Basil Growing Question

[JCap]

Very much a novice gardener here, and I have a question about my basil. It seems like every year my basil does well, and then at some point mid-summer it develops flowers at the top, turns a lighter green, and doesn't do as well the rest of the year.
Is the simple solve to cut the flowers at the top and continue to fertilize heavy, or am I missing something else?

[morwen]

Keeping it nipped back on a regular basis will help slow down bolting, but eventually something will trigger the basil and it will bolt. Some summers mine will go all through the season and others it will flower halfway through. I've taken to planting seeds once a month from May through July so I always have younger plants coming on.

[Eldon Kreider]

Weather, age of plants, type of basil and shortening days all affect time to bolting. Multiple plantings are the best way to have good basil over a longer time, but the late plantings will bolt faster after planting in northern states.

Do not fertilize basil heavily. Too much nitrogen causes lush growth but low flavor in the leaves. Too much phosphorus encourages flower and seed production.

[Zeldog]

Morwen's method is the only good solution. Start a second batch of plants mid summer, and another a month or so later if you have a long hot growing season. Clipping the flowers will only buy you another week or two of tasty leaves. I never heard of fertilizing heavily to prevent bolting. Sounds like a bad idea. Over-fertilized plants tend to be very weak and disease-prone. Other than some turned in compost, I don't fertilize my herb garden at all and it does quite nicely.

[Fritter]

One mine start to flower I try to pinch them off daily. However once this starts I know it's time to use the basil. After cutting the plants back mine always come back again. Once it turns a lighter green the flavor changes and the basil seems to have a different texture.

[shallots]

In addition, if you've a sunny window sill, you can bring those plants through winter. I just take them with a shovel of their soil, plop them in a pot and water spareingly.
Keeping the blooming parts pinched back can be neat (use the flowers on salads). (Not the seed protecting bracts).