Sweet Basil

[Jimmy]

My sweet basil looks like it is about to bloom or go to see or something. Should I let it go or pinch out the top or what?

[Penelope Periwinkle]

Pinch it back so it will keep growing.

Penelope

[freemont]

Don't let it bloom. The blooms will suck all the flavor out of the leaves. Plus they're ugly anyway. You'll have a bushier, greener, happier plant.

[OmManiPadmeOmelet]

Pinch the blooms off or the plant will bolt and die...

[fanbball]

[fanbball]

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?

[fanbball]

fanbball wrote: tried growing basil this year. tried making pesto and it was great. not sure but will the leaves grow back? also, bought two different types of plants. one had broad leaves and the other had tiny little leaves. does anyone know what the second plant is for?

[OmManiPadmeOmelet]

I just grow plain sweet basil, so I'm not sure. :-)

But, basil is an annual. It will die and need to be re-planted yearly. I've started keeping some in the greenhouse over the winter in pots. It's good for a variety of recipes! Even just as is in sandwiches. :-d

[Penelope Periwinkle]

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

[fanbball]

thanks penelope. and i was ready to throw it away because it didn't look like the typical basil. I'll have to give it a try in pesto as well. do you have any other ways you use basil?

[Deuteros]

"fanbball" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

It's good on a sandwich with buffalo mozzarella cheese, prosciutto, and a slice of tomato with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar sprinkled on it.

[Jim Carlock]

"fanbball" asked:

It's also makes tea smell really good and adds a nice aroma to any area. Supposedly it helps keeps flies and mosquitoes away from things although some folks indicate that it doesn't work against mosquitoes so at least getting rid of flies offers some benefits. The bad thing is that once it's on your hands it might get hard to pick up another plant and smell the other plant (flower).

-- Jim Carlock Post replies to the group.

[William L. Rose]

Not to worry about flowers or seed pods. They seem to have a lot of the flavor that you are looking for in basil, if you are making pesto. I usually pick them first and then fill in with whatever leaves I need to fill my blender halfway.

Just a note: blending the leaves is a heck of a lot easier if you chop them up a little first. Do this just before they go into the blender.

The other delight with basil is bruschetta Any bread will do but I prefer baguettes, toast one side of the bread, rub it with garlic, drizzel with olive oil, cover with basil, cover with coins of tomatoes, sprinkle with parmesan, and broil until cheese starts to brown. Serve with green salad and you have the reason why you garden for a simple, healthy summer meal.

[nicsdad]

hi . sow mine in 3in pots every 2 weeks in the greenhouse. i stan them in a shallow tray of water because they will dry out quickly.

Try ciabatta bread,garlic rub,olive oil,toms and mozzarlla cheese. ver tasty! olive ciabatta is better than sun dried tomat

-- nicsdad

[William L. Rose]

I've grown them both ways but I think I'm back to pots: big pots. I've grown free range basil but they never produce like they do in pots. My starter plants developed a wilt in the ground. This year they are back in pots, where my wife has always wanted them and they are doing wonderfully, i.e. big and bushy. I think it because the soil warms up more quickly. I'll just keep quiet and eat the basil. Speaking of eating. Do you put basil on your ciabatta bread whatchamacallit?

[nicsdad]

Sorry william fresh basil maen ingredant forget me ead nex

-- nicsdad

[nicsdad]

Sorry william fresh basil main ingredant forget me ead nex

-- nicsdad