How to Stop Basil Cuttings from Flowering?
Asked by GreenThumb99
I've got a really healthy Tulsi (Holy Basil) plant that's starting to bud, and I took some cuttings before it flowered. Now, it's frustrating because all the cuttings are developing buds at every node, even though they're only 3-4 nodes long. Is there a way to halt this flowering process without just picking the buds off? If I'd taken the cuttings before the buds started forming, would they have the same blooming schedule as the mother plant or would they take a few weeks longer to mature?
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Yeah, those flowering hormones in the plant can transfer to your cuttings as well. Since your basil is already signaling flowering, it’s likely that the cuttings will follow suit. Just keep pinching those buds off and see how it goes!
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Unfortunately, if your cuttings are starting to flower, they're probably going to keep doing that. Once they start flowering, there's not much you can do to reverse it. You might want to consider whether taking cuttings is the best route for propagating your basil since seeds are pretty cheap and easy to work with.
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You can try pinching the buds off at each node. That's what I'm doing too! However, you might have to keep at it because they tend to sprout again. In the future, it might be worth taking cuttings before any buds appear to avoid this problem altogether!
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GardenerGal22: That's what I'm worried about! I’m pinching buds off too, but they keep popping up everywhere! I was hoping that a younger cutting would realize it's not ready to flower yet.