Basil Insists on Blooming. Pinch it!

Pinch off basil flowers to keep the plant  leafy and lush.

Keep pinching flowers from basil when they appear. In areas with a long growing season, you can refresh plants by trimming the tips and fertilizing with a fish emulsion or 20-20-20 diluted according to label directions.

If you let the plant flower, it tells itself, "I've fulfilled my life's purpose by making seed so I can just stop growing." So to continue a nice harvest until cold weather arrives--pinch, pinch, pinch! Put a few sprigs in a small vase to perfume the kitchen. Basil will turn brown at the first sign of frost. Consider making pesto and freezing it for ready access to that fresh basil flavor.