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Basil Bedlam

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  • 25-08-2009 3:16pm
    #1
    PDD
    Registered Users Posts: 1,019 ✭✭✭


    Hi Folks,

    I bought a small basil herb plant from my local garden center and transplanted it into a dish and tray to sit on my windowsill and give it some room to grow. The only problem is now its growing widly but I can't find any information on how to cut it back without taking too much off.

    It has trailers that are drooping down over the windowsill and then starting to grow up straight, is this how Basil grows rather than growing straight up?

    I also read that once Basil has flowered (mine seems to have little white flowers on it) that it is no use for havesting for cooking as the taste of the leaves changes.

    If anyone has a basil plant or herb garden any feedback & help would be appreciated.

    Regards,

    Dave


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    #2
    The Sweeper
    Registered Users Posts: 10,658 ✭✭✭✭The Sweeper


    Basil is an annual so it'll die off every year anyway - best thing is to keep it lush as long as possible by pinching off the white flowering tips. When you have a huge crop, make basil pesto (basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, olive oil, little salt, blender) and freeze it in single-portion bags - otherwise use it widely in summer and in winter, look forward to its return!


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    #3
    PDD
    Registered Users Posts: 1,019 ✭✭✭PDD


    @ Sweeper - Cheers for the feedback, when you say its annual and will die off every year will it come back again or will I have to buy new seeds? It is very lush now and way too big for where I have it, how much of the leaves can I harvest and how far back can I prune it before it dies?

    I think I've left it too long as the white flowering tips are now about 6-8inches long with white flowers sets every inch or so. Do these contain seeds and if so can I harvest these to grow basil next year? Given how much flower is on the plant should I bother to harvest the leaves as the taste of them will have changed?


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