Growing Basil

[Angelsfan]

Happy Sunday everyone. I made a TJ's run after the gym yesterday and picked up a really big basil plant. I did a search to see how to care for it (my husband tells me I have a "black" thumb instead of a green one). I had a question about what I read, it said:

"Harvest often. "The more you pick, the more you get," Gilbertie says. If your annual plants -- basil and cilantro -- flower and produce seeds, they'll quit growing leaves. Harvest them in the morning, when the herbs' oils are at their strongest. And clip the skins instead of plucking individual leaves off the plant."

What does "clip the skins" mean? It seems like it means that I cut the end of the leaf with scissors, leaving the small stem attached to the main branch.

I was also wondering if I could grow this plant in doors? If I did, would I just put it near a window? I can plant it outside because I live in So. CA., but I thought it would be nice to have a fresh herb smell in the kitchen.

TIA!

-Heather

[gertdog]

"Clip the skins" sounds like a typo to me- I'm thinking maybe they meant "Clip the stems" instead. Instead of taking off a leaf here or there, clip off a sprig or branch, cutting just above a spot where there are two leaf pairs. New stems will grow from that spot, helping your plant to become fuller and more productive.

You said it's a big plant- so if you have a place with plenty of direct sunlight and room for a large pot in the kitchen, it would probably grow there just fine.

[Angelsfan]

Thanks Gertdog!! I appreciate your response, and I will follow your advice, have a great week :) .

-Heather

[JenCooks]

I keep my Basil plants outside but I know several people who grow them inside as well. My own experience with "trimming" the plant is that there is no wrong way to do it. My husband accidentally ran part of it over with the lawn mover and it grew back within a few weeks - not that I recommend this method. :) The leaves on the outer part of the bush are more flavorful and are usually a deeper green so you know they are ready to be picked.

There are a lot of websites you can reference about growing and harvesting herbs. If you run into trouble I would look there.

I will send good Pesto thoughts your way!