Try growing them from cuttings. Not only are they faster but you also get bigger and juicy leaves. Get hold of some nice thick stalks. I usually choose a packet of basil with thick sturdy stalks and plant them after cutting away the leaves. Somehow I find that these grow more healthier than those that grow from seeds. I have grown them from seeds in the past, I keep pruning the plant until I get some healthy stalks. I hope that helps. Does anyone here make some basil essential oil? I might want to do that the next time I end up with a huge bucket of leaves. I really don't know if you could.
I have a lemon basil plant that just tried to flower. I pinched the top off so as it bushes out maybe I will try pruning it and starting new plants. Are you saying I should remove all of the leaves from the cuttings and then plant them? It's so easy to start basil from seed and I keep finding "volunteers" in my other pots from the seeds somehow being dispersed.
It is really easy to start basil from seed.. I agree, but they never seem to grow the way the ones from thick cuttings do. Just leave a couple of leaves and use the stem to start a new plant. Pinching of the top as the plants get two inches off the ground will also help. However, in my experience plants grown from nice thick stems are healthier and grow big.
