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Pruning basil plants

6/24/2012

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Picture
I picked up a couple of basil plants on clearance at Walmart yesterday. Although they are a bit scraggly, I couldn't resist the price tag of $1.00. With a good trim and a little care, these plants will produce enough basil for my needs all summer. There must have been a reason why I forgot to purchase basil earlier this year!



                                        How to Prune Basil
  • Cut the plant back to the desired height with a sharp knife or garden scissors.
  • Make the cut 1/4 inch above a leaf node - the area where the leaf joins the stem.
  • Pinch out the center leaves on growing tips as soon as the basil has grown several inches. This forces new growth along the stem and creates dense, compact foliage. Repeat as necessary throughout the summer.

                                          Basil Flavored Oil

I haven't decided how I'm going to use the cuttings from the plants yet. I'm thinking of steeping the leaves in extra virgin olive oil to make flavored oil for cooking - but when its made with fresh herbs, the oil must be refrigerated and used within a few days. Fresh herbs in oil can pose the risk of botulism if stored longer than a few days. For long-lasting oils, herbs must be dried thoroughly before adding them to oil. You can learn more about making herbed oils in my article How to Make Herbed Oils.

                                     Herbed Butter with Basil
Another option, of course, is to make a simple herbed butter for use on french bread or to flavor pasta. This can be made from freshly chopped herbs - in this case basil - blended  into softened butter or margarine. I like to add minced garlic, too, but that is up to you. Once the mixture is complete, it can be frozen safely for winter use.

                                         Freezing Fresh Basil

Of course, I could simply chop the basil leaves and put them in ice cube trays filled with a little water. Once they are frozen, pop the cubes free of the tray and place them in a zip lock bag and keep them frozen. When you want the rich flavor of basil in your favorite recipe, simply drop a cube into the sauce and let it melt.


                                          Planting in the Rain
It looks like I'll be planting in the rain today - but that's not necessarily a bad thing. My new basil plants will get the water they need to get them off to a good start and I'll get some fresh basil, as well. Luckily, I'll be tucking these plants into a raised bed and don't need to worry about compacting the soil from stepping in the garden.


If you haven't planted basil yet, its not too late. This fast-growing herb will have plenty of time to mature in your garden this summer.


                                      Until Next Time . . . HAPPY GARDENING!






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  • Home
  • Garden Thyme Blog
  • Themes
    • Butterfly Gardens
    • Moon Gardens
    • Sensory Gardens
    • All About Fairies
  • Flowers
    • Annual Flowers >
      • Alyssum
      • Cosmos
      • Geraniums
      • Marigolds
      • Morning Glories
      • Nasturtiums
      • Petunias >
        • Reviving Petunias
      • Snapdragons
      • Sunflowers
      • Sweet Peas
      • Zinnias
    • Perennial Flowers >
      • Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Hortensia’)
      • Lupines
      • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea)
    • Maine Wildflowers
  • Veggies
    • Warm Season Vegetables >
      • Beans >
        • Growing Beans
        • Growing Pole Beans
        • How to Make a Teepee Trellis
      • About Corn >
        • Growing Corn
        • What is Baby Corn, anyway?
        • Can you grow corn in containers?
      • Cucumbers >
        • Grow a cucumber in a bottle
        • Growing Pickling Cucumbers
        • Growing cucamelons (Mexican Gherkin)
        • Why do cucumbers blossom but fail to set fruit?
        • Trellising Cucumbers
        • Making Cucumber Relish
        • Powdery Mildew on Cucumbers
      • Melons
      • Peppers >
        • Growing Peppers
      • Squash >
        • Growing Zucchini
        • Spaghetti Squash
      • Tomatoes >
        • How to Harden Off Tomato Plants
        • How (and when) to Prune Tomatoes
        • Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt) for Tomatoes
        • Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes
        • Growing Cherry Tomatoes in Hanging Baskets
        • 4 Best Tomatoes for Short Seasons - Early Tomatoes
        • 5 Early Maturing Tomatoes for Short Season Gardening
        • How to Ripen Green Tomatoes
        • How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes at Home
        • Grow Your Own Amazing Pomato Plant - Tomatoes on the Top and Potatoes on the Bottom
    • Cool Season Vegetables >
      • Cole Crops
      • Greens >
        • How to Grow Spinach
        • How to Grow Malabar Spinach
        • How to Grow Swiss Chard
        • Harvesting and Cooking Beet Greens
        • How to Grow Microgreens
      • Onions & Garlic >
        • How to Grow Garlic
        • How to Grow Onions
      • Peas >
        • Growing Garden (shelling) Peas
        • Growing Sugar Snap Peas
      • Potatoes >
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Containers
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Hay Bales
      • Root Crops >
        • Growing Beets
        • How to Grow Carrots
  • Herbs
    • Growing Basil
    • Growing Chives
    • Growing Lavender
    • Herbal Tea Garden
    • How to Grow a Culinary Herb Garden
    • How to Grow Herbs in Sponges
    • Colonial Herb Garden - Classroom Project
    • Herbed Butter
    • Making Herbed Oils
  • Gardening Basics
    • Seed Starting Basics
    • Grafting Basics
    • Soil >
      • Starting a New Garden
      • How to Prepare Soil
      • How to Test Soil Drainage
      • What Type of Soil Do You Have
      • Soil Mix Recipe for Containers
      • How to Make Compost Tea
      • How to Use Mulch
      • Control Blister Beetles
  • Birds
    • Hummingbirds >
      • DIY Hummingbird Feeders from Recycled Bottles
      • Annuals for Hummingbird Gardens
      • Perennials for Hummingbird Gardens
    • About Birdseed
    • Choosing a Birdfeeder
  • Fiddleheads and Fairies
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • How to Marinate Roasted Vegetables