i have a basil plant ,theyve flowered & i cut them back. is the plant still good? will it go bad ,keeps growin

Question

its was started by seed in summer, has benn indoor plant from beginng .my fiance said after it flowers the basil is no good cause it looses its potency is it true. the plant is still growing and healthy

Answer 1

As long as you cut the flowers before they seed you'll be alright. Once basil seeds it does lose it's potancy,and will die.

Answer 2

1. Your plant's natural tendency is to reproduce itself - therefore it will try to make flowers, and thus, seeds.
2. If you pinch off the flowers, the plant will have the energy to grow more leaves - which, of course, is the usual use.
3. Your plant can be made to last until it freezes, if you keep it outside, although as it gets less heat and light, it will grow more slowly.
4. Basil is an annual. It will only grow once, then it will die.
5. It's really easy to plant from seed, but if your house is relatively warm, start them in February or March so that the plant is a decent size quickly.
6. Harvesting the plant encourages it to grow - so pick as much as you want! Believe me, that plant will recover faster than you can eat it, even if you eat it every day, all day.

Answer 3

Well it's simply not true, while a flowering in all plants diverts energy from foliage and other growth, it does not harm the plant, tomatoes don't lose their flavor because of fruit that came before, right?

I let my flowers dry on the plant to ensure fully matured seeds for sharing and planting, you may want to repot over the winter as it's growth will slow, careful not to over trim! though a good trim will help encourage rapid new growth at the capilaries or those little mini leaves that grow at the base of older leaves. though, over watering, similar to tomatoes can dilute the flavor a bit, but not necesarily enough to matter.

without the propper soil replanting, the plant may become meely and scraggly. I did some of my own experiments over the summer and the difference was incredible. good luck and feel free to shoot me a YIM with any further questions.

Answer 4

honey, grab a paper bag and pull off the leaves where four leaves make a cross --two tiny leaves growing in, and the bigger ones.
PICK the bigger ones, and wash and towel dry them-VERY well!
Throw in a paper bag till they dry really well, not very long (2 or 3 days).
Chop them up for your pastas and sandwiches and sauces!
OR chop and put in your OWN shaker!
OR cut them as you need them for pasta--fresh basil. NOT TOO MUCH--IT IS VERY POTENT!!

ALSO, I get those pods --after they have been flowers, and pull on them to strip them and let them dry and throw the seeds in an envelope to share with people. Actually, I throw the whole thing in there, that is, the whole pod.
Basil is so easy to grow!

Answer 5

just keep pinching off the flowers. This should make the plant
"bushy" . Use the bigger leaves for cooking

Answer 6

if the plant is green and upright then there is nothing wrong with it. cutting it back to a certain extent won't kill it. that will allow for new growth. the ''potency'' shouldn't change. it's still the same plant.

Answer 7

potency? i hope that you are not smokin' it. basil is used for it's flavor right? well, just smell or taste it...if it's got it, it's got it, and you fiance is full of crap and you should terminate the engagement.lol

Answer 8

if you remove the blossoms it will keep growing but will try to bloom again so keep an Eye on it
if it blooms out it will soon die

Answer 9

It will still grow...............