What to do when basil and rosemary plants flower?

do I need to prune them?...thanks for your answers

What to do when basil and rosemary plants flower?
Pruning any plant will make it bushier. Re. your Basil - you need to keep it bushy and lush so do not allow flowers to form. Cut down to two nodes from the bottom - NEVER lower ... if you can't use it at the time put the stems in a glass of water until you can. They will root and you can start new plants. It hates the cold so never store basil in the fridge or put it outside until mid-June. In summer give it plenty of sun and moisture and bring inside to a sunny window for the winter. Don't expect to be able to keep your basil plant more than one season. It has a short, but glorious life span. Re, the Rosemary - it also does not like it too cold though it can stand some lower (though not freezing) temperatures - just don't let it dry out or it will die. Flowers on the rosemary are not much of a problem as they will not affect the flavour and add a touch of colour to your cooking. Keep it pruned to a manageable size. In winter, I like to keep my roseamary in my bright hallway and rustle it to release its aroma before opening the door to guests.
Reply:Rosemary is tough, and in A cool climate in Australia, we used to prune ours anytime when it became untidy, without any ill effects.


Basil? We bought seeds with us to the Philippines, where it grows like a weed. I suggest you allow it to flower, gather seed, then pull the old plant. any seeds falling into the pot or ground will als=most surely sprout. we just weed old plants out from time to time to let new plants take over. It grew well in cool climates at home also, with a little wind and frost protection - tougher than it looks. we have introduced it to many locals,who love to use it for cooking
Reply:You will probably need to remove the flowers and cut the plant back, so that it will not set seed. It will also help the plants to branch out more, and have more "tender" shoots.
Reply:The plant will grow stronger and the leaves will grow bigger if you nip off the flowers on any herb.
Reply:Well down here in the south we do not prune back rosemary. its used as a substitute for lavender hedges. ( Lavender just hates our humidity ) But with Basil you do have to pune it back , otherwise it reseeds and gets leggy. Herbs like being pruned.

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