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Basil recipe ideas
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<blockquote data-quote="Marguerite" data-source="post: 183155" data-attributes="member: 1991"><p>Basil is an annual, it also likes to die down at the end of summer when it gets cold. If you have it in a sunny, warm spot (and keep the water up to it) you can keep it going longer. But soon you will lose it. Don't take it personally.</p><p></p><p>When pinching it back to stop it flowering, try to allow two pairs of leaves between cuts. As the plant gets more desperate to flower, you will notice it trying to set more flowers at almost every new shoot.</p><p></p><p>You pinch it back, and the next two buds (one on each side just above and at the level of the pair of leaves next down from the cut point) will begin to shoot. You have removed the terminal shoot which, when presents, secretes a hormone inhibiting side growth. Remove the end shoot and the inhibition is gone, and two shoots will form to replace the one you cut.</p><p></p><p>As the plant gets old but still grows vigourously at the end of summer, it begins to feel like the broomstick in "Sorcerer's Apprentice" with two shoots replacing each one you cut, until you have a single plant that can be covered in shoots all trying to flower.</p><p></p><p>Once a flower develops fully to the point where the flowers are beginning to fall because they're done, let it finish setting seed. When the stems are dry carefully pick the flower heads and put them into a container. You should get about three seeds to every tiny flower on the flower head (which is in reality a terminal stem covered in about 20 or 30 tiny flowers).</p><p></p><p>Next spring, sow the seeds once you're past the frosts and you have warm soil. If you can, sow them near the tomatoes.</p><p></p><p>Marg</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Marguerite, post: 183155, member: 1991"] Basil is an annual, it also likes to die down at the end of summer when it gets cold. If you have it in a sunny, warm spot (and keep the water up to it) you can keep it going longer. But soon you will lose it. Don't take it personally. When pinching it back to stop it flowering, try to allow two pairs of leaves between cuts. As the plant gets more desperate to flower, you will notice it trying to set more flowers at almost every new shoot. You pinch it back, and the next two buds (one on each side just above and at the level of the pair of leaves next down from the cut point) will begin to shoot. You have removed the terminal shoot which, when presents, secretes a hormone inhibiting side growth. Remove the end shoot and the inhibition is gone, and two shoots will form to replace the one you cut. As the plant gets old but still grows vigourously at the end of summer, it begins to feel like the broomstick in "Sorcerer's Apprentice" with two shoots replacing each one you cut, until you have a single plant that can be covered in shoots all trying to flower. Once a flower develops fully to the point where the flowers are beginning to fall because they're done, let it finish setting seed. When the stems are dry carefully pick the flower heads and put them into a container. You should get about three seeds to every tiny flower on the flower head (which is in reality a terminal stem covered in about 20 or 30 tiny flowers). Next spring, sow the seeds once you're past the frosts and you have warm soil. If you can, sow them near the tomatoes. Marg [/QUOTE]
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