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#1
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Keeping Basil
A few weeks ago, when I was concerned that we might have a frost here, I cut
several stems of basil & stuck them into a vase, thinking I could keep the basil relatively fresh until we could make pesto. Although we picked off some leaves, we hadn't pulled the stems themselves out of the vase, even when changing the water in the vase. We were surprised to see that the stems had rooted! (And these were cut stems, not whole plants.) So, today I cut more stems and put them in the vase with a little MiracleGro to see what happens. Has anyone else had any experience with something like this? I suppose basil is among the few tender herbs that would need the help Anne Lurie NE Raleigh |
#2
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Keeping Basil
Anne Lurie wrote:
We were surprised to see that the stems had rooted! (And these were cut stems, not whole plants.) So, today I cut more stems and put them in the vase with a little MiracleGro to see what happens. Has anyone else had any experience with something like this? I suppose basil is among the few tender herbs that would need the help Yes, I made the same discovery under the same circumstances a few years back when I lived in a Manhattan appartment. We could get these great bunches of basil at the stores up there, and I was just trying to save them for a while in a glass of water. Roots started sprouting in about a week's time. The basils are sort of related to the mints, I think, and you probably know how lively and hard to kill they are. I'll pass on another remarkable rooter I just discovered: These ornamental sweet potatoes you see all over. I am not kidding; they start showing roots in two days. I am trying to overwinter some in the garage so that I won't have to buy any next year. They make a pretty sturdy ground cover and are good in containers, too. |
#3
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Keeping Basil
I picked a little shoot off my Bride Eggplant, and it seems to be
getting a root. I plan to go out and cut them all off to root for next summer's garden! My basil, which I also have not had time to make into pesto, does not appear to be rooting (yet), and has been in a vase of water for about 4 days. Kira |
#4
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Keeping Basil
"MT Byers" wrote
I'll pass on another remarkable rooter I just discovered: These ornamental sweet potatoes you see all over. I am not kidding; they start showing roots in two days. I am trying to overwinter some in the garage so that I won't have to buy any next year. They make a pretty sturdy ground cover and are good in containers, too. yes, amazingly, i hacked ours back (1 plant larger than the footprint of a small car), and on my way to the compost, i dropped a piece. 2 weeks later i was walking down the path and saw it, remarkably it wasn't even wilted yet. i went to pick it up to put it in the compost, and it was attached to the ground. this was in a space of time with very little rain. the new kudzu? gena |
#5
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Keeping Basil
I'm curious as to the taste of your basil. I picked off some leaves on
my basil plant 2 weeks ago and the leaves tasted exceptionally bitter. My plant is a sweet basil, the kind normally used for pesto. Has anyone had the same experience? What can make basil extra bitter? I had assumed it was because I harvested the leaves so late in the season. TIA! Heidi Anne Lurie wrote: A few weeks ago, when I was concerned that we might have a frost here, I cut several stems of basil & stuck them into a vase, thinking I could keep the basil relatively fresh until we could make pesto. Although we picked off some leaves, we hadn't pulled the stems themselves out of the vase, even when changing the water in the vase. We were surprised to see that the stems had rooted! (And these were cut stems, not whole plants.) So, today I cut more stems and put them in the vase with a little MiracleGro to see what happens. Has anyone else had any experience with something like this? I suppose basil is among the few tender herbs that would need the help Anne Lurie NE Raleigh |
#6
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Keeping Basil
Heidi,
Unfortunately, I'm the wrong member of the family to ask about basil tasting bitter, as my hubby's the cook. BTW, it was Genovese basil, as I recall, rather than a "specialty" basil. However, your question triggered something in my mind [not quite enough for a real answer, alas........]? Do you pick the flowers off the basil? If so, did you do that during the summer, but stopped doing it this time of year? I think I read that lettuce gets bitter after it "bolts" (stalk grows more than leaves do because plant is trying to set seed?), and I wonder if the same might apply to basil. Or perhaps the lower temperatures have something to do with it? On a new note, has anyone here ever tried simply letting basil go to seed? (I assume it would eventually produce seed.) One year, I had a packet of basil seeds that I never got around to starting indoors. I noticed that the packet directions indicated that it could be sowed directly in the garden. Although I was skeptical, I figured I had nothing to lose, so I tried it. To my surprise, the directly-sowed basil not only germinated, it eventually overtook the plants I had put in as seedlings! Anne Lurie NE Raleigh "Heidi" wrote in message . com... I'm curious as to the taste of your basil. I picked off some leaves on my basil plant 2 weeks ago and the leaves tasted exceptionally bitter. My plant is a sweet basil, the kind normally used for pesto. Has anyone had the same experience? What can make basil extra bitter? I had assumed it was because I harvested the leaves so late in the season. TIA! Heidi |
#7
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Keeping Basil
Volunteer basil covers my garden every year.
Eileen Anne Lurie wrote: Heidi, Unfortunately, I'm the wrong member of the family to ask about basil tasting bitter, as my hubby's the cook. BTW, it was Genovese basil, as I recall, rather than a "specialty" basil. However, your question triggered something in my mind [not quite enough for a real answer, alas........]? Do you pick the flowers off the basil? If so, did you do that during the summer, but stopped doing it this time of year? I think I read that lettuce gets bitter after it "bolts" (stalk grows more than leaves do because plant is trying to set seed?), and I wonder if the same might apply to basil. Or perhaps the lower temperatures have something to do with it? On a new note, has anyone here ever tried simply letting basil go to seed? (I assume it would eventually produce seed.) One year, I had a packet of basil seeds that I never got around to starting indoors. I noticed that the packet directions indicated that it could be sowed directly in the garden. Although I was skeptical, I figured I had nothing to lose, so I tried it. To my surprise, the directly-sowed basil not only germinated, it eventually overtook the plants I had put in as seedlings! Anne Lurie NE Raleigh "Heidi" wrote in message . com... I'm curious as to the taste of your basil. I picked off some leaves on my basil plant 2 weeks ago and the leaves tasted exceptionally bitter. My plant is a sweet basil, the kind normally used for pesto. Has anyone had the same experience? What can make basil extra bitter? I had assumed it was because I harvested the leaves so late in the season. TIA! Heidi |
#8
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Keeping Basil
In article , Heidi
wrote: I'm curious as to the taste of your basil. I picked off some leaves on my basil plant 2 weeks ago and the leaves tasted exceptionally bitter. My plant is a sweet basil, the kind normally used for pesto. Has anyone had the same experience? What can make basil extra bitter? I had assumed it was because I harvested the leaves so late in the season. TIA! Heidi I have always noted that subsequent harvests of basil leaves taste more "harsh" than the first picking. The first pesto of the season is the sweetest and best, but that doesn't exactly halt production around here. I'm happy with whatever we get, and tend to add mint to the recipe to sweeten it. -j |
#9
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Keeping Basil
Anne, you are right! I had been picking the flowers off the basil
plants, but had stopped doing this in September. The plant was flowering when I picked the last leaves that had tasted so bitter. I bet that is why! Mint in pesto sounds like a great idea! I will try that next year! Have a great weekend everyone! Heidi Anne Lurie wrote: A few weeks ago, when I was concerned that we might have a frost here, I cut several stems of basil & stuck them into a vase, thinking I could keep the basil relatively fresh until we could make pesto. Although we picked off some leaves, we hadn't pulled the stems themselves out of the vase, even when changing the water in the vase. We were surprised to see that the stems had rooted! (And these were cut stems, not whole plants.) So, today I cut more stems and put them in the vase with a little MiracleGro to see what happens. Has anyone else had any experience with something like this? I suppose basil is among the few tender herbs that would need the help Anne Lurie NE Raleigh |
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