How to Prune Basil So It Grows Forever!

Pruning basil to promote growth is one of the easiest and best ways to have an unlimited supply of basil in your garden. Basil absolutely loves aggressive pruning, so with a few clever techniques it's simple to create basil that is bushy, productive, and delicious.
In this video, you will learn where to prune your basil and why it works so well. Enjoy, and let me know what you think in the comments!
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[@SirRobinDeSway]

He doesnt say...its a bit off topic..but if you take the "main" growing stem, as he shows. and then cut it off, as he shows, but instead of eating the cut off bit you suspend it is clear rainwater it will start to put out roots within a week and after about 3 weeks it will have all the long hairy roots you need to plant it in the garden. I know because I do this every year. What an amazing plant! Why doesnt everyone grow it?

[@epicgardening]

Yup, you can totally clone basil this way! Great tip.

[@teastation9396]

He did mention this, although quickly and indirectly. He does say he could use the cutting "in the garden" or "in the kitchen."

[@epicgardening]

Good ear ;)

[@griffevans8480]

Great idea!! I've been wondering how clone my plants.

[@jenwyatt1864]

SirRobinDeSway whoa cool!!!!

[@mikedavey1996]

My local supermarket sells basil in a container in early spring. It's about 50 plants in a small pot. I buy one then soak it in water for an hour. After that I massage the root ball, that allows me to gently pull them apart and transplant into a 4 x 4 raised bed. I cover with a cloche and they grow very quickly. I start trimming them fairly soon. Once they get bushy I harvest about once every two weeks. I take the cuttings and remove the leaves, put them in a food processor with a bit of olive oil and chop them up. Then I pack them into muffin tins and freeze them, then pop them out and pack the pucks in buckets. I wind up with enough basil to last about two years. The olive oil helps protect the basil from freezer burn. I do the same for oregano, but it takes more time to pick and de-stem oregano because of the much smaller leaves, so I don't get as much.

[@epicgardening]

50 plants in a small pot?! That seems crazy to me. I like your approach though. You create a basil forest in a bed. I've heard of the olive oil blocks, but have yet to try it myself...your comment inspired me to do it with my next basil harvest!

[@mikedavey1996]

It is kinda crazy. I assume they do it because it's much faster for the farm to grow a whole lot of small plants in a single pot rather than a few big plants. These basil pots are meant to be harvested and used in the kitchen rather than being transplanted. In reality they are too young to really have much flavour, I wouldn't buy them for harvesting in the kitchen at that stage. For transplanting, yes.

[@epicgardening]

+Mike Davey I like your clever approach to get way way way more yield from that simple purchase!

[@mimicoolwhip5991]

Mike Davey Wow, your plants get a long tub soak AND a massage after?😨Even a hair cut?! My basil is so jealous of your basil. I bet you even feed your basil extra treats, mine get water only. Yes, theyre sheltered plants compared to yours😂😂😂😂

[@defdaz]

@@mikedavey1996 Sounds like their attempt at microgreen basil?

[@sarahforthun3401]

First time gardener here, and I recently lost a few of my basil plants because I honestly don't know what I'm doing 😄 but this channel has helped with a ton of things and this will help me with my basil plants in the future! Thanks for always giving great tips and in an easy to understand way

[@louiswelch4104]

Hello Sarah 🌹

[@KellyLaneYoga]

Thank you!!! This was the 1 time I've actually understood WHY and HOW to prune. You did a great job explaining and showing. Thank you. 😊

[@gettingstuffdoneright5332]

Agreed! I was so impressed I subscribed!

[@AToneForOurSins]

Well it isn't really pruning. It is topping. It is a form of training.

[@tonibenolken4242]

I enjoyed this. My first time pruning for harvesting. Can you grow basil indoors yearround?

[@Sharpless2]

@@tonibenolken4242 Yup. If you can provide the right conditions. At least 6 hours of sunlight every day, a stable temperature of at least 21°C but no more than 28°C, quite a bit of moisture in the air (just mist it regularly). All this can easily be achieved in a small grow tent. A 70x70x140cm grow tent is enough for 3-4 basil plants. I think smaller tents exist but i personally wouldnt go smaller than that. There are cheap complete grow tent kits available on amazon and the likes.

[@elandashing1814]

So many people already said this, but I have been watching video after video trying to really understand where the new growth comes from. This is the first pruning video that got up close and made it a no-brainer to understand. Good job.

[@annw-fitz4412]

An excellent video. I have been growing basil for years and I’m pretty much following what you’re doing. I like how you described what you’re doing, why you’re doing it and the results. I like how you pointed out exactly where to snip the basil. This is a good video for people who are unsure on how to proceed pruning a basil plant

[@tu1469]

That’s the whole point of the video

[@annazeman8521]

Basil is a perennial herb which is usually grown outdoors as an annual. I kept several plants on a warm, sunny Brooklyn apartment windowsill for years. If you get behind on the pruning, the flowers are perfectly edible before they turn brown. Cuttings can be chopped and frozen in olive oil or butter. BTW, Marcella Hazen had the best pesto recipe!

[@epicgardening]

Correct! And thank you, I will check out her recipe!

[@lucindabreeding]

I've decided to propagate some of my basil for a pollinator garden. I recently deadheaded my best basil plant and it made me really sad to remove a source of nectar and pollen for the bees. Next year, I'm going to raise a few for food and others for a bee pantry.

[@vickiemechling7915]

The best basil pruning I've seen, simple and close up. I'm a basil addict.

[@stephenmorton8017]

all mine goes on pizza or into pesto. cheers!

[@elbob17]

It's my favorite thing to go grow. The squirrels around here seem to leave it alone along with the jalapenos.

[@joefamulari2595]

Basil is deep within my Italian soul. I couldn’t live without it. Its so important in Italian cooking. This video is fantastic. Mille Grazie !

[@shariberry3123]

In the summer, rough chop some sweet onion and a bunch of ripe tomatoes. Place them in a pot on your stove with a small amount of olive oil and cook over medium heat until tomatoes are soft. Salt, pepper ( garlic with the onion if you wish) and take off heat. Snip LOTS of fresh basil leaves into soup and stir. Dash of milk or cream and fresh shaved Parmesan cheese and you have a delicious tomato basil soup! No water or broth required, the ripe tomatoes are all you need to make an excellent chowder texture.

[@panscentralexpresspresents4733]

I just copy and pasted your comment on to my computer dashboard sticky notes. Hope you dont mind.

[@christinewilcox7080]

Oh yum!

[@sarahstrong7174]

That sounds great.

[@218carm]

Sounds delicious! I will definitely try this. Thanks! :)

[@annamamo3645]

@@panscentralexpresspresents4733 Just make basil pesto - lots of basil rinsed thouroughly,2-3 cloves garlic, some rough sea salt, pine nuts and extra virgin olive oil, lots of grated parmeggiano Reggiano cheese.

[@redinnalong6528]

I just watched four vids on how to prune basil, your's was the easiest one to understand. Thank you

[@epicgardening]

Hey, thanks! I try to make it easy so that's great to hear.

[@laurenelizabethuk]

I agree, I’ve been looking for a vid like this for ages. Finally stumbled across yours. So helpful, thanks 😀

[@JerrySmith-ih9rd]

Agree! You could make a video on how to make a video. Clear, concise, on topic and to the point. No long intro and talky-talk or jangling music. Thanks!

[@burgehsister]

Same!

[@thismessismine]

Same, others were helpful but this one answered a few questions I had about exactly where to cut and describing it as a "little man" actually helped me to remember a lot

[@klutzycutie]

I just bought a basil plant from my grocery store. I’m excited to be making more basil that’s fresh from my garden vs buying it often for my meals. It’s my dream to become almost self sufficient in eating mainly from my garden.

[@user-ri9tt2ip4m]

Good luck on that journey! My mom in law retired 10 years ago and started her garden as she was bored. Now she lives in the garden, lol. But we always have fresh, organic and pesticide free food. Even in winter times, where there is not much crops, we can eat canned veggies and fruits🌱

[@klutzycutie]

@@user-ri9tt2ip4m that’s awesome! Does she can the fruit and veggies? I live in Florida so winter isn’t to bad for us. I am learning to try to keep things alive. I love it tho. My favorite is growing tomatoes cuz it’s just easier to grow it seems vs anything else. That’s my goal tho to be completely off my garden. Maybe some things I’ll buy at the grocery store like milk and eggs but overall all from my garden. That’s what they did during the Great Depression.

[@user-ri9tt2ip4m]

@@klutzycutie we live in AL, so close enough to FL😁. She grows figs, satsumas, persimmons, pears, blueberries, pecans, blackberries. Last year, she planted raspberry, but we need to keep deer away from it constantly by keeping nets and cages around. As for seasonal garden, it is thriving on tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, squashes of all kinds, cabbage, broccoli, peas, strawberry, beans, corn, lettuce, watermelon, peppers. Most of this staff is great for canning. Mom has some old book from 60s, can't recall name of it now, but it was something about "complete canning guide". Just need to be very careful and make sure you got it tightly sealed, so you won't get sick. I've made bunch of spaghetti sauce and salsa last year, as we had a lot of tomatoes. Peppers are normally great when chopped and stored in frost proof bags in the freezer. (Great for cooking and such, until hurricane comes by and gets your power off for days,lol). So yeah, it is quite possible to live off the garden for the most part. Mom only buys milk and meat there, as she is having chickens, that produce 10 eggs a day and eat all the discards from the garden. Some years bring us bad weather, some are a bit better, you never know. This year, temperatures were cooler than usual, so we have prolonged harvest of lettuce (unlike in 2020,when is started to bolt in late Feb). But latest 9 inches of rain were just killing for strawberries, and they started to rot right on the vine....but, overall we are blessed with lot of sun and short winters here. Yea, I was not joking, it is really a journey, but enjoyable one😀

[@escapetherace1943]

you can have 200 basil plant from 1 packet that costs 1.50 instead of 1 plant that costs 4-5 dollars start from seed, find good heirloom variety plants and let some seed out and plant from those seeds and never pay for seeds again good luck ;)

[@BuildandGrow21]

Thank you EG. I used the same technique for parsley indoor and outdoor. Wow! So much production. Doing it for the indoor hydro basil now. Great easy to apply tip.

[@alankelly-hamm2702]

Finally a KZbin video where no one makes nasty or mean comments. Maybe Basil is the answer to world peace. LOL

[@bman2181]

Alan Kelly-Hamm Basil for President 2020!

[@TheLast-One]

This is a dumb comment.

[@alankelly-hamm2702]

@@TheLast-One Congratulations yours is the first judgemental comment.. I bet you like to make babies cry too.

[@TheLast-One]

@@alankelly-hamm2702 THANKS! What a honor.

[@annchristensen7104]

Peace by basil😂❤❤

[@amazingdany]

Works especially well with mint family plants! I constantly cut my agastaches until around early August and I get their purple spikes much later than usual! Also compared to the same plants growing wild in the city, mine are so short at knee-height whereas the unpruned ones at 3-4 feet tall, with less flowering stems!

[@Therianlover23]

Sitting here watching your videos and I just realized I’ve been listening to your podcast for about a year now!!! Love everything you do! Keep up the great work, Kevin!

[@jeanneworkman4421]

Hey! This is probably the MOST informative videos on pruning basil 🌿 straight forward & to the point! Plus a very nice voice too! Thank you! 😉

[@epicgardening]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it Jeanne!

[@aussieplayable]

Yes I didn't need subtitles ;)

[@lynnewallace5644]

Great tips, I made sure my sickly looking basil plant sitting here next to me, in full sunshine, was watching also. Hope it shames him to perform a little better. I brought mine indoors and the leaves are getting dark spots, which then seem to spread. Hope more pruning helps, thanks.

[@epicgardening]

Hahahaha you made your plant watch! 😂 Love that. Good luck with that!

[@dlm4708]

It's a bit late to save your plant I think, but it could be bacterial leaf spot. This isn't uncommon in less-hardy plants that get infected by soil, especially commercial soil. -_- It killed two of my plants before I could figure out what it was.

[@randallteague641]

We would like an update on your plant please

[@satan6026]

@@matthewlawton9241 I live in Nevada and I can confirm that full summer sun destroys basil

[@kwiggy5091]

@@satan6026 Also in Nevada, can confirm it kills most living things

[@caribbeanspice1693]

I love basil, it is so fragrant and great to cook with. In the summers the big leaf Genovese basil will die here in South Florida because of the intense heat, but I have taken it inside and grown it in both water and in soil and it is thriving. It is such a delicious herb and full of health benefits.

[@farrokhsutaria6115]

Kevin, you explain these techniques in a very clear easy to understand way while also explaining the why and what.

[@katimelton773]

Okay, botany teacher jumping in. You cut off the apical meristem. You can do all herbs the same way. It is also what they do in France to make fruit trees grow along a trellis or wires to have fruit trees that are no more than 4 ft high, but extend their branches 6-15(or more) feet along a support. k

[@epicgardening]

Totally true! Fundamental pruning technique ;)

[@coralaisly]

Wow! That's really interesting! I never would've thought to do that. I'll have to look into this technique. Thank you for sharing! :)

[@DragonflyArtz1]

You should get a Channel Kati!! I would love to learn more about keeping fruit trees at a manageable height say 6' or so and still yield the most fruit I can without messing up the tree. I think the biggest problem for most fruit tree growers is we fear that every little cut is going to somehow screw up the tree. When in fact most trees are very resilient. This is where you would come in, with the knowledge to know what I am doing I'd be fearless. People like me need people like you! :)

[@DragonflyArtz1]

Thank you Cheryl, I enjoyed that very much. Saved the link.

[@eddiehumphreys9799]

Kati Melton i

[@videomejoe]

thanks Epic, a simple no nonsense video, no jabbering and waving hands, great to-the -point examples

[@epicgardening]

Thanks!

[@paularaulinaitis3068]

I'm so excited! A little less than two weeks ago I pruned my basil and put the clippings in water (and kept it filled for 2 weeks) and I realized this morning that I have ROOTS!!!! THIS is so exciting!!!!

[@MyHam-os4bq]

I’ve been trying to find a video as clear as this on how to prune Basil. Thanks so much!

[@bmoraski]

I just started growing basil. Thanks for the tips.

[@epicgardening]

Of course!

[@francisx.mcphillips4211]

Thank you VERY much !!! You may find this hard to believe, but I'm a Professional Chef and we always had so much basil growing, my cooks would just go out and grab as much as they needed. Plus !! I personally never knew the proper way to propagate herbs etc.... Now I know how to get a better yield from everything we plant and I can teach my cooks the PROPER way to harvest basil. Thabk you again !!! Bon Appetit !!!

[@epicgardening]

Great story Frank! Glad to hear it. Hopefully your cooks keep that basil multiplying :)

[@Nate-nf9ey]

Thiisss!! Im also professionally trained and they NEVER taught us this for our herb garden. Makes sense as to why the basil plant was alaways so bare 😭

[@donnaholmes3895]

Glad I found this information on Sweet Basil Italian basil , I planted the seeds in Spring and now I have 3 to 4 plants. I was getting ready to store for use in Winter. Thanks

[@unaviableaccount]

Just had this in my mind earlier in the day considering my basil just started to flowering phase, and this vid comes up... kudos man!

[@kidphillyorg]

No question to answer with this comment. Just accept my appreciation for you making this video! Thank you!!

[@bman2181]

Excellent info!! I didn’t get around to finding out how to prune basil last summer and only got a month or so of usage. Not this time! 😀

[@Daniellextina87]

Basil makes me happy 💚 I grew a few from seed this year and I can’t wait to have it all over my house 😂

[@shayzied]

This simple little tutorial sums up why I could never grow basil successfully in the past, LOL. Now I'm vigilant about pruning my basil. I will hopefully have more success this year. I have to look into your "hydroponic" system. It looks fascinating, especially for winter. Thanks!

[@polanito7467]

Many years later this is still relevant! I will try to do it this way! I have tried to propagate basil in the past but all ended up dying :( I would also like to know more about substrate/medium for this plant. Great video, as always :D

[@bananakid29]

Love your content always, Kevin, thank you! One question, when growing from seed, when in the seedlings growth would you do the first prune? I've got an amethyst basil with now 5 sets of true leaves. The base is a bit curved cuz I didn't use a grow light at first... Would you start cutting it back now or wait longer? Thanks!

[@vmitch1018]

Thanks for the this information. I've been having some problems with lots of flowering with my basil. This video is going to allow me to know how to prune and get a better and fuller basil bush.

[@sapphy2]

You are the best! Clear instruction, no waffle and a beautiful voice. I look forward to all your videaos

[@Dabigez829]

My basil just went into flowering, so I cut them off and planted the buds. They're just starting to sprout now into more basil plants. You just can't get rid of the plant. I add it to so many dishes that I prepared.

[@epicgardening]

Perfect! I usually try to snip the flowers before they start changing the taste of my basil, but after a certain point the plant just gets too big - you have to make cuttings. Cheers to having unlimited basil, Rick!

[@THEscgman]

Francois-Marie Arouet don’t be rude

[@gofigure4920]

@@TheOriginalNiceGuy .. wow...you should not say stuff like that...not even in jester. You are not a nice person.....😕

[@immeohmyoh]

Do you mean you planted the seeds within the bud (as a clump), i mean bud/seeds/and-all? Are are you saying you planted a cutting with some stem attached. Or just the seeds. (how long do they take to harden?). I'm confused. Need help.

[@Jblah]

@@immeohmyoh what part of "planting the buds" did you not understand?

[@potatopotatoeOG]

I don't even have basil but I'm just here for the tips and the plant therapy

[@kulturfreund6631]

We‘re the outsiders. I was looking for Basel (Switzerland) and got stranded here.

[@MegaHotdiggity]

Thank you for actually showing this! I had watched other vids talking about nodes and I kept thinking, “yes, but above or below the node”? Obviously not exactly getting it. Saving your video in case I lose my mind again!

[@dlou3264]

This was very clear how to do exactly what your menu title claimed. THANK YOU for that alone! I can see how very worth it to grow that way. I can also see HOW to do it! Well done! THANK YOU AGAIN!!!

[@jennifermenth-pavel1260]

Fantastic video, very helpful and informative. I can't wait to see more! Thank you for sharing! ❤😊

[@epicgardening]

Thank you for watching Jennifer!

[@AvantiMorocha1]

Super! I've learned so much with your videos 😊👍 Thank you

[@MrToontuber]

3, 4 bucks for some basil leaves?? We get a herb potplant for €1.35 I 'n the supermarket. from Holland.

[@jjsepulveda519]

Thank you. After scrolling through several videos, I can actually SEE what you are saying. Simple, easy to understand and learn. 💪

[@colleenjohnson4116]

Thanks so much for this info, going to follow this on my next basil plant. My current is so leggy and sick looking!

[@KKS2JA]

Thank you so much for this video! I was wondering how I could have healthier looking basil plants without having to propagate 20 of them 😂 I was always so scared of pruning because I didn't fully understand it and I didn't want to mess up the plant, but definitely going to try it our now! 🤗

[@kimberli8225]

Why is my basil so pale? Is it to much direct sun? I live in Florida. Fl.girl

[@rcchristian2]

@@kimberli8225 If it's pale it's one of these three things. 1: not enough sun (it sounds like this isn't your issue) 2: soil doesn't have enough nutrients (if you are reusing soil or have old soil, this could be the case and it's not getting enough nutrients. So you should simply just add some fertilizer to the plant 3: it needs lots of water. Also use a spray can if it's really hot and make sure your mist it every day. If you do have a lot of sun, it's going to need a lot of water to get green

[@guaromiami]

Thank you so much for posting! I bought a small sweet basil plant and transplanted it to a slightly larger pot. It's about 4 inches tall with quite a few leaves already. What are the "too early" and "too late" points at which to start pruning?

[@skatingcanuck9837]

I love these helpful, very succinct videos of yours. A lot of gardening youtube videos are too long. I don't always have time to watch a 10 min + videos. Thank you Kevin.

[@TITOFROG1]

Thank you thank you. You showed us how to properly prune basils to make them bushier. This video definitely helps us and can't thank you enough.

[@bhartiparihar]

Thank you for that! Your description of "a man with arm going straight up in the air" made it easy for me to recognize where to cut. You're awesome. :)

[@obsidiansea]

The only upside I see to letting it flower is that the pollinators love it. Last summer, I had a basil plant in my garden that I let get overgrown. At the end of the season, the pollinators were all over it because it was the last thing left that was still flowering.

[@VRutherford]

The basil doesn't taste as strong to me, if I let it flower

[@epiphanyiswriting4402]

I got a $4 pot of live basil from the grocery store a few months ago and have been pruning it using this method. It’s now about four times the size and gives me fresh basil whenever I want!

[@lisaduke8063]

Thank you for nailing my question about how to prune basil

[@4estdweller4ever]

Yummy with fresh mozzarella, sliced strawberries, balsamic vinegar glaze, olive oil and salt and pepper. Or pump up into a full salad with fresh spinach. I really like Kevin’s no gimmick approach to teaching. Easy to follow and doesn’t waste time. 👍

[@maxg971]

strawberries???

[@4estdweller4ever]

@@maxg971 Yes, it’s delicious with the mozzarella and balsamic glaze. Sweet and sour. Don’t forget salt on the mozzarella. I forgot to mention the most important ingredient…fresh basil!

[@randomfactsthatdontmatter3466]

@@4estdweller4ever replace the strawberry with a slice of tomato and you've got caprese

[@lucindabreeding]

I love it with halved, homegrown cherry tomatoes sauteed in a spritz of oil, with garlic salt and onion salt (or mince onion and garlic) served over whole wheat pasta!

[@Jamie-zs2bl]

Aww I wish my Basil looked like this!

[@epicgardening]

Follow the tips and it can!

[@johngolding4229]

Nice short. Great info and to the point. Enjoyed, Thxs.

[@thewholehealthlab]

i was literally thinking about this the other day and YT showed your video to me :) ty!

[@lynnnettleship5043]

I’m just starting to grow herbs. Can anyone give me a few tips. I bought Basil Rosemary and mint I love all three. I find it brings out the best in people when they get the soil between their fingers

[@pissdrunx0420]

Cool setup and info man, cheers and growers love

[@epicgardening]

Back at you my friend!

[@user-ri9tt2ip4m]

Thanks for great videos! I intentionally leave few basil plants flowering as they attract beneficial insects to the garden (mainly, pollinators). This time, I started Thai basil. It has amazing and very distinctive taste😁

[@scottgorman7166]

Such a wonderful plant for taste and aroma. Going to trim mine up tonight for Brochette. Thanks for the tips

[@markgutierrez7000]

Thanks for sharing I believe that is called topping the plant

[@epicgardening]

It is!

[@aimeehodgin6359]

4 years later...I think I have a green thumb until I grow Basil! 3 years ago, I grew the most beautiful big gorgeous basil & with in the past 2 years I am shaking my head like the Herb Fairy left me!!! So..I watched this. 4x! I will watch more from your Epic Gardening, but my basil does not even get this full! So..a month & 3 weeks ago...I got 3 bail plants. The Green, a Thai & a purple. My Thai & Purple are hanging in & my Green is prolly 1/8th of the original plant. Please help me Obi Wan!!! I used to be very good at this! Thanks! Take care!

[@newcenturyhomedecor7545]

Awesome. Straight to the point without wasting time.

[@brotherbruns2989]

It may be old, but it still has value! Thank You for making this video!

[@Bashabebe]

Can you explain your indoor light set up and growing process. The dark days are coming here in Seattle and I’d like to continue growing lots of plants even edibles inside in my apt.

[@navigator902]

Yes, I all ways enjoy a good explanation, verification, of epic technique which is very similar to what is done to cannabis.... Thanks

[@epicgardening]

Very welcome Frank!

[@fayezem6008]

Thank you for your advice! I appreciate your viewers' advice. Everyone helps each other.

[@cfox222]

THANK YOU SO MUCH. I was getting so confused reading articles on how to cut it, but the video really helped so thank you!

[@FindYourFree]

love ur station

[@epicgardening]

Thank you Imara :)

[@HeatherRawVeganHenry]

I am letting one of my basil plants grow out to get the seeds. The other three I will prune so they can keep growing.

[@epicgardening]

+3AMArt DotNet great strategy!

[@jrunkleful]

I love the comment you made where you said to clip it where it looks like a man with two hands in the sky. I was like YES I get it now! That was an excellent description. Thank you so much for this video.

[@spideywhiplash]

You have the BEST tutorials of anyone I ever seen. Now, I am going to the nursery for some basil.🌱 Thank you!😊

[@Karl_B]

Good tips Kevin. I don't grow basil yet, but it's good to know this.

[@epicgardening]

Thanks Karl - glad to hear from you!

[@snowflake1958]

I like how the basil's name is Kevin :)

[@rowdybliss]

All the years I’ve been growing basil and I never knew... thank you!!!

[@PorchGardeningWithPassion]

Very cool Kevin! I have been using the advice in the video for the past few months. I even trimmed one to the point that it was just a stick indoors. It is now outdoors producing tons of leaves 👊🏻🌻👊🏻

[@doralevitt2879]

Basil is called Italian perfume, I love to my stick face in it and inhale- the aroma is intoxicating!! 😍😆💗🤗

[@paulharvey1474]

A real smell of summer.

[@slalombabe1]

Me too

[@tutsecret499]

I am very sensitive to smell. But the basil is wonderful. Your garden smells good.

[@karmathegiant]

Good to know, thanks!

[@epicgardening]

You're welcome Joan!

[@lovetoclearclouds7017]

Thank you for this! I have 4 basils that are now around 2’ tall. I’ve been trying to keep them from flowering but they always find a way. I’ve trimmed them back so they’re fairly thick and bushy. Now I know where to trim. Thank you!🙏🏼 BTW, please do a vid if oregano can also be trimmed.🙏🏼🥰

[@Miss11779]

You explain so I can understand! Lol I have a baby that is growing and I was sure I could do this when it's big enough - I just knew it! And, it's just one stem, so I will be trying to regrow a new one from my first clippings! Definitely going to check for more stuff I need to know, now that I've found your page! Thank you!!

[@quickben2090]

I should have watched this earlier, my Basil is flowering like no tomorrow...

[@bryanv2913]

He says something at 2:20 that is entirely untrue. A simple pruning method will not keep basil from flowering. Follow his pruning method (which is a good pruning method and I do myself) and the lower leaves will eventually throw flowers. What causes a basil to "go to seed" - produce flowers and seeds is temperature - specifically root temperature. His soil-less setup is preventing flowering by keeping a very large heat sink of cold (water) on the roots. The trick that I used in Colorado and in south Texas to keep my basil from going to seed in a traditional soil setup is to water with cold water - literally refrigerator temp. Yup, I store my herbs water in the fridge. Another thing to add, basil is in the mint family, and both basil and mint are basically weeds, you can prune very aggressively without killing them. I've seen sheep/deer scalp em to the ground and they come back unharmed. So just advice to add to his "How" - Don't worry about being to aggressive, the plant will take it.

[@epicgardening]

Yes, 'technically' it is untrue, but if you keep cutting flowers off it can 'technically' never go to flower, even if they come from lower leaves. Of course the basil plant will eventually be so woody and the leaves won't taste great, but I think you know the message of the video :)

[@thegiftlady1]

Agree. Regardless of pruning my basil always goes to flower. However, pruning definitely delays the process. Best way to stop flowering is to keep rooting the cuttings. Young plants don't flower. 🌱

[@cdnarchitect3972]

Great video - many thanks. Also great 'followers' keeping it clean and helpful. I would love follow up videos on harvesting and preserving lots of your crops. eg. Basil: freeze in oil?; dehydrate? - how to and pros & cons of each. Thanks again.

[@Chimel31]

For basil, I cut the leaves starting as the bottom, because that's the ones that wilt first, and I also cut the top of the stems like you do, but at 3 nodes when the stem is thick enough. I then remove the leaves from the 2 bottom nodes and plant the stem in a new pot, with these 2 nodes buried in potting soil to make new roots, and the leaves of the end node exposed to light to start growing a new plant. Works like a charm, even in almost pure clay when I didn't have any compost left. This way, you don't just keep your main plant productive for longer, you also propagate it and you'll have plenty to give away to friends and to make pesto early next year. Propagating basil this way is faster than growing it from seed, and it's also cheaper if you want to maintain varieties with different strengths and flavors, some of which are pretty expensive as seeds or seedlings.

[@fatimaparker3917]

I've tried this and my basil is getting quite bushy ! Thank you. One question, can you still use the large leaves at the bottom of the plant or should you only cut from the top?

[@fatimaparker3917]

@@thegoodtom1718 thank you 😊

[@zacheysflip859]

Your demo is better then my garden so you get a thumbs up from me 👍🏻

[@blanu2]

This was very helpful to me. I have some basil that is getting out of control. Too tall and few leaves. I think this is going to save my basil!

[@Peaceonearthrn]

Basil grows well in my aerogarden. I haven't tried cutting and regrowing yet as I've seen I'm other videos but will try this week.

[@sebastianblanc]

Is it possible for a basil to be *too* bushy? My basil is on the outside deck. I'm thinking about lower leaves that get no light, or the possibility that the basil could could some kind of mildew or blight.

[@epicgardening]

Definitely, I'd harvest the ones that aren't getting much sun anyways as soon as possible, because they'll just decay over time and 1. be wasted 2. potentially become a disease entry point. Great question!

[@onethousandwords]

Epic Gardening Thanks! Helpful.

[@epicgardening]

You bet.

[@Grangranof4]

Sebastian Blanc I

[@jenwyatt1864]

Sebastian Blanc if it's too bushy, maybe pinch back some of the leaves?

[@bigpapi3636]

Good one! I keep several basil plants on the patio to repel flies and keep replacing when they go to flower. I wonder if I can root the cuttings? Regardless I'm going to follow this pruning regimen.

[@epicgardening]

Thanks Robert! You can certainly root the cuttings, I should do a video on that soon :)

[@nancyp4274]

Can't you just stick the cuttings directly into the soil to root or must you put them in water to root ? 'Ive root many things,( EVEN orchids !!!) by sticking them directly in soil and keeping moist for a couple weeks.

[@33377773]

Looking forward to seeing how to root the cuttings :)

[@nancyroach9412]

Thank you! This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for making it easy to understand!

[@aliwald2120]

Wow! So simple and informative! Thank you!!

[@tomwimbledon3160]

Just to add, after the 4th set of good leaves, don't count the little ones at the very bottom, is the best place to make the first cut. This won't stop the plant going to flower unless you continue making subsequent cuts, if you see flowers, clip them immediately. Also if your growing multiple plants, I suggest using a solution of your choosing to protect against mildew. Use it early on, as once they have it, it's too late... You can still use basil with mildew, but you must wash and dry it first

[@dominationvallian]

Like topping a cannabis plant! So many similarities!

[@radar5464]

My basil plant was growing very tall and thin....this is great info! I knew about cloning for a new plant, but not how to prune!!!

[@debigraham4171]

Thank you for doing this video. My basil is always tall and scraggly ,so this has been very useful.

[@jenniferjohns5087]

He was gonna say "thickier". Hehe

[@dahliasflowertruck5341]

Question for you. if my basil has flowered can I still prune it back to keep growing or is it too late?

[@thismessismine]

Try not to let it go to flower because it affects the flavor of the basil a lot. If it's just beginning to flower you can pinch those off and then follow these instructions, but it will work best if they never get to that point.

[@thismessismine]

I believe that you could still take a cutting off that plant and start a new basil plant though!

[@claywixom7807]

Kevin, loved your video on pruning basil, as a knowledgeable mint family gardener, people used to know about that in the mid to late 70’s, but now you can try something new, it has been shown that even mild pruning stunts the plant to a small degree, try this, as long as the stem is flexible tie a string loosely around the highest point of the tip, then gently bend the tip down till it's below the next branch down, and when those 2 tips become taller than the original tip, then you can release the string but the 2 new ones will retain the control, yes I do like writing books. 😂

[@juliescott4390]

Just "found" you and subscribed! I'm obsessed with basil. (I make my own flaxseed crackers and eat them with homemade lebna (yogurt "cheese"), unhealthy pepperoni, and basil every morning.) I'm excited about trying this. I see the video about propagation, and am headed over there to watch it right now.