Basil (Ocimum basilicum)

[Durgan]

Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?XNCYP 1 July 2008 Basil (Ocimum basilicum)

Basil with its aroma and flavor, is one of the most popular and widely grown herbs in the world. There are four plants in the garden. The flowering buds should be pinched off to encourage the plant to bush. A plant gets quite large at the end of the season.

http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?EQUPB 20 July 2008 Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
The four plants are producing more than can be utilized.

[B_BQ]

Durgan:
You could pick 80% of it now and make it into a basil pesto, freeze into individual ice cube trays, (then bag), and put it into the freezer Wonderful to add to soups, stews, casseroles, in the dead of winter!
You would still have some left to pick and use fresh until the end of the season. Then, whatever is still growing can be made into more pesto for freezing!
~BBQ

[LinkCrim]

I'm having problems with some bug eating the leaves of my basil...some leaves are yellowing, what should I do? I can't find the bug, and I don't see any droppings.

[dj_backq]

Linkcrim, are they eating smale holes or chunks of leaves? I'm having still problem also. If it's holes, it might be japanese beetle or even earwigs. If it's chunks it might by slug, snails ot caterpillars. I tried a garlic spray and it worked (or maybe they just stopped). I also have setup traps for slugs and earwigs (container with top edge at soil level filled with water, bread yeast, soya sauce, dishwashing soap or insect soap)

If your plants are advanced enough, you could pick all the leaves that are ready and make a batch of pesto for freezing. You can also chop them up, mix with a little bit of oil and freeze them this way.

[Surly]

I have way more than I can use too! The plants were doing horribly in containers but are growing like weeds since I replanted in the garden. I have reg basil, lemon basil and purple basil. The reg basil plants are gi-normous now.

I really should take the time to do what BBQ suggests.

[butterfly]

Mine is ready to pick

I put it in plastic zip lock bags and freeze it

Then when I want some, I crush the bags between my palms

Open the bag and sprinkle what I want then zip it back up and pop it into the freezer again til next time

I tried drying it and I find the flavor is stronger and nicer after frozen

Tastes just as fresh as I just picked it

I do that with all my herbs, freeze it all

[Surly]

VERY good idea! Thanks.

[isabelbrinck]

I'm so jealous of Durgan's basil!

Mine is in containers, fairly deep planters, with a sandy soil for good drainage.... but they haven't grown much and they are yellowing. This last tragedy I was thinking of attributing to the excessive rain we've had in Montreal (at the end of this weekend, it will be 85% more than normal, according to the CBC).
Pooh!
Here is a pic I took when I first planted them. They are actually looking WORSE now.

[Surly]

I had zero luck with the basil in containers but it's growin like stink in the ground.

I apologize for the quality of the photo. I blew up a full garden shot and cropped it. I'll try to remember to go out tomorrow and take a better one.

[Northpine]

Ok, I was inspired by the basil talk both here on in another post about freezing pesto. Usually I end up wasting it because it's ready long before the tomatoes are producing, so freezing it is a great idea.

I've chopped some of the large leaf basil up with olive oil to freeze, but now I'm wondering what to do with the purple leaf basil. Do you use it the same way? I also have a small leaf type. I grew a seed mixture, so I'm not sure what specific varieties I have. They are all in containers and doing very well.

I'm having the opposite results reported here. Mine are doing better in containers!