To stimulate growth.

When you clip basil stems back to a fresh set of leaves, you force those leaves to grow, doubling the basil produced on that stem. And as those stems grow, you can pinch them back and double their production – it’s exponential!

Where do you cut back basil?

To take a cutting from a basil plant, use clean herb snips or scissors to cut a four to six inch long stem. Clip it just below a leaf node (the spot on the stems where the leaves emerge) and at an angle to increase surface area for water uptake. Remove any leaves on the bottom third of the stem.

Can I cut basil all the way back?

Prune regularly for the best flavor. About every four weeks, prune basil back to just above the bottom two sets of leaves. If the plant is allowed to flower, it will lose flavor.

What do I do if my basil is too tall?

Good pruning is key to reviving leggy basil so pinch off or snip the stems once the plant has exceeded 8 inches of growth to remove excessive flopping basil stems so that plant perks up rather then droops under its own weight.

How do you prune basil for the first time?

You simply take your pruning shears and make an angled cut about 1/4 to 1/2 inch above your first set of true leaves. It’s important to leave one set of leaves intact so your basil plant can continue to perform photosynthesis and grow.

When should you pinch basil?

Once they are reach 6-8 inches tall, pinch the central stem back by half and about ¼ inch above the leaf axils. This will force the plants to branch and grow more leaves. As the plants keep sending out new branching stems, continue to pinch them back in the same manner.

How do you trim woody basil?

Troubleshooting Woody Stems in Basil

Snip young leaves or, if you are harvesting an entire stem, cut above a pair of leaves. This encourages new growth at the cut which should be visible within a week. Keep trimming the basil throughout the growing season to encourage growth.

How tall should I let my basil grow?

Barely bruising the leaf releases the aroma of the essential oils, which quickly begin to dissipate. Therefore, pruning basil leaves with care is a necessity. You don’t need to prune basil plants when they are still small; wait until the herb is about 6 inches (15 cm.) tall before trimming basil leaves.

Why does my basil get woody?

Basil plants turn woody when you do not prune them enough. Failure to harvest the Basil leaves causes the Basil plant to grow flowers. This action of flowering, therefore, stimulates the development of woody stems.