How To Prevent Basil from Bolting to Seed
Durring the heat of the summer Basil will continually attempt to bolt to seed. Once seeds have developed the flavor of the leaves diminishes greatly. Here is how to prevent it.
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Cut stems at first sign of flowering
Basil flowers form a large bud compared to plant size, which makes it very easy to tell when flowers are about to develop. At first sign of flower development cut the stem about 1” directly bellow the developing flower.
Harvest top 1/3 of each stem
After first sign of flower development it is time to harvest the top 1/3 of each stem. This practice will cause the plant to revert back to growth mode and get out of flowering mode for a short period of time.
Harvest leaves often
If the plant is prevented from developing flowers it will grow rather rapidly. Because of this rapid growth the leaves should be harvested frequently. The frequent harvest will also encourage even more rapid growth!
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I’ve been doing this with my chinese basil plants and I let them bolt only when I want seeds. Thanks for the tips.
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July 31st, 2009 at 3:11 am
@momgateway,
I tend to not worry about seed. I just use cuttings from the basil for next year and keep the plant going indoors during the coldest part of the season. It does not grow much, but it does keep my favorite herb alive and well!
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On the other hand…
I always let at least some of the basil flower. These flowers attract a lot of butterflies and bees and these insects may also pollinate your other veggies.
Once a plant has gone to seed, I use it for pesto where it’s mixed with other ingredients and its bitterness is not noticeable.
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September 7th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
@Ginny Stibolt,
Great recommendations, thanks for your input!
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Great tips on preventing basil from bolting. Basil is probably my favorite herb (rosemary is a very close second), and bolting is something that I have a hard time keeping up with at times. I will definitely try this method this upcoming season!
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I am surprised no one touched on the location of the basil plant/s. Majority of plants need from 12-14 hours each day of intense lighting to flower & to continue to produce flowers. I simply keep most of my basil in very filtered light areas and a few in full sun to allow to flower for seeds. They still try to flower but nothing like if in full sun. The leaves are more aromatic when not flowering but early in the flowering, I cook the flower pods as well (white seeds inside the pods).
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