While checking on my garden this morning I noticed that the basil is starting to bloom. In order to keep the leaves tasting sweet, I need to nip this in the bud...literally. The benefits to pinching back basil are two-fold. One, the leaves stay tasting sweet and two, the plant starts to grow bushier instead of taller.
This is what my basil looks like while it is blooming.
![Basil Flower](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4134/4771735794_976c8d8b8e_m.jpg)
If I wanted to I could let it go in order to save seeds for next year, but I still want my basil to taste it's best so I'm pinching. I'll start letting it go to seed in another month or so. When I pinch back my basil, I pinch off flowers back to the next set of leaves to encourage bushier, not taller growth. This results in more leaves and more leaves equal more pesto!
![Basil Pinch](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4096/4771098235_bfe031a581_m.jpg)
Basil is extremely easy to grow and there are some really attractive varieties. I'm growing Mammoth, Sweet, and Red Rubin, the last of which is a beautiful burgundy color. What types do you grow and what are some of your favorite uses for basil?
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