basil seed

Time to start harvesting Basil seed! The plants make flowers stalks, and once the bottom of them start to turn brown, I begin picking them.

The seeds are held in the underside of these little "pockets". When they're dry the seeds turn black, then they start springing out onto the ground, so I pick the stalks when just the bottom portion is ready.

If I wait until the whole thing has gone brown, the lower half of it will have already scattered seed all over my garden.

I pull the drier end off the stems

then pick them apart to get the seeds out.

Next year's Basil, all right here!