Hey Bloomin'

Pesto basil--or Italian, Genovese, sweet, pungent, large-leaved basil can 'morph' into sharp little leaves if conditions are not ideal. In my experience, anything potted is hardly every right due to unstable soil humidity and temperature.. It will then go to seed soon and that's as far as I can be helpful. However, that's not to say that smaller leaves are still not still a useful herb... they just look different but smell and if not bolted taste the same.

Thanks, is there a way I can delay bolting?

Same pot and small pot at that, container gardening limitations already mentioned by bard, intertwined root masses, intermixed shoots, nutrient competition, in this case different light needs and tolerances, stunted new growth, etc. Yeah it happens quite frequently so no you aren't nuts. :).

Nothing ever does as well in a container as it does in ground - that is a given one just has to accept if restricted to container gardening. And environmental conditions will have much faster and a much more noticeable effect on container plants than on in ground plants.

Dave

Yep... I went and plucked a leaf from the top of the plant and ate it.. bitter tannic nastiness. Same taste as my cilantro when it bolted. :/ So what now... it will go to seed? What's cilantro seed look like, and how do I harvest it?

The pesto basil is pesto perpetua or something like that right? It's actually a shrub type basil that doesn't bolt.

I bought one but haven't tried mine so I'm not sure what the flavor is like.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.territorialseed.com/product/Pesto_Perpetuo_Basil_Plant/Drunken_Botanist_Plant_Collection