The Best Methods For Harvesting Your Basil Plants

Basil is a great plant to have in your garden and your dinner, but getting from the garden to the table without damaging your plant requires proper care in your harvesting. Not only do you need to know how to revive wilting basil, you need to know how to properly harvest your herbs. If you improperly harvest by pulling the leaves, taking too much, or not taking enough, you risk stunting your basil plant's growth and limiting how much you can harvest in the future. To keep enjoying your basil for a long time, the best methods are pinching and cutting, depending on your situation.

When harvesting a large amount from the stem, you should use scissors. You should start harvesting your basil plant and pruning leaves once the plant reaches 6-8 inches tall. When the plant begins to fill out more, you typically should harvest the top third of the plant about once a month. You'll want to harvest from the top of the basil plant so the bottom stays full and healthy and that it continues growing for harvest. The best time to harvest the basil from your garden is in the morning, after the dew evaporates, because the leaves will be more plump. To spark the most growth after cutting, you should make your cut ¼ inch above a node and also remove all flower buds.

If you want to remove a few individual leaves for smaller uses in recipes, that will not damage the plant, but be cautious to not remove too many and leave the plant bare. And when you're handpicking basil leaves, this is when you want to use the pinching technique as opposed to cutting. 

As for how this works, you should pinch leaves off at the base of where they meet the central stem. If you pull the leaves off the stem, you could risk damage to the plant. However, if you pinch leaves in the proper manner, your basil plant will actually grow healthier branches in the future, and you'll also prevent unwanted flowering, which negatively impacts the taste of your herbs. As such, taking your time to pinch individual leaves will be better in the long term even if it takes more time.

You'll also want to continue pinching new stems as they grow in order to properly maintain your plant. And while you're getting ready to harvest your basil, remember that it's not just for human consumption. Basil can also keep pests off citrus trees and repel pests from your garden naturally. It's a pretty important herb, and using the proper pinching and cutting techniques is key to making sure that your basil plants stay healthy.