[Ouichef!]

i was wondering if once basil flowers do you have to pull it and plant another? is it the end of its cycle?
or can you trim and keep the mother plant

[phatch]

The flavor is generally believed to decrease once the plant flowers as the plant is putting it's growth into that process rather than more leaves.

You'll be fine trimming off blooms as they form and enjoying the plant's flavor.

Phil

[Pinot]

Pinch out the flower buds as they appear and you can prolong the useable life of your plant. Once flowering the flavour tends to become more bitter and pungent , but can be useful all the same.

[mudbug]

Originally Posted by Ouichef!

i was wondering if once basil flowers do you have to pull it and plant another? is it the end of its cycle?
or can you trim and keep the mother plant

The general rule of thumb for harvesting herb plants is that you can harvest up to 1/3 of the plant. With basil, harvest once or twice a week and you'll have a huge basil plant waist high 3-4 feet wide by the end of the summer.

A plant's goal in life is to propagate. Yes, once basil bolts (goes to seed) the stem will get woody and it will stop producing leaves when the seeds are ready.