A basil plant grows leaves from a main, central stem. Make sure to cut at the middle or top of the plant instead of the bottom.
Once multiple branches are formed from the central stem, feel free to cut above the tiny leaves that grow on them, too. This process can be repeated, so prune often. Wait until your plant grows 6 inches tall to prune basil for the first time. After this first prune, return to your garden every two to three weeks to prune your basil. Ideally, pruning should be done when the plant is still young and tiny to maximize growth.
Make sure your basil does not flower so that it will keep pushing out new leaves. Cut basil flower buds so that the plant can refocus its energy on growing leaves. Basil leaves become very bitter after the plant produces its first flower; the leaf is still edible, but the flavor can be too strong for some.
Pruning basil plants is one of the best methods to promote abundant growth. It not only guarantees more basil leaves but helps maintain the overall health of the plant. With stellar pruning, Basil leaves can soon be harvested as often as desired. Feel free to pinch off a fresh leaf or three or twenty from your plant whenever you want. Fresh Basil leaves will keep for one week in the fridge. Make sure to also keep the leaves out of direct sunlight to lengthen freshness and longevity.
Yes, and no. The part of the basil that will not grow back is the main stem you cut on. However, side branches from the main stem will begin growing to replace the cut part.
Cut from the top of the plant. The bottom leaves of the Basil are used by the plant to photosynthesize, so avoid trimming that part. Plus, the top part of the plant has fresher, tastier leaves!
You will want to keep at least half an inch of the stem intact when trimming. Basil is a heat and sunlight-loving plant that grows quite rapidly. Usually, this plant can grow up to 2 feet tall with the proper care. What could possibly come close to the smell of basil in the summer? Just rubbing a leaf and holding it to your nose can give you daydreams of pasta or licorice… depending on the variety of your basil.
I can guide you through the entire process of growing basil from seed, watering, pruning, and finally serving it up in both sweet and savory dishes all in my Basil: From Seed to Table guide. Basil is one of the hardiest and easiest to grow herbs for the summer garden. Whether in a container or in your actual garden, basil can produce an amazing harvest with just one plant. This post may contain affiliate links, which simply means I may earn a commission off of links at no extra cost to you.
Thank you for supporting my site! Knowing how to prune basil will give you the biggest harvest in the neighborhood. Not that growing and pruning basil is a competition, but… it could be, right? Challenge accepted. Other basil plants on tv all seemed huge, but I was stuck with skinny plants. Maybe more fertilizer was the trick?
No, though they did certainly grow taller. And despite my watering and hovering, no changes other than height were happening. Finally, when thinking about pruning as a help for other summer growers like tomatoes , I caught on to the idea of pruning basil.
This is the key takeaway here. We do not want this so we prune to keep it healthy, in control and flavorful. I like to use my special pruning clippers. They come with a special design to not damage the stem so much.
Scissors should do fine. The first prune seems the easiest, but there are some things to keep in mind. Basil tends to damage easily. When it does, it begins to release the essential oils which give it its particular aroma and flavor. Damage the leaves too much and you could get some pretty bland tasting pesto. Count up 2 or 3 sets of leaves. These give your plant the solid foundation it needs to grow strong.
Cut the central stem about a quarter of an inch above the little branches. This will kill off the central stem and the plant will begin to grow from the side leaves. Now you have 2 central stems, coming off from the previous main stem.
Leave these to grow for a week or two, until a couple sets of leave have grown. On the first stem we want to leave 2 or 3 sets of leaves. After the first division, you want to cut down to the last set of leaves, one after the previous cut.
The process is the same from here on out. If you've regularly bought or grown basil plants for them to only wither and die, or turn unhealthy and sparse, pruning is probably where you are going wrong. It is an important task in the care of your basil plant, so find out how to get it right — and add this lovely herb to your other herb garden ideas.
Pruning basil correctly is essential for successfully mastering how to grow basil — so it is important that you get it right. If you're new to growing this fragrant and versatile herb, or even if you have grown it before but without much success, the key is knowing how to prune basil correctly. You DON'T want to pick off the biggest leaves growing at the bottom of the basil plant as these are the leaves that absorb the most sunlight to help the plant grow.
You DO want to take the leaves growing on the top of the plant — even if they are not as large. This is because by removing leaves at the top of the basil plant, you will allow the plant to create new branches growing outwards, encouraging it to grow wide and bushy rather than tall. When to prune basil? Regular harvesting of basil will increase productivity and ensure the best flavor — adding a delicious quality to sauces, oils, pesto, salsa verde and much more. This will stimulate them to branch out and become bushier plants rather than tall and thin,' advises Lucy Hutchings of She Grows Veg and author of new book Get Up and Grow.
You can not prune basil to grow forever, as it will eventually die off.
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