I've grown African Blue a couple of times, and I think my plants have always been sterile -- no seeds to be found if I let the flower stems mature.

Some basils produce seeds much faster and more readily than others. It's hard to pinch lime basil often enough to keep it from flowering and going to seed, while others -- as you've found, Biyuwolf -- are slow to even form buds.

Yea --I have what I think could be a cinnamon and my pretty one flowering that may need trimming soon so I can get seeds

I'm hoping the small purples and all go to seed soon I think I'll need to give EVERYONE a large amount of milorganite hopefully that will help them get "there" quickly (I think ive mentioned im in zone 5 things are closing up soon enough to bug me)

Hmph - I have enough sunshine and heat to send some extra to you....

I have trouble keeping my Siam Queen pinched back--the flowers are so pretty. We grow it up at our demonstration herb beds at the 4H Fairgrounds, and that is the one plant everyone asks about.

There are usually a few new shoots/branches on 'Siam Queen' that I can pick for stir fry (as far as I can tell, only leaves on the branch that's actually budding/blooming taste bitter), so I mostly let it bloom away... it does have such big pretty flowerheads! There are some recent Thai basils that are grown really for their blooms, not so much for culinary use ('Magical Michael' is one).

last winter i mistakenly left one of my basil containers on the deck. i noticed the container after the first snow so i just left them there. when the spring came i noticed leaves coming out and beforel long i was picking basil again.
i didn't tink basil plants could survive the winter outdoors here.

What type of basil was that, Frank?

It probably self-seeded, dear - it's a Mediterranean plant.

Hope retirement is still going well, Frank!

Had Sweet (?) Basil and Cinnamon Basil last year. Don't cook with them, just like the look and smell. Hoping to get some reseeding. If not, big box store will have them.

Oops ... itchy trigger finger. Our BB stores already have them.

SongofJoy said:Oops ... itchy trigger finger. Our BB stores already have them.

So do ours. I always wished the herbs would come in bigger containers. I just bought some tiny pots to put by the sink in the kitchen and now the herbs at BB stores are 4 inches and I need the little 2" pots lol be careful what you wish for

Isn't that the way it goes.

Sigh, my seedlings have barely started their second set of leaves. Basil is soooooo slow to start!

I always direct sow basil. It grows like a weed.

Karen

Yeah, maybe where you live We're lucky to have it not freeze until mid-July

Yep. When I've tried it in a pot, it always fries.

Trust me, I never intend to live any farther north than my butt is planted right now. Farther south maybe... I hate the cold.

It was 78 here today and the air conditioning is on! The house was too hot to sleep last night and I couldn't stop sneezing. The trees are all blooming- Bradford pears, redbud, forsythia, magnolia...
it's beautiful.

Karen

good to know you direct seed yours Karen.. I will do some this year .. thanks

Hi Everyone, I just joined here and I love this site! Saw this thread about basils and couldn't help but jump in! I am a basil addict! Am growing as many different varieties as possible and the list is getting long! I believe so far to have 15 varieties and cannot wait to try them all with a slice of mozzarella on fresh italian bread.