how to keep basil from bolting?
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gardenlen
11 years agodigdirt2
11 years agoRelated Discussions
Help! My Basil is bolting too soon!
Comments (13)At a farmer's market once I watched a guy who was selling his homemade pesto. He was picking leaves off his (harvested) basil plants. They were all waaaay bolted with long flower stalks. I figure it must not adversely affect the flavor if he, as a professional basil grower, let his basil do that. I just keep mine cut back, as everyone says above. Didn't know about rooting the cuttings -- great idea!...See Morebasil bolting already
Comments (9)Hebolistic, there may be little change in flavor but the stems will become woody and stringy when those flowers open. Up until that time the buds are excellent for pesto, etc. One Restaurant chef/owner chastised me for over an hour about how basil should be picked. I listened well since he had previously purchased hundreds of pounds of tips from me. If when you break off the tip it strings along the stem then you need to rebreak higher on that stem. Try chopping the lower stem sections in a blender. It will make a stringy mess that nobody will want for pesto. Dry weather will affect amount of usable tip more than anything else. Although basil loves heat it needs soil moisture to produce lush new growth. Unopened buds are great to use for pesto, etc. They actually makeup a large portion of the usable tip weight. But once those flowers open all you can do with those tips is attract bees and beetles....See MoreHow do you keep onions from bolting?
Comments (0)To help keep your onions from bolting, we suggest protecting your onions from environmental stresses. Make sure you keep your onions adequately watered during the hot summer months and protected from any early season cold spells. Hot dry weather in summer or a cold snap early in the season can force mature onions to begin to set flower much earlier than plants not under stress. If your onions start to bolt, be sure to cut the flowers back as soon as possible....See MoreHow to Prevent Basil from Bolting?
Comments (8)Basil will bolt prematurely for various reasons but it's generally the result of some form of stress. Having too little space in a container is one. Were yours in a container? In the ground? Sown in situ? Transplanted? Watered sufficiently?...See MoreMrClint
11 years agoOhiofem 6a/5b Southwest Ohio
11 years agoOhiofem 6a/5b Southwest Ohio
11 years agodigdirt2
11 years agojulia42
11 years agoAiliDeSpain
11 years agojulia42
11 years agoEdymnion
11 years agoloriash
11 years agoweedlady
11 years agoloriash
11 years agoweedlady
11 years ago
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