my basil is starting to flower. I pinch off the flowers when I see them. I've been collecting leaves 2 or 3 times a week, but now that it's trying to flower should I just cut all of it?
The weather is too hot for the Basil at this point and it has Bolted....meaning it has gone from growing to putting out seed, that is why it is flowering. Picking off the flowers won't help but you could just leave it in the garden and enjoy the flowers and let the seeds fall to the ground. Maybe they will germinate next spring.
sooooo do I harvest all of it or is it trash? seems to taste fine. it's only started to flower a few days ago. probably because of the heatwave last week, it was like 100oF one day!
cut it back by 1/2. give it some fertilizer and if you have a bit of shade for respite if it is in full sun it just may surprise you with a nice Fall plant. My genovese has been cut back several times already. you might want to try the new variety called Everleaf. it is a very compact plant slow to bold and has a really nice basil smell. Some basil just smells like licorice to me.
I harvest the tops of my basil and if they are going into flower, I harvest it the same. If you don’t cut the tops then your Basil will flower and die. You can cut a lot off your basil plant just like Carolyn said.
I cut the basil down a lot, more the 50% made pesto, and threw in a bit of hot pepper for a little extra kick. and I have loads of dry'ed basil too. hopefully, the basil plants recover and I can get another patch of pesto. good stuff. definitely going to grow basil again next year!