The Best Pruning Techniques For Fuller Basil Plants In The Garden

There's something so wonderful about trimming fresh basil from your herb garden in the summer and garnishing pizza, salads, or pasta with it. The more basil plants you have, the better. But did you know that how you trim your basil could possibly encourage it to grow even more delicious leaves? The best pruning techniques are simple and easy to learn.

Some gardeners might feel shy about cutting herbs like basil in the garden, worried they could damage or hurt the plant. But basil needs regular pruning for a couple of very good reasons. One, pruning can encourage growth, and lead to a more bushy, and less narrow, spindly shape. Second, pruning can ensure the plant doesn't grow flowers. Flowers can be a little-known characteristic of a basil plant since most of us don't associate blooms with basil — though the little flowers are edible as well. Of course, once flowers appear and the basil plant begins bolting, the basil leaves can take on a more bitter taste, and no one wants that.

Remember that you want to prune only during late spring or summer and only when the plant is established enough. Never take the majority of leaves, since that's how the plant absorbs sunlight, which it needs to grow. If you're ready to prune your basil plant, all you'll need are some clean gardening scissors. Dirty scissors or clippers can harm the basil plant, so make sure your scissors are clean.

You can start thinking about pruning your basil plant once it's reached at least 6 inches tall. Basil leaves grow in pairs, so you'll want several pairs established before you think about trimming. Aim to make your cut about a ¼ of an inch or so above the leaf pair you want to leave behind. For each cut you make, the basil plant will likely grow more stems and shoots, so if you want the fullest plant possible, the more stems you cut the better. You might even double your plant size in a short time.

At the same time, you want to avoid cutting the plant down too much since that might shock your basil. Never cut off more than two-thirds of a stem. Stay in the one-third range, and your basil will thank you. If you see any flowers that are starting to bloom, definitely pinch those off or cut them, for sweeter leaves. You can add make basil butter or tea with the flowers. 

Pruning every one to two weeks is a good idea, depending on how quickly the basil plant is growing. Pruning is one way to keep your basil plant healthy and fruitful, and so is keeping an eye out for mites. If you notice little bugs on the leaves and wonder what the little white flies on your basil plant are, you might be dealing with a whitefly infestation. Whiteflies are related to aphids but not, ironically, to flies.