[Sadgit]

What on earth has happened to my basil plants? All of a sudden they all taste bitter and the leaves are growing jaggy. I nipped of any flowers/etc and growth was/is good, but they just taste plain nasty. Even the shop bought plant.

They are in my greenhouse, what am I doing wrong, as I thought basil just kept on gowing all summer long?

Thanks

[Chris & Yasmin]

Just an idea (this is my first year of growing basil) but maybe you need to plant it outside.  My basil is outside and it is really healthy and tastes lovely.

Yasmin

[Oliver]

..  basil

She keep her basil - 3 plants to a 6inch pot, in the poly, greenhouse or kitchen all the time. If she plants it outside the slugs and snails make short work of it. Certainly don't let it flower and it will go on for ages, depending how much you use! Why it tastes bitter - no idea!

[Sadgit]

I've grown Basil for years indoors and it lasted longer than the greenhouse stuff has. I should take a photo of the leaves, as I cannot descibe it really..

[Heather_S]

I just googled for bitter basil and the internet says if you let them go to flower they turn bitter. I think something in the plant changes even if you pick off the flower buds. If it's still in that "bolted" tall form, the change might have already happen to change the flavour of the plant.

[yewtreemob]

Heather is right - keep picking Basil and take off any flower shoots at the base as soon as they form (leaves are often slightly different shape but difficult to generalise because of so many varieties).

I also think they need a bit of maltreatment to work best - no feeding.  The better the soil the faster they bolt - and never water at night - they have to go to bed with dry feet.