Topic: Still Plenty of Time for Basil
Gary
Location: Washington, Puget Sound CorridorPosted: Jun-30-2004 at 4:18am
This article from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) comes via a link in the Seattle Times today.
Besides the text, the lead photo is a must see, do so at:
RHS on Basil
The Sea Times article is at:
Give your basil a pinch
The advice on warm weather is certainly valid. I just put in my first transplants yesterday. Only 5 June's in the previous 30 were as warm (aver. max temp) in Olympia
as our 2003/04 June's. I base my July 1 transplanting goal on why risk the disease, etc. and who needs basil before the tomatoes are ripe any way.
If you keep up the pinching your plants will last until fall and get larger and bushier than I ever imagined until I learned better.
I prefer the Sweet Genovase (maybe spelled a little different) also and if I don't get my own started there is a vendor at the Farmer's Market from the Skok Valley near Shelton that sells beautiful plants every year in 4" pots for $1 each (incl. tax w/ discounts on larger orders). Their plants were ready for their first pinching and you couldn't imagine a better root ball; just enough to hold the soil together and no more.
Gary
Olympia
Sunset Zone 5, USDA Zone 8
growsherown
Location: Olympic Peninsula
Posted:Jul-02-2004 at 9:09am
Great post, Gary!
I was worried about my basil, but it seems to have really perked up! I never thought of pinching it before, so I think I'll try that.
I currently have 4 different varieties....Sweet, Red Rubin, an unidentified purple, and an amazing African Blue thats already over a foot tall!
My question is regarding pinching. The African Blue and the Red Rubin (about 10" tall) have bloomed and are about finished w/ that, so is it OK for me to pinch the spent blooms off? Will it keep growing and bushing out if I do? I noticed one of the Sweet basil plants (not in bloom) was chewed off about half way down by some hungry critter, and was shocked for a spell, but now it seems to have 2 or 3 tops on it! Will this happen if I pinch the blooms off the other 2 forementioned?
I really dont want to lose the African Blue, and would LOVE for it to keep growing. The fragrance is so intense, when I water it, the sprinkler hits it and the scent overtakes the entire backyard! YUMMY!
Also, I was very interested in the Cinnamon Basil too! I saw them at the market when we went and meant to pick one up, but blonded it. Is it too late to get one in?
Thanks........
Gary
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posted:Jul-02-2004 at 10:56am
I try to start pinching by the time the plant is 6" tall. My all means pinch your blossom and maybe at a leaf junction lower. I have found if you let it bloom, it decides life is over and bolts. There are some good articles in the Kitchen Gardener. I'll look them up and let you know which issues.
Gary
Olympia
Sunset Zone 5, USDA Zone 8
cjmiller
Location: Oregon, Willamette Valley
Posted:Jul-05-2004 at 10:01am
A college friend worked one summer on an herb farm and when we went to visit him, he was on a tractor, topping the basil plants with harvesters riding on a trailor, bundling the basil--it was the first harvest. that was my introduction to "pinching back" basil. I have had incredible luck by growing basil in the center of cement blocks--they love the heat. The roots go down beyond the second layer of blocks and by fall, the main stem is as big around as your index finger.
Carol
Gary
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posted:Jul-05-2004 at 11:59am
The two Kitchen Gardener articles are not online but their sister pub, Fine Gardening, has this article at:
Basil Basics
Gary
Olympia
Sunset Zone 5, USDA Zone 8
Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
By co-authors Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners) and Wendy Tweton