Harvesting Basil

One of the most important roles in growing a superb batch of basil is the harvesting of the basil plants. This is what is going to help you to grow your plant to the maximum height and provide the bushiest plant possible with the most amounts of leaves. It is considered the secret to growing great basil, and although most people know they must harvest basil, they may be unsure of how to do it. The key to a proper harvest is actually the pruning that you do to produce the best harvest.

Prior to transplanting them you should try nipping off the end growth of each branch. The plant should have at least 3 sets of leaves at this point, and be at least 1 foot tall, to ensure that you are not going to kill the plant. The general recommendation though is that you wait until they have 4 to 6 sets of leaves so that the plant will flourish for a longer period of time. For the first pruning you should cut the plant right above the second set of leaves. This needs to be done every 3 weeks or so, to see a significant growth. If you do this correctly every time then you should be able to produce 15 - 24 cups of basil per plant per season.

Some people choose to harvest more frequently, with less cutting. It is less dramatic than if you only harvest every 3 weeks because you are only cutting the top set of leaves. It will lessen the amount of basil you have to use at that time, but you will be harvesting every week so it tends to produce the same amount over the long run.

Typically the best time to harvest the basil is in the morning. It should be right after the morning dew and before the heat of the afternoon. The essential oils are at their strongest, giving more of a robust flavor to the basil. The night before you harvest your basil, you should water down the plant thoroughly to ensure that all the dust and particles have been washed off.

You will know when the end of the plant life is near with the flowering of the buds. You can keep harvesting by cutting off the buds before they bloom, but many think that this takes away from the beauty of the plant.

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