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- How and When to Prune (Pinch) Basil
How and When to Prune (Pinch) Basil
Hi, I'm Niki Jabbour, and today I want to show you when and how to pinch back basil plants to ensure healthy plants and large harvest.
Many gardeners are shy about pinching back their herbs because they want the plants to grow as large as possible. But regular trimming is the best way to increase yield and ensure maximum production.
When it comes to basil, prune early and prune often is the rule, and this applies to all types of basil. Not only is it quick and easy to do, you also get to enjoy the delicious trimmings.
Benefits of Pruning Basil
There are three reasons to trim your basil plants:
- to stimulate new growth;
- to harvest the aromatic leaves;
- to remove the spent flowers.
Let's look a little closer at these three reasons.
The first reason to clip basil plants is to stimulate new growth. I start pruning my plants early in the season, when the seedlings are around 6 to 8in tall and have 3 to 4 sets of leaves. The first trimming is to pinch back to a strong set of side shoots, removing about one third of the plant.
That action forces that set of leaves to grow. Doubling the amount of basil produced on that stem. And every couple of weeks, I'll continue to come in and trim back my plants to promote lots of new leaves and stems.
The second reason to trim basil plants is to harvest the leaves. Whether you're growing 'Lihi Prospera®', a Genovese type of basil with large glossy leaves, a Greek basil like 'Spicy Bush', or an Asian basil like 'Sweet Thai', it's important to know the right amount to take and the right way to harvest so that you don't damage or setback the plants.
As for the right amount, it's best to remove no more than one third of the plant. I use garden snips to snip the stems back to a healthy set of side shoots, gathering them in a bowl or other container.
Is there a wrong way to trim back basil plants? Actually, yes. Don't just pluck the leaves if you want to harvest basil for cooking or making pesto. If the stems aren't trimmed back, you won't stimulate new growth and the plants won't be as productive.
The final reason to trim back your basil plants is to remove flower buds or blossoms. By mid-summer, many types of basil plants bolt or start to flower. While the small pretty blooms are be friendly. I generally pinch flower buds off my plants to slow bolting and encourage them to keep producing lots of flavorful leaves. Plus, flowering can impact and change the flavor of those leaves.
You can pinch the flowers using your fingers, or you can use garden snips to remove them quickly and cleanly. I aim to pinch out the developing flower buds as soon as they spot them, and before they have a chance to fully bloom. Check plants every week or so for new flower buds.
Like the leaves, the flower buds of basil and the blossoms are edible, so toss them onto salads, pastas, eggs, and other dishes. If you wish to delay bolting so your plants produce the highest quality basil for as long as possible, opt to grow a slow to bolt variety like 'Everleaf Thai Tower', 'Lihi Prospera®' or 'Mia Prospera®'.
'Lihi Prospera®' in particular, produces compact plants packed with flavorful leaves for extra large yields. Plus, it's resistant to downy mildew, a common basil disease.
Preserving Your Basil Harvest
Now that you've got a bumper crop of fresh basil, what are you going to do with all of it? Well, I do use up lots of my fresh basil making pesto, but I also freeze and dry the leaves to preserve that harvest long into winter.
Leafy greens, like basil, can be dried by hanging small bundles in a bright, well-ventilated spot. But if the weather is humid or damp, the leaves may mold. I prefer to use a dehydrator, which drives the leaves in just 3 to 4 hours. Storing them whole and crumbling the leaves just before I use them helps the flavor last for as long as possible.
Freezing basil is another way to preserve the harvest. This method retains the bright green color of the leaves as well as the flavor. I hope you've enjoyed this video on how to trim your basil plants. Happy growing!