Why does my basil keep flowering

Yes you can! They are great with tomatoes and can be used in sauces and salsas. You can still use basil leaves after the plant has flowered, but you may find that the flavor is reduced. No, basil will survive after flowering, however it is likely it will die as the temperatures drop during autumn and winter. Basil is an annual herb in all but the warmest climates. Do you have any other questions about flowering basil, or other uses for basil flowers that I have missed?

Leave them in the comments below…. Growing Herbs Preserving Herbs Cooking with herbs. Share this! Table of Contents. Some popular varieties of basil: sweet basil aka genovese basil Thai basil aka cinnamon basil holy basil aka tulsi lemon basil purple basil.

Basil plant in flower. Basil flowers attract pollinators. Can you eat basil flowers? Is basil still good after it flowers? Does basil die after flowering? Can you grow basil from the flowers?

Once basil flowers are spent the basil directs all its energy to producing seeds which you can collect to sow next year although different basil varieties can cross pollinate so there is no guarantee the seeds will be the same variety of basil to the one you are growing. Basil is an edible herb and the leaves are still safe to eat after flowering, although the taste of the leaves can be noticeable milder in taste or even bitter than the usual sweet aromatic taste of younger leaves.

The flowers and stems of basil are also safe to eat , however the stems often turn woody and the flavour is impaired, however the flowers have a mild and pleasant taste which are commonly eaten when scattered across salads as garnish or used in pesto.

If you are growing basil for culinary purposes it always best prune basil to prevent it flowering, or grow basil from seed in a timed succession sow basil seeds once every two weeks in the Spring so you have lots of plants with abundant leaves during the summer.

However a well pruned basil can produce tasty leaves all summer if it is watered properly and pruned diligently and remember the tender basil plants die off after the first frost so ensure you use all the leaves before it the plant dies in Winter.

Read my article to learn how to water basil plants properly and if your basil is beginning to wilt read my article for how to save basil plants that are wilting.

Pruning basil regularly , so that it does not exceed a height of around 8 inches is the best way to stimulate new growth of tasty basil leaves and to stop basil from flowering. If basil is pruned regularly the plant is not at risk of becoming leggy and drooping and also pruning the top leaves allows light to the lower leaves which creates a more bushy plant with more abundant leaves.

Pruning basil is easy and it does not require any equipment as you can simply pinch and stems off ready for cooking so that they stay fresh.

Best of all, they will make your salad look beautiful with just a sprinkle! Here is a quick recipe to make the best use of your basil flowers:. After opening the jar, drain it through a sieve into a clean glass bottle or oil container. Now you are ready to add this delicious condiment to any dish you desire!

If you prefer vinegar to your salads instead of oil, you can create basil flower vinegar following the same recipe. Just swap the extra virgin olive oil for white wine vinegar, and you are ready to go. As any Italian would tell you, the original recipe of Pesto Alla Genovese Genovese pesto does not include the flowers of the basil plant. However, wasting away such delicious ingredients would be a sin!

Instead, you can opt for adding them to your Pesto mix alongside basil leaves and some baby spinach. If you are cultivating your basil plant to make pesto, be aware that leaving it to flower fill reduces significantly the number of leaves you can harvest from it. So if you are not actually after a basil flower pesto, it is best to cut the buds off as soon as they sprout! Any basil lover knows and appreciates the high versatility of this herb, but not everybody is aware of how tasty its flowers could be!

A flowering basil plant is growing slower, so cutting the blossoms off improves the quality and quantity of its leaves. However, once you harvest the basil flowers, it would be a pity to let them go to waste!

Instead, add them to your salad, either fresh or dried, make homemade flavored oil or vinegar with them, or try out an alternative pesto recipe!

Does Basil Need Direct Sunlight. How to Grow Basil Plant Indoors. How to Clean Car Battery Terminals? Can You Compost Bones?