Why Cutting Back Basil Leaves Is The Secret To Maximum Yield

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is generally considered to be among the easiest of the Mediterranean herbs to grow. From seed, basil can be grown both outside in an herb garden or inside on your sunny windowsill. Known for its pungent green leaves that have a wide variety of culinary uses, basil has a range of cultivars that come with their own unique flavor and scent profiles. But here's what most herb gardeners want to know: how can I get the maximum yield out of my basil plant? Trim it. 

Everyone wants to grow wonderfully lush and thick basil plants that offer up endless bounties of fresh leaves. However, more often than not, gardeners are a little apprehensive about actually harvesting their basil plants regularly for fear of harming it or reducing leaf yield. In actuality, failing to harvest your basil regularly can make it become leggy and put its energy into flower production instead of making more leaves. This is all well and good if you want to save seed, but if you're hoping to get a great yield of leaves, you need to actually use them. 

It should be noted that trimming your basil plant is not the same as pruning. While both practices are used to optimize the health and yield of plants, the difference between pruning and trimming is that the former is focused more on eliminating dead or diseased branches, whereas the latter is used for both aesthetic and harvesting purposes.  

Your basil plant needs to be well-established before you do any kind of trimming. However, seeing as basil is known to grow rather quickly, you can start trimming fairly early on in its life. While we understand that the principle of cutting away growth to encourage more growth seems counterintuitive, when you cut basil leaves back from the stem, the energy is redirected towards vigorously producing new growth. Get into your plant with a pair of garden scissors or small pruning shears and make your cuts just above the leaf node. You will see your basil leaves more than double on that stem. 

Doing this will increase your yield significantly. Instead of only harvesting a few leaves off of a spindly stem, you can increase your harvest to cups of edible leaves in a single season. That is a tremendous yield for what little effort it takes to trim your basil plants. Of course, you can also extend your season by bringing your basil plant inside. It is one of the most amenable plants to indoor growth during the winter. Continue trimming throughout this time, provided the plant remains warm, well watered, and gets plenty of sunshine. As your new stems grow, pinch them back to force even more growth from your wonderfully lush basil plant.