If you want to ensure your basil plant grows forever, pruning it regularly is essential. Watch to see exactly how to do it.
Basil is one of the most flavorful and fragrant herbs that can easily be grown in a home garden. Not only is it delicious, but it also adds an enticing flare to any dish or summer drink. If you’ve ever grown basil before, you know that guidance on how to tend for it properly is key to achieving delicious results for your dishes.
The key ingredient in growing amazing basil? Pruning – the intentional cutting back of the leaves and stems of your plants. But don’t worry – pruning isn’t as complicated as it sounds. And when done correctly, your prized basil plants will be bushier, better yielding and more flavorful than ever before.
In this article we’ll take a look at all the tips and tricks you need to know about pruning so that your invested efforts won’t go to waste & you can get maximum benefit from all its flavors & fragrances year-round. We’ll explore questions like “How do I trim my basil so that they keep producing?” “When should I prune my plants?” “What steps do I need to take in order keep Basil growing through all summer long?” and much more. So come join us as we uncover some essential secrets about taking proper care of Basil so you can enjoy & savor its flavors forever.
How Do You Trim Basil So It Keeps Growing?
Trimming your basil plant is an important part of keeping it healthy and encouraging growth. The best time to start trimming your basil plant is early in the season when it is about 6 inches tall or has at least 6 leaves. It’s important to cut the top of the plant so that it doesn’t grow taller than 6 inches before flowering. This will keep your basil plant healthy and promote growth.
When trimming, you should clip just above a set of side shoots and make sure that you don’t cut too much off, as this can stunt the growth of your basil plant. Additionally, when necessary, you should trim your basil every two to three weeks all through the season to promote growth.
It’s also important to remove any dead stems from your basil plants as they can prevent new stems from growing properly and cause disease in other parts of the plant. To do this, simply pinch off any dead or wilted stems with clean hands or scissors. This will help keep your basil plants healthy and encourage further growth throughout the season.
Finally, pruning regularly throughout the growing season is essential for maintaining a healthy basil crop; this will help ensure that you get a good yield at harvest time. Pruning should be done carefully so as not to damage any new shoots or leaves on the plants; use sharp scissors or pruners for best results. By following these steps, you can ensure that your Basil plants stay healthy and continue to grow throughout the season.
When Should Basil Be Pruned?
Basil should be pruned when it is 6 to 8 inches tall and has 3 to 4 sets of opposite leaves. This is usually late spring, when the seedlings have grown enough for pruning. It is important to wait at least 1-2 weeks before trimming again, as cutting too much of the stems can rob the plant of energy it needs to grow. Pruning basil regularly doubles the amount of leaves produced on that stem, allowing you to enjoy it while it lasts and replant it next year.
When pruning basil, you want to pinch that main stem back to a strong set of side shoots, removing about one-third of the plant. This should be done every 1-2 weeks throughout the summer season in order for your basil plants to live about four to five months. It can be tempting to harvest those early green leaves, but pruning too early can rob the plant of its energy so make sure you wait until late spring before trimming your basil plants.
Pruning your basil plants regularly will ensure that they produce an abundance of leaves and remain healthy throughout their lifespan. When pinching back those main stems, take care not cut too much off as this could damage or kill your plants prematurely. Make sure you wait at least 1-2 weeks between each trimming session so that your basil has time to recover from its previous cuttings and continue growing strong and healthy for years ahead.
How Do You Keep Basil Growing All Summer?
Keeping basil growing all summer requires a few simple steps. First and foremost, it is important to keep the soil moist. This can be done by watering the base of the plant twice a week. Additionally, pruning basil in six easy steps can help to keep it growing all summer long. Pruning should be done in the morning and will help to prevent pest problems while also lengthening the growing season and making leaves perfectly curled. Furthermore, basil needs at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight each day for optimal growth during the summer months.
To ensure that your basil plants are getting enough sunlight, it is important to place them in an area that receives full sun for most of the day. If this isn’t possible, you can supplement with artificial light sources such as grow lights or fluorescent bulbs placed close to your plants. Additionally, you should fertilize your plants regularly throughout the summer months with an organic fertilizer or compost tea solution in order to provide them with essential nutrients they need for optimal growth and health.
Finally, if you notice any signs of disease or pests on your plants it is important to take action quickly before they spread further throughout your garden or greenhouse. Common signs include yellowing leaves, wilting stems, and discolored spots on foliage which could indicate a fungal infection or infestation from insects such as aphids or whiteflies. If you identify any issues early on then you can take steps such as removing affected foliage from your garden and treating with an appropriate pesticide or fungicide solution before any further damage occurs.
Should You Let Basil Flower?
When it comes to basil, it is important to know when to let the plant flower and when not to. Generally speaking, it is best not to let basil flower until the plant has grown 6 inches (15 cm) tall or has 6 sets of leaves. This is because pruning the plant early on will encourage branching out and increase its total yield. Pruning should be done by cutting off half an inch from the central stem, which will then shoot out multiple side stems and branch out the plant exponentially. Additionally, snipping or pinching back the central stem to 1/4 inch above the first set of leaves will create two new branches. As the plant begins to bush out with multiple stems, you can prune up to half of each stem for a bushier and leafier look. Harvesting any leaves on these stems can also help increase total yield significantly.
If your basil plant starts growing vertically instead of laterally, you should pinch off some of its top leaves in order to encourage lateral growth instead. This can help prevent flowering as well as ensure that your basil produces more leaves than flowers throughout its life cycle. Furthermore, pruning your basil regularly will also help keep flowering at bay while still allowing for a healthy harvest season. On average, a single basil plant can produce 13 ounces (368 grams) of leaves during a season; however this number can vary depending on variety and conditions such as harvesting frequency and soil quality.
In conclusion, letting your basil flower too soon may result in fewer yields due to lack of branching out or vertical growth instead of lateral growth; therefore it is best not to let your basil flower until it reaches 6 inches tall or has 6 sets of leaves so that you may reap maximum benefits from harvesting its yield throughout its life cycle without sacrificing too much leaf production for flowers instead.
Can I Freeze Fresh Basil?
Yes, you can freeze fresh basil. One way to do so is to wash and freeze the leaves. To do this, first wash and dry the basil leaves and discard the stems. Then spread them out on a cookie sheet and flash freeze them before transferring them to freezer bags for use as needed. Another method is to blanch and freeze the leaves. Start by washing the basil leaves in cold water to remove any dirt or pests, then remove them from their stems. Boil a pot of water, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl, then put the basil into the boiling water for 3-5 seconds before transferring it into the ice bath for a few seconds. Spread them on a surface and air dry them for at least 30 minutes before placing them in storage bags. You can also clip off just the leaves from their stems, rinse thoroughly, spread out on a surface to air dry for at least 30 minutes before pureeing in a grinder and freezing overnight in ice trays or an airtight glass jar or freezer bag.
Whichever method you choose, it is important that you allow your basil plant time to mature before pruning it; wait until it is 6 inches (15 cm) tall or has 6 sets of leaves so that there are 5-6 sets of leaves coming from its stem when you trim it down. This will ensure that your plant has had enough time to grow so that you can get maximum yield when harvesting your herbs for freezing purposes later on down the road.
When freezing fresh basil using either of these methods, make sure that all moisture has been removed from each leaf prior to freezing as excess moisture could lead to freezer burn or spoilage over time if not stored properly with adequate ventilation or insulation around each container storing your frozen herbs. Additionally, be sure not to overblanch as this could lead to loss of flavor due lack of chlorophyll breakdown during cooking process which would result in bland tasting herbs once thawed out later down line after being frozen away for extended periods of time.