Once it warms up, the plant starts to produce fragrant, slightly peppery broad green leaves in a bushy growth pattern. It flourishes throughout the warm summer months; then at the end of summer or the first part of fall, it stops growing. At the end of its growth cycle , basil starts to produce flowers, which turn into seeds.
When a plant starts flowering it means that it is changing from growth mode to reproduction mode . This means that the plants energy is going into flowering rather than growing leaves, and so once basil blooms the leaves start to lose their flavor do not grow back as vigorously when harvested.
Pinching basil blooms back will allow all of the plant’s energy to stay focused on foliage production, creating a bushier plant with more leaves and maintaining higher levels of essential oils in the leaves. Leaving the flowers on basil plants tends to engender a straggly looking specimen with fewer leaves to harvest.
Does Basil die after it blooms?
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. Can you grow basil from the flowers?
One way to consider this is Basil produces flowers if they are not pruned regularly. The flowers and leaves are edible and safe to eat. The flowers heads produce seeds which can be collected and grown next years. Basil leaves often taste mild or bitter after flowering so pruning flower heads is important if you are growing basil leaves for culinary purposes.
Why is my basil plant flowering?
When your homegrown basil plant starts flowering it means that it is changing from growth mode to reproduction mode . This means that the plants energy is going into flowering rather than growing leaves, and so once basil blooms the leaves start to lose their flavor do not grow back as vigorously when harvested.
Why does my Basil have purple flowers?
Basil produces purple or white flowers during Summer, if it has not been pruned . Once basil has flowered the leaves and flowers are still edible but the taste is often milder or even bitter. Prevent basil from flowering by pruning the top leaves of the basil every 2 or 3 weeks throughout the Summer.
The hot, humid weather is sending my basil plants into overdrive, and they’re sending up stalks of purple flowers every day.
How do you know when Basil is ready to harvest?
Basil goes to flower when you’re least expecting it, so make sure you catch the buds before they actually turn into basil flowers . The more flowers you have, generally the more bitter the leaves become. If there are a lot of flowers, it might be a sign to you want to harvest the plants, save the seed, and grow some more basil.