My basil has gone nuts this season (a good thing) but is now flowering
profusely. Will the taste be affected by flowering, like lettuce?
Can I just cut it way back with some shears and still have quality
basil?

-F

Pinch back the bloom on basil to preserve it longer. Like all plants when
it goes to seed it will consider its job is finished, completed its life
cycle and will begin to decline.

Wil
--


"Fleemo" wrote in message
om...
My basil has gone nuts this season (a good thing) but is now flowering
profusely. Will the taste be affected by flowering, like lettuce?
Can I just cut it way back with some shears and still have quality
basil?

-F

Pinch back the bloom on basil to preserve it longer. Like all plants when
it goes to seed it will consider its job is finished, completed its life
cycle and will begin to decline.

Wil
--


"Fleemo" wrote in message
om...
My basil has gone nuts this season (a good thing) but is now flowering
profusely. Will the taste be affected by flowering, like lettuce?
Can I just cut it way back with some shears and still have quality
basil?

-F

On 28 Jul 2004 11:56:05 -0700, (Fleemo) wrote:

My basil has gone nuts this season (a good thing) but is now flowering
profusely. Will the taste be affected by flowering, like lettuce?
Can I just cut it way back with some shears and still have quality
basil?

-F

Harvest Basil before it flowers. Most of the time I get 2 or 3
clippings from Basil. Clipping it will cause it to bush out more.

On 28 Jul 2004 11:56:05 -0700, (Fleemo) wrote:

My basil has gone nuts this season (a good thing) but is now flowering
profusely. Will the taste be affected by flowering, like lettuce?
Can I just cut it way back with some shears and still have quality
basil?

-F

Harvest Basil before it flowers. Most of the time I get 2 or 3
clippings from Basil. Clipping it will cause it to bush out more.

I once kept some basil plants for 4 years by pinching the flowers back.

On Thu, 29 Jul 2004, Phisherman wrote:

On 28 Jul 2004 11:56:05 -0700, (Fleemo) wrote:

My basil has gone nuts this season (a good thing) but is now flowering
profusely. Will the taste be affected by flowering, like lettuce?
Can I just cut it way back with some shears and still have quality
basil?

-F

Harvest Basil before it flowers. Most of the time I get 2 or 3
clippings from Basil. Clipping it will cause it to bush out more.

I have a crazy growing Basil too. Basically I have been grabbing entire
stalks instead of leaves (I never really asked HOW I was supposed to do it
so I sort of just did my thing). If I keep doing this and never give it a
chance to bloom will it retain it's usefulness for awhile?

I made a salad the other night with no other kinds of leaves, just Basil.
I had heard the idea from somebody else. Basil, cherry tomatoes, onions
(I used green onions) some grated cheese, olive oil. ohhhh yeah

On Thu, 29 Jul 2004, Phisherman wrote:

On 28 Jul 2004 11:56:05 -0700, (Fleemo) wrote:

My basil has gone nuts this season (a good thing) but is now flowering
profusely. Will the taste be affected by flowering, like lettuce?
Can I just cut it way back with some shears and still have quality
basil?

-F

Harvest Basil before it flowers. Most of the time I get 2 or 3
clippings from Basil. Clipping it will cause it to bush out more.

I have a crazy growing Basil too. Basically I have been grabbing entire
stalks instead of leaves (I never really asked HOW I was supposed to do it
so I sort of just did my thing). If I keep doing this and never give it a
chance to bloom will it retain it's usefulness for awhile?

I made a salad the other night with no other kinds of leaves, just Basil.
I had heard the idea from somebody else. Basil, cherry tomatoes, onions
(I used green onions) some grated cheese, olive oil. ohhhh yeah

On Thu, 29 Jul 2004, Phisherman wrote:

On 28 Jul 2004 11:56:05 -0700, (Fleemo) wrote:

My basil has gone nuts this season (a good thing) but is now flowering
profusely. Will the taste be affected by flowering, like lettuce?
Can I just cut it way back with some shears and still have quality
basil?

-F

Harvest Basil before it flowers. Most of the time I get 2 or 3
clippings from Basil. Clipping it will cause it to bush out more.

I have a crazy growing Basil too. Basically I have been grabbing entire
stalks instead of leaves (I never really asked HOW I was supposed to do it
so I sort of just did my thing). If I keep doing this and never give it a
chance to bloom will it retain it's usefulness for awhile?

I made a salad the other night with no other kinds of leaves, just Basil.
I had heard the idea from somebody else. Basil, cherry tomatoes, onions
(I used green onions) some grated cheese, olive oil. ohhhh yeah

Or clip the blooms and use them to decorate a salad.
Carolyn
"David Kotschessa" wrote in message
...


On Thu, 29 Jul 2004, Phisherman wrote:

On 28 Jul 2004 11:56:05 -0700, (Fleemo) wrote:

My basil has gone nuts this season (a good thing) but is now flowering
profusely. Will the taste be affected by flowering, like lettuce?
Can I just cut it way back with some shears and still have quality
basil?

-F

Harvest Basil before it flowers. Most of the time I get 2 or 3
clippings from Basil. Clipping it will cause it to bush out more.

I have a crazy growing Basil too. Basically I have been grabbing entire
stalks instead of leaves (I never really asked HOW I was supposed to do it
so I sort of just did my thing). If I keep doing this and never give it a
chance to bloom will it retain it's usefulness for awhile?

I made a salad the other night with no other kinds of leaves, just Basil.
I had heard the idea from somebody else. Basil, cherry tomatoes, onions
(I used green onions) some grated cheese, olive oil. ohhhh yeah

Or clip the blooms and use them to decorate a salad.
Carolyn
"David Kotschessa" wrote in message
...


On Thu, 29 Jul 2004, Phisherman wrote:

On 28 Jul 2004 11:56:05 -0700, (Fleemo) wrote:

My basil has gone nuts this season (a good thing) but is now flowering
profusely. Will the taste be affected by flowering, like lettuce?
Can I just cut it way back with some shears and still have quality
basil?

-F

Harvest Basil before it flowers. Most of the time I get 2 or 3
clippings from Basil. Clipping it will cause it to bush out more.

I have a crazy growing Basil too. Basically I have been grabbing entire
stalks instead of leaves (I never really asked HOW I was supposed to do it
so I sort of just did my thing). If I keep doing this and never give it a
chance to bloom will it retain it's usefulness for awhile?

I made a salad the other night with no other kinds of leaves, just Basil.
I had heard the idea from somebody else. Basil, cherry tomatoes, onions
(I used green onions) some grated cheese, olive oil. ohhhh yeah

Carolyn LeCrone wrote:
Or clip the blooms and use them to decorate a salad.




We grow cut flowers. Basil gone to flower is sometimes added to bouquets
to add some fragrance. Purple basil works quite well for this.

Fleemo wrote:

My basil has gone nuts this season (a good thing) but is now flowering
profusely. Will the taste be affected by flowering, like lettuce?
Can I just cut it way back with some shears and still have quality
basil?

Basil is an annual. Once it finishes blooming, it dies. To delay
this, remove all flower buds before they open. Pernnial herbs such
as thyme, mint, sage, and rosemary survive quite well after
blooming.

I found that basil flowers and flower buds are bitter, not as tasty
as the leaves. On the other hand, the flowers and buds of dill
(another annual) are at least as tasty as the leaves; dill seed is
often used as an herb.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/

Fleemo wrote:

My basil has gone nuts this season (a good thing) but is now flowering
profusely. Will the taste be affected by flowering, like lettuce?
Can I just cut it way back with some shears and still have quality
basil?

Basil is an annual. Once it finishes blooming, it dies. To delay
this, remove all flower buds before they open. Pernnial herbs such
as thyme, mint, sage, and rosemary survive quite well after
blooming.

I found that basil flowers and flower buds are bitter, not as tasty
as the leaves. On the other hand, the flowers and buds of dill
(another annual) are at least as tasty as the leaves; dill seed is
often used as an herb.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/