Basil can be a very deceptive plant, as it will stay alive for ages even if you just leave it sitting on a windowsill, but it will not grow any edible leaves unless you care for it properly. Cynthia, a gardening expert from Grow Better Veggies, has shared that most herb gardeners do not realise they need to be removing the top leaves otherwise the plant will turn bitter.
She said: “I’ve talked to loads of people who seem to have trouble with basil. They plant it out in their herb garden or kitchen garden, and find that it never gets very big or bushy. The key to its success is pinch, pinc, pinching! Even at this very young age, we pinch off the top. No scissors or clippers required, the growing tip is easily removed with just your fingernails.”
Basil needs to be pinched regularly otherwise it can begin to flower, which sounds nice but actually means the plant will direct all its energy into seed production rather than leaf growth.
This results in smaller and tougher leaves that will not have any flavour, and instead they become very bitter so they will likely spoil a recipe if you use basil for cooking.
When basil begins to flower, it is nearing the end of its life cycle, but if you pinch regularly, the plant will not flower for a much longer while.
Pinching is very easy as it only takes a few seconds to do, but will result in a bushier basil plant with tasty leaves and will greatly help to keep the herb alive.
How to pinch basil plants to keep them growing
To begin, all you need to do is simply look at the plant and find the first leaf node, which is when a pair of leaves are growing directly opposite each other on a plant stem.
Make sure your hands are clean, and then gently pinch the stem just above this leaf node. You only need to remove the top stem part, so be careful not to damage any leaf buds growing on the node.
Get into the habit of pinching basil once a week, or if the plant seems to be getting taller or forming any flower buds.
Remove any flowers on basil immediately as if they are left to grow it will signal to the plant it is nearing the end of its life and will begin producing seeds instead of growing leaves.
If you take the time to pinch basil it will live a lot longer and concentrate more energy into the leaves so they will be much more flavourful.
