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Flowering Basil

16 years ago

My sweet basil plants have sent up long flowering stalks. It's been a busy summer so I didn't keep them cut back like I should have. Does this mean the flavor of the basil has gone by? Are the plants still worth harvesting a few leaves here and there, or are they done for the season now that they've flowered?

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Comments (2)

perennial_gardener_2
16 years ago
there still should be lots of flavour. cut them back to the next node below the flower, and you should get new shoots, with new leaves.
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
16 years ago
My experience has been that once the basil begins to flower (due to daylength), no amount of pruning will turn back the clock. I just get flowers on shorter plants, lol! You be the judge of the flavor, though. You should still have plenty of time yet to harvest some nice basil.

This is the time of year when the bees (and the other pollinators) get to enjoy the basil!
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