jun 2003 23:04:49 -0600,
John DeBoo proclaimed: Pat Meadows wrote: Pam wrote: Pam, who had her first basil and tomato sandwich of the season yesterday evening. Isn't anything much better than that, is there? Not much. We've got the basil but not the tomatoes yet...only little ones on the miniature Red Robin plants. Well, I do have a little head start on you for planting, even in cold, wet springs like this one. Hmmm, the sandwich sounds MOST interesting. I *LOVE* mater sammiches with mayo - now I'll just have to add a few leaves of basil too. But like you, my maters are still greensigh. Oh, tomatoes are just made to go with fresh basil! I've been getting some cherry tomatoes, so I slice them in half, mix them with the fresh basil, some garlic, green onions, give it a dash of oil and vinegar, and crumble a bit of blue cheese on top. Pam, yummy! -- "Maybe you'd like to ask the Wizard for a heart." "ElissaAnn" |
#8
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Basil flowering
one thing thats yummy also is to put a nice slice of mozzarella cheese on --
MMMMMMM "Pam" wrote in message ... In our last fun filled episode, Wed, 25 Jun 2003 23:04:49 -0600, John DeBoo proclaimed: Pat Meadows wrote: Pam wrote: Pam, who had her first basil and tomato sandwich of the season yesterday evening. Isn't anything much better than that, is there? Not much. We've got the basil but not the tomatoes yet...only little ones on the miniature Red Robin plants. Well, I do have a little head start on you for planting, even in cold, wet springs like this one. Hmmm, the sandwich sounds MOST interesting. I *LOVE* mater sammiches with mayo - now I'll just have to add a few leaves of basil too. But like you, my maters are still greensigh. Oh, tomatoes are just made to go with fresh basil! I've been getting some cherry tomatoes, so I slice them in half, mix them with the fresh basil, some garlic, green onions, give it a dash of oil and vinegar, and crumble a bit of blue cheese on top. Pam, yummy! -- "Maybe you'd like to ask the Wizard for a heart." "ElissaAnn" |
#10
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Basil flowering
In article , Pat Meadows
wrote: On Wed, 25 Jun 2003 14:18:23 -0400, Pam wrote: Pam, who had her first basil and tomato sandwich of the season yesterday evening. Isn't anything much better than that, is there? We've got the basil but not the tomatoes yet...only little ones on the miniature Red Robin plants. Pat Ick. Do your Red Robins taste okay? I've never eaten one I liked. We've been eating Tumblers for a couple of weeks now, from the kitchen- window plant. The 'maters have good taste. Not as good as Sweet 100's and they're bigger (golf ball size), but a damned sight better than the little red ball bearings that the grocery store sells for $3/lb. I always put leaf lettuce and a pansy in the planters next to the door of our house. (Edible landscaping.) So we're eating fresh lettuce from the planters and 'maters out of the windowsill. My garden is just kicking into gear and isn't producing food yet. Soon though : ) Jan Zone 3, Alaska |
#11
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Basil flowering
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#12
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Basil flowering
Pat Meadows wrote:
On Sat, 28 Jun 2003 02:54:09 -0800, (Jan Flora) wrote: Isn't anything much better than that, is there? We've got the basil but not the tomatoes yet...only little ones on the miniature Red Robin plants. Pat Ick. Do your Red Robins taste okay? I've never eaten one I liked. Both DH and I think they are LOVELY, very good taste. Hmmmm...maybe this is a personal taste difference. We've been eating Tumblers for a couple of weeks now, from the kitchen- window plant. The 'maters have good taste. Not as good as Sweet 100's and they're bigger (golf ball size), but a damned sight better than the little red ball bearings that the grocery store sells for $3/lb. How big do the Tumblers get? [snip] I used to grow both Tumblers and Red Robins. I quit growing Tumblers because they were so subject to wilt diseases. The Tumblers were a little sweeter then the Red Robins and for a lot of people that is the determining factor. The comment about Sweet 100's makes me think that is the case for the Red Robin disliker above. For me, the more tomatoey favor of Red Robins is superior for most uses. The Tumbler fruit is a bit smaller then Red Robins. Lorenzo L. Love http://home.thegrid.net/~lllove "We recognize, however dimly, that greater efficiency, ease, and security may come at a substantial price in freedom, that law and order can be a doublethink version of oppression, that individual liberties surrendered for whatever good reason are freedom lost." Walter Cronkite, in the preface to the 1984 edition of 1984 |
#13
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Basil flowering
On Sat, 28 Jun 2003 19:43:23 GMT, "Lorenzo L. Love"
wrote: Pat Meadows wrote: I used to grow both Tumblers and Red Robins. I quit growing Tumblers because they were so subject to wilt diseases. The Tumblers were a little sweeter then the Red Robins and for a lot of people that is the determining factor. The comment about Sweet 100's makes me think that is the case for the Red Robin disliker above. For me, the more tomatoey favor of Red Robins is superior for most uses. We like the Red Robin taste very well indeed, it tastes like an 'old-fashioned' tomato. I'm starting Yellow Canary seeds next week, also MicroTina - I got the MicroTina seeds (free) from the group at Utah State University that is studying super dwarf vegetables and grains. http://www.usu.edu/cpl/outreach_seed_request.htm I told them - in the request - that I was a private individual with an interest in growing miniature vegetables, and they sent me the seeds. The Tumbler fruit is a bit smaller then Red Robins. Thanks, Lorenzo. We seem to share an interest in miniature vegetables: or is it just tomatoes that interest you? I'll also be growing a miniature pepper this autumn/winter, and spicy globe bush basil. Plus a couple of the mini-tomatoes, and some Tom Thumb lettuce. I'm fortunate enough to have a very large bay window that gets sun from three directions - the whole affair sticks out from the house. It's almost like a mini-greenhouse. The window ledge is 2' x 8' - so I have 16 sf of growing space all winter. Pat |
#14
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Basil flowering
Pat Meadows wrote:
On Sat, 28 Jun 2003 19:43:23 GMT, "Lorenzo L. Love" wrote: Pat Meadows wrote: I used to grow both Tumblers and Red Robins. I quit growing Tumblers because they were so subject to wilt diseases. The Tumblers were a little sweeter then the Red Robins and for a lot of people that is the determining factor. The comment about Sweet 100's makes me think that is the case for the Red Robin disliker above. For me, the more tomatoey favor of Red Robins is superior for most uses. We like the Red Robin taste very well indeed, it tastes like an 'old-fashioned' tomato. I'm starting Yellow Canary seeds next week, also MicroTina - I got the MicroTina seeds (free) from the group at Utah State University that is studying super dwarf vegetables and grains. http://www.usu.edu/cpl/outreach_seed_request.htm I told them - in the request - that I was a private individual with an interest in growing miniature vegetables, and they sent me the seeds. The Tumbler fruit is a bit smaller then Red Robins. Thanks, Lorenzo. We seem to share an interest in miniature vegetables: or is it just tomatoes that interest you? I'll also be growing a miniature pepper this autumn/winter, and spicy globe bush basil. Plus a couple of the mini-tomatoes, and some Tom Thumb lettuce. I'm fortunate enough to have a very large bay window that gets sun from three directions - the whole affair sticks out from the house. It's almost like a mini-greenhouse. The window ledge is 2' x 8' - so I have 16 sf of growing space all winter. Pat I grow Jingle Bell peppers too. I have limited space for a garden and the miniature plants in pots can be put on fence posts, street curbs, sidewalks and so forth to make more room. Plus, I can get produce much earlier by using miniatures and starting them a couple months earlier and hauling them outside every moring and back inside every night. With maybe 50 pots and baskets, that takes a while every day but its worth it for me. I grow full sized plants too in what garden space I do have. Lorenzo L. Love http://home.thegrid.net/~lllove "We recognize, however dimly, that greater efficiency, ease, and security may come at a substantial price in freedom, that law and order can be a doublethink version of oppression, that individual liberties surrendered for whatever good reason are freedom lost." Walter Cronkite, in the preface to the 1984 edition of 1984 |
#15
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Basil flowering
On Sun, 29 Jun 2003 19:34:00 GMT, "Lorenzo L. Love"
wrote: I grow Jingle Bell peppers too. I have limited space for a garden and the miniature plants in pots can be put on fence posts, street curbs, sidewalks and so forth to make more room. Plus, I can get produce much earlier by using miniatures and starting them a couple months earlier and hauling them outside every moring and back inside every night. With maybe 50 pots and baskets, that takes a while every day but its worth it for me. I grow full sized plants too in what garden space I do have. Lorenzo L. Love http://home.thegrid.net/~lllove I have thought about growing Jingle Bell peppers. Do they taste good? How small are they? How small is the plant? I've seen them in Johnny's Seeds (I think) but the exchange rate has always put me off. Maybe I should order them now, for next year, while our dollar is strong. jcm Toronto, Canada Canadian zone 5b, U.S. zone is apparently 4b Thanks to global warming it's bloody hot here! |
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