A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 flowers on my basil

I've always been under the impression that I should pinch off the top of the basil plants when they begin to flower. Is this true? What harm do the flowers do? is it OK if I leave them? they are attracting bees - is this a good or bad thing? (surely it's good??!)

Sorry for all the questions! Thanks for any help.

i usually let one of them go to flower later in the season. the little white flowers are edible! they are particularly good on top of tomato soup! my kids LOVE to pick them off and just eat them. anyhow- after the flowers are gone you can let the stalk dry out and where each flower was there will be 4 little seeds. save them for next year.

The basil slows down after it flowers, dead head it if you want it to make more leaves for your culinary needs.

I deadhead mine this time of year to make it more bushy. Later in season I will let it flower.

Pagarden, that's a neat idea-the basil flowers as a garnish.
My basil is about 2 feet tall now.
I didn't know that about the 4 seeds either.
Thanks !

I've always been told that if they go to seed they will die shortly after that. I have one that is doing that now. the other three I keep pinched back so they will continue to grow. when I want to make additional plants I use cuttings because they are so easy to root.

Like others, I pinch mine back to get a fuller plant and then let it go to flower and then seed late int eh season so I have seeds for the next season and trading.

the reason a plant flowers is to preserve itself in a new generation. How, it makes seeds for the next yr. A lot of plants make flowers for different reasons. In flowers and some herbs, to perseve itself for making new plants for next yr., via seeds. Once they make seeds, they taper off growing. Tomatoes and fruit trees and some other plants are making flowers to make fruit. So if you want to have your herbs or flowers keep growing, and not going to sleep, saying I have done what I was planted to do, that is make seeds. Then remove the flowers on herbs and on flowers deadhead after they flower.
Darlene

on the purple basils if you keep the flowers pinched off they will retain their purple coloring and if you let them flower...you get your seeds,but will get the greenish purple casting as the color will change then.There is ONE purple basil that when flowers does not change leaf color& I'd have to find my richters catlog to know which one.

I have my lime basil in flower now& I just love it!It was the only scented basil that grew for me and then was just one seed.Its good in ice water.

I have a pretty little basil called cinnamon basil that's blooming right now. The flowers are like tiny purple orchids.
Dunno why it's called cinnamon - it smells exactly like licorice.