• Everything other than hot peppers. Questions, discussion, and grow logs. Cannabis grow pics are only allowed when posted from a legal juridstiction.

Pinching Basil Buds---

PepperDaddler

PepperDaddler

---On an 8 inch, one or two month old plant.
 
It is definitely not full maturity and I don't think it is bolting, just trying to make some flowers too early. I grew last year and know when they should be flowering. Not Now.
 
Should I pinch ( I have been ) to promote growth? Every time I do it just tries to flower in another spot and doesn't really get any bigger.
 
Temps have been high until recently, with lots of rain in the past few days, only affecting the temps for the plant ( it is under a porch canopy. )
 
Advice is appreciated.
 
 
 
Damn you're quick!
 
Last year I had about twenty to a pot, so that could have affected it, but they still got huge and waited a few more months.
 
These are volunteers I have one to a pot. I still think it is too early. I may post a pic in a sec...Hold on.
 
Basil I pinch all the time, because I use it all the time. Harvest from top down, and the plants grow back in a insane speed, with more leafs and thicker stem.... basils are truly amazing
 
I pinch all season.  I already have enough pesto in the freezer and dried basil for the year.  I am pretty aggressive with my harvesting.  I would say I end up almost taking half the plant every two weeks.
 
I'm with the others.  I pinch it frequently and when it really starts to bolt I'll cut it way back and usually get another flush of leaves.
 
Not sure about the habits of sweet Basil, but Thai Basil tends to just grow in a single straight stalk. If you pinch the apical growth it will fork. Keep doing that and eventually you get a big robust bush. I pinch the early buds if for no other reason than to promote more leaf growth, but once it gets really hot there is no way to keep up. I would have to stand out there all day pinching buds!
 
I have 7 sweet basil plants in a large urn. I harvest 2X weekly or it gets totally out of control. Pinch those flowers/buds off the top everytime you see them. Harvest the majority of leaves, leaving enough leaves to produce energy for more growth. I like to take the biggest and leave the smallest leaves on the plant. Basil is very resistant to insects and disease. It rocks. High in antioxidents. Good for your soul.
 
Sorry I took so long on the pics. Got drunk yesterday.
 
So harvest from top down? That makes it seem like it would have bush on the bottom, bush on top after it has new growth, and a stick in the middle. Last year I took a little every now and then, but it was hard for me to do because I liked the way they looked so much.
 
Here are the plants, the dark spots form one minute after pinching:
 

 

 


 
 
 
A little small to be flowering already right?
 
Good idea. I just left all mine on last year for that reason. I also liked the flowers. Had some Red Rubin with purple flowers. They liked that.
 
Here are the plants from last year. They actually got a lot bigger.First pic is actually tomatillo but this is about how the basil looked with a lot of plants on one pot like I mentioned:
 

 

 

 
 
I don't harvest individual leaves, I pinch off small lengths of stalk then separate the leaves after. If you pull just a leaf will it make new growth in that spot?
 
I have a Thai basil plant that is young. It just started to grow a couple of those purple colored flower buds.
 
I cut them off because I was told that if you let them grow into flowers, it will make the leaves taste bitter.
 
Cut them off as soon as they appear.
 
cut from the top (and yes not just a single leaf) down and make sure you keep an eye out for leaf miners. My basil always seems to get a bout of them at one point of the year or another (common around here from what I hear). Pinch all year for best growth.
 
Bushy basil is good basil. If you plant a bunch together like you did last year (I plant 5 per root cube) it is great to do a little LST when it is young. It really helps some of the slow starters get a chance. I just harvested some basil leaves that were almost the size of a dollar bill =)
 
Gotta love this plant. I got purple basil germination as of this morning. Only 2 days to germ!
 
PepperDaddler said:
LST?
Click to expand...
Low Stress Training

Basically, you tie down the growing tips of each branch to the side of the pot, you will get several new branches that will start and you get a bushier plant.
Topping and pinching does the same thing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top