I have HUGE basil plants that are tipping over in my garden. They are in the ground. I believe they will over winter b/c it is pretty mild here. So how should I cut them back in order to clean them up & give them the best chance of coming back in the spring? Thanks!

I've never been able to overwinter my basil outside here in Zone 7. I'd cut the basil off, dry or freeze it, and if you want to try to save the basil plants, cover it with 3 or 4 inches of mulch.

quote:

Originally posted by greenvilencgardener:
I have HUGE basil plants that are tipping over in my garden. They are in the ground. I believe they will over winter b/c it is pretty mild here. So how should I cut them back in order to clean them up & give them the best chance of coming back in the spring? Thanks!

Where do you live?

Basil is a very warm weather plant. It loves heat. Unless you live in zone 8 or higher, it's not worth over wintering. Don't bother drying it. Dried basil isn't worth the effort. Blend the basil up with olive oil, put it in ice cube trays and freeze it. Use it as you need.

Sit down with a cup of tea or coffee and witness the evolution of an Organic Kitchen Garden.

It's not worth keeping after the summer even here in zone 10. When a plant is an annual, it's usually impossible to make it grow longer than 1 season. Just plant more next time.

I've had decent luck airdrying it and bottling it like you can get in the grocery store--altho I haven't dried it using extra heat, but air drying works.

"Mild" winters or not, basil will be cut down completely by the very lightest of frosts, & even just cool temps will halt growth. Unless you live in a truly tropical climate, don't plan on keeping it going. And once it starts working super hard to set seed late in the season, even if you're diligent in keeping those flowers/seed heads pinched off, leaf production really starts to drop severely.

If you have a good solid full-south-facing window (& no vegetable-predatory cats - lol!), you might be able to start a couple of pots of it indoors from seed. But it's really a waste of time to bring in what you have already growing outside. They really don't adapt well.

Here's the contrary gardener with another opinion:

Yes, forget about saving basil plants.

No, do dry, smush up, and save the leaves. It's "common knowledge" that dried basil is inferior, but bride has been doing it for years and I've been dining happily on the results. Trust me on this.

Yes, mix the results with olive oil and freeze in zip-lock bags for making pesto all winter and beyond. The best pesto recipe can be found in "Joy of Cooking," but use walnuts, not pine nuts. Bride has been selling this for $1/oz at farmers' markets for years.

Also, in your zone, consider growing basil as a living hedge. In Tennessee, it grew to 6' tall, and I'm sure yours will do the same. "Italian Large Leaf" from Johnny's was the best we tested over years.

IMHE.

Peterfoss

Love the idea about the ice cube trays and the zip bags!
When I lived in So. Cal, zone? 11? it would just get woody and flower...I made a point to stager plant it at one month intervals. however, when it's done, it's done. the leaves get tough.
Hedge idea sounds cool! you'd want to rub up against it just for the aroma!

Let it go to seed so you'll have plenty to sow next summer. Basil has never overwintered here in Charlotte NC for me.

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Originally posted by flatiron:
Bride has been selling this for $1/oz at farmers' markets for years.

This sounds like a great idea! How does she package the pesto for sale at the farmer's market?

"Bride" is very lucky. Here in Virginia, homemade pesto would not be allowed for sale unless produced via commercial standards in a commercial/Health Department approved kitchen. And the fines if you ignore these dictates are extremely steep.

Breezy is right; Tennessee finally required certified kitchens for such products, and bride was shut down. The chances of botulism from an uncooked product such as pesto is zilch point nada, but there you have it. Make it for friends!

I'm glad we don't have that law here.

I usually freeze sweet basil and low fat/ dairy free pesto for use in winter but all I got around to this year was freezing Thai basil. I need that pesto and I can't have dairy so can't buy it. Next year I will plant more and be prepared.

I thought these food sale restrictions were everywhere, since many of the inspectors are federal, and the FDA handles infractions. I gave up selling things years ago in NJ, due to the restrictions here, and inspectors all over at markets and the like looking for sales w/o a liscence.

On the basil, my basil got black spots all over it when it got down to 42º a few weeks ago. Definitely the most cold-sensitive plant in my garden!

Dave

quote:

Originally posted by flatiron:
Breezy is right; Tennessee finally required certified kitchens for such products, and bride was shut down. The chances of botulism from an uncooked product such as pesto is zilch point nada, but there you have it. Make it for friends!

Actually Flatiron - you're incorrect & just lucky. Uncooked products like pesto, which is essentially an oil/herb emulsion, are one of the prime sources for botulism growth - even more so than cooked properly processed products. Homemade pesto produces a perfect anaerobic environment for botulism formulation. Which is why responsible homemade pesto recipes always specify to refrigerate & use within a week or less or freeze.

Frankly, while I disagree with a lot of what "Agricultural Big Brother" rains down on us, coming down on home-produced foods that might kill us being sold arbitrarily at farmers markets is one dictate I can definitely live with.