I’ve always had a love affair with basil. It has such an amazing, fresh scent and is perfect for making dishes like Italian pesto or Thai green curry.
One problem I encountered was my garden would never produce enough to keep up with the demand of these recipes- until one day when my friend revealed her secret: how she grew big bushy beautiful basil plants that lasted months longer than mine did!
Turns out pruning them at certain times can make all the difference in flower size and quantity over time. Now every year our home smells just as good as it tastes which means we spend less money on store bought herbs too – win win!
Prune your basil correctly and you’ll end up with a huge bush like this.
Why it matters how you prune basil
The art of pruning basil is not as simple a task as you may think. Basil plants are living, breathing things which require the same care and nourishment that your favorite houseplant does! However don’t fret because there’s hope for this plant when it comes to beautiful homemade pesto in your near future-all thanks to one decision: how do I pick off leaves?
The wrong way to prune basil
Prune your basil wrong and it will end up looking like this.
Pruning basil correctly is the key to a healthy, happy plant! For those who are new at pruning, it’s important to know what NOT to do. The biggest leaves on the bottom branches should be left alone – they’re powerhouses of whole plants and take in most sunlight that ensure adequate nutrients for your herb garden.
If you remove them from their bush (or pot), not only will this hurt your plant but also won’t help create more leaves or branches because all its energy goes into trying just stay alive without putting any effort towards growth.
The correct way to prune basil
Now that you know the wrong way to pick off basil leaves, let’s go over the correct way. The best time is when they are small and at their most flavorful – those big bottom ones can be saved for a future salad or sauce! When removing these smaller top leaf from your plant it will allow more branches on this spot of growth with room for growing new leaves which means an increase in flavor every couple weeks.
Now that you know how quickly Basil grows into hundreds of fresh-picked sprigs, here’s what to do: give them just enough water so there isn’t any wilting but don’t drown them either; keep soil moist by watering periodically throughout each day (but not too often) and trim both ends regularly.
Pruning one branch of the plant creates two new branches, creating exponential growth. If you prune it incorrectly, your plant will only grow leaves from that one central branch with fewer and smaller leaves each time until eventually turning woody and dying off completely.
3 Steps to Prune Basil Correctly
1. Identify
You’ll know when you find it. You can’t miss the green, new leaves popping out from bare branches.
2. Cut
The moment you cut the branch, be sure not to disturb those tiny leaves. Use some herb pruning shears for a clean cut that won’t interfere with the rest of your plant while it heals from surgery.
3. Repeat
Repeat this process with all branches that have tiny leaves growing.
In a few weeks you’ll notice that those tiny leaves have grown into new branches and it is time to prune the newer branch so they will grow again too.
And there you have it, the secret to growing big bushy basil plants!
Drying and preserving your herbs is the most important step to saving them for later use. When you harvest an herb, take a few minutes to learn how best it can be preserved so that nothing goes to waste!
