Keep Your Basil From Flowering to Save Your Plant, Gardeners Say

• Basil flowering takes energy from leaf production, causing leaves to become bitter and bad for cooking.
• Keep basil from flowering by pinching off any flowering bits to redirect energy to the leaves.
• Prune and pinch your plant regularly to keep it healthy, lush, and useful.

With the right love and care for a basil plant, it’s not long before you have the main ingredients for delicious culinary recipes and a wonderfully bright addition to your herb garden. But trouble could be brewing if your basil plant grows too far.

When flowers appear on a basil plant, it’s best to get rid of them and stop them from continuously blooming. But why is it important to keep your basil from flowering? Here’s what the experts say happens, and what to do if your plant has already flowered.

Why Keep Basil From Flowering?

Although there are over a dozen different types of basil out there, you’ll find that it’s better to prevent most from flowering. Flowers can range from white to purple and while they might look nice, this impacts the flavor.

“If left to bloom, the plant will redirect its energy toward producing seeds rather than growing new leaves,” says master gardener Adam Weiss. “This can cause the plant to slow or stop leaf production, making the existing leaves tough and bitter.”

Bitter basil defeats the purpose of an herb garden as the leaves become unusable in cooking. The best way to stop this is to prevent basil from flowering. Simply pinch off any flowers or buds to continue redirecting energy to the leaves.

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What Happens If Basil Flowers

If basil flowers, it becomes more bitter. That’s why pruning basil is a large part of the care requirements for this plant. Have a pair or scissors or shears at the ready to collect leaves and nip anything in the bud before it blooms.

“By pinching off the flower buds as soon as you see them, you encourage the plant to keep producing fresh, tender leaves instead of going into reproduction mode, often called bolting,” says certified garden coach Sara Rubens.

By making use of your basil plant, you’re also supporting its health and growth. So don’t be shy about snipping off leaves for your projects.

“Regularly harvesting basil and removing the top few sets of leaves (including any flower buds) also keeps the plant bushy and vigorous,” explains Rubens. “It promotes branching, which leads to a fuller, more productive plant.”

What to Do If Your Basil Already Flowered

Don’t worry if your basil has already flowered, you have a few choices to prevent more bitter leaves.

“You can still pinch off the blooms and harvest, but the flavor might not be as sweet or intense as it was before,” says Rubens.

As for any other plants? Keep a watchful eye and stay on top of pruning to avoid losing out on the tastiest flavor. However, you don’t have to remove or cut back the ones that have flowered either.

“If you’re growing multiple basil plants, you can choose to let a few flowers remain, which will help attract bees and other beneficial pollinators to your garden,” says Weiss. “You can then use those flowers to create basil-infused oils and vinegars.”

Other Basil Care Tips

If you’re new to growing basil or are after a few extra care tips, here’s what to know:

• Transplant your basil outside at the right time. Weiss says to start it by seed indoors, then move seedlings outdoors once it starts hitting 70°F outside, where they should be spaced 8-10 inches apart.
• Grow companion plants for basil like asparagus, tomatoes, and chamomile nearby to keep pests at bay and boost the flavor.
• Don’t forget about a good fertilizer. “Periodically use a nitrogen-based fertilizer on your basil plants to stimulate healthy leaf development,” says Weiss.
• Create a regular pruning cadence to prevent blooming and create a plant that’s more voluminous.