My Basil Pruning Trick for Bigger, Bushier Plants!
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Date: 2025-06-18
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Comments and reviews: 20
m. maclellan7147
One idea for a video would be transitioning plants from outside to inside.
Here in Massachusetts, we have a very short growing season, & I would LOVE to try & overwinter a few plants. Is there a non-toxic soil / plant drench that would keep the bugs from moving inside as well
This is on my mind as my stoop garden just got started & I found aphids on my eggplants! I used isopropyl alchohol & some Q tips to clean the bugs off my 2 plants! Normally, I have marigolds that seem to have worked well as companion plants & have been pretty bug free the last few years. This year, I saw some sprouted marigolds coming up, so I didn't buy any new ones.
I didn't have any bug poison about, and the alcohol works well to kill ticks (I have a dog, so ticks are a fact of life)
Would love to try the basil like you showed, but feel like I would run out of time!
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One idea for a video would be transitioning plants from outside to inside.
Here in Massachusetts, we have a very short growing season, & I would LOVE to try & overwinter a few plants. Is there a non-toxic soil / plant drench that would keep the bugs from moving inside as well
This is on my mind as my stoop garden just got started & I found aphids on my eggplants! I used isopropyl alchohol & some Q tips to clean the bugs off my 2 plants! Normally, I have marigolds that seem to have worked well as companion plants & have been pretty bug free the last few years. This year, I saw some sprouted marigolds coming up, so I didn't buy any new ones.
I didn't have any bug poison about, and the alcohol works well to kill ticks (I have a dog, so ticks are a fact of life)
Would love to try the basil like you showed, but feel like I would run out of time!
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FloraM44
And if you blink and your basil suddenly starts going to flower, let it! Once the flowers drop and the stalks start drying out and getting prickly, cover the end of the stalk (where the flowers were) with a ziploc bag, grasp the base of the stem through the bag, and pull up along the stem. The nodules where all the seeds were forming will fall into your baggie. Then you just rub it (use gloves - it can be prickly) or roll over it or just shake it, and hundreds if not thousands of ready-to-sow-again seeds will pile up at the bottom of the bag! A gentle shake so the chaff rises to the top of the pile, and you can remove it or leave it as an aid to sowing later (it can help to spread out the seeds with the chaff bits as a buffer, like how some people mix carrot seeds with sand to make it easier to sow the tiny seeds)
Enjoy!
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And if you blink and your basil suddenly starts going to flower, let it! Once the flowers drop and the stalks start drying out and getting prickly, cover the end of the stalk (where the flowers were) with a ziploc bag, grasp the base of the stem through the bag, and pull up along the stem. The nodules where all the seeds were forming will fall into your baggie. Then you just rub it (use gloves - it can be prickly) or roll over it or just shake it, and hundreds if not thousands of ready-to-sow-again seeds will pile up at the bottom of the bag! A gentle shake so the chaff rises to the top of the pile, and you can remove it or leave it as an aid to sowing later (it can help to spread out the seeds with the chaff bits as a buffer, like how some people mix carrot seeds with sand to make it easier to sow the tiny seeds)
Enjoy!
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SeFreaCweth
I have to call you out. I advise against getting the best potting soil you can afford. With the mint family, take care to now over fertilize. There is no need to work against the plant. I have seen Basil, lavender, sage grow well in what you'd call sand. The mint family is a 'die hard' sort, if you want to grow them, I'd say sprinkle some seeds around your garden, then prepare to fight them back for soil space. Be careful/, One day, you'll call lamiaceae an herb, tomorrow you'll call it a weed. The mint family = With great power, means great responsibility.
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I have to call you out. I advise against getting the best potting soil you can afford. With the mint family, take care to now over fertilize. There is no need to work against the plant. I have seen Basil, lavender, sage grow well in what you'd call sand. The mint family is a 'die hard' sort, if you want to grow them, I'd say sprinkle some seeds around your garden, then prepare to fight them back for soil space. Be careful/, One day, you'll call lamiaceae an herb, tomorrow you'll call it a weed. The mint family = With great power, means great responsibility.
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plnkfloydian7814
I thought growing them indoors would prevent pests but I got spider mites on one. I took it outside sprayed it all off with a gentle pressure hose supporting the leaves with my hands. Everything looked fine for a few days, still no spider mites but I’ve got fungus on it now.
From what I read it’s toast which is a bummer as this was my first plant and I failed it. I have a clone of some thai basil going strong and a sweet emerald towers plant. I’m worried about over/under watering and proper aeration/ drainage
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I thought growing them indoors would prevent pests but I got spider mites on one. I took it outside sprayed it all off with a gentle pressure hose supporting the leaves with my hands. Everything looked fine for a few days, still no spider mites but I’ve got fungus on it now.
From what I read it’s toast which is a bummer as this was my first plant and I failed it. I have a clone of some thai basil going strong and a sweet emerald towers plant. I’m worried about over/under watering and proper aeration/ drainage
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kbh2300
I'm glad you said that at the end great for pollinators I love to separate the extra basils out from each other in the small pots with multiple plants. I grow one for eating and the rest I plant as filler in the flower garden and let them flower. They are great for pollinators. I usually have one or two tomato plants in with the flowers but like to plant my flowering basil by the tomatoes. They can start to get top heavy as was demonstrated but I just stick a stake in to prop them up.
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I'm glad you said that at the end great for pollinators I love to separate the extra basils out from each other in the small pots with multiple plants. I grow one for eating and the rest I plant as filler in the flower garden and let them flower. They are great for pollinators. I usually have one or two tomato plants in with the flowers but like to plant my flowering basil by the tomatoes. They can start to get top heavy as was demonstrated but I just stick a stake in to prop them up.
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brianmedeiros6073
Thank you so much for doing this video. I buy Basil from the store to brew a tea. I decided to grow my own Basil this year for the first time. I planted a row of seeds and they are doing great, and I have a lot of plants. I was just going to let them grow and harvest what I need. I will prune a few and let a few blossom. However, I do believe i planted too many seeds. I will view your video on how to store Basil. thank you very much.
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Thank you so much for doing this video. I buy Basil from the store to brew a tea. I decided to grow my own Basil this year for the first time. I planted a row of seeds and they are doing great, and I have a lot of plants. I was just going to let them grow and harvest what I need. I will prune a few and let a few blossom. However, I do believe i planted too many seeds. I will view your video on how to store Basil. thank you very much.
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SupahGeck
It reminds me of topping peppers or a certain medicinal herb. But since all you want from basil is the leaves, you cna be somewhat aggressive with it. With peppers etc, you need the flowers or fruits, so too much (or any) topping can stress your plant so much it barely produces that season. Most plants work the same deep down and using that understanding to cultivate exactly what you want from a plant is what makes a great gardener.
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It reminds me of topping peppers or a certain medicinal herb. But since all you want from basil is the leaves, you cna be somewhat aggressive with it. With peppers etc, you need the flowers or fruits, so too much (or any) topping can stress your plant so much it barely produces that season. Most plants work the same deep down and using that understanding to cultivate exactly what you want from a plant is what makes a great gardener.
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typhaneic
You mean Eric’s Gardening don’t you How much Chamomilay have ya got this year
Love basilI have a bunch, & from Botanical Interests too, I got the Variety packPerfect! They’re pretty big but this should help push them even further!
& I also have the dill, both mammoth & tetradoes the Tetra kinda look like tomato babies when it comes up
Also, I need to email you about Botanical Interest seeds I got please
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You mean Eric’s Gardening don’t you How much Chamomilay have ya got this year
Love basilI have a bunch, & from Botanical Interests too, I got the Variety packPerfect! They’re pretty big but this should help push them even further!
& I also have the dill, both mammoth & tetradoes the Tetra kinda look like tomato babies when it comes up
Also, I need to email you about Botanical Interest seeds I got please
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greenhorn8245
Love this kind of plant experiment! In Germany, I’ve tried a similar technique with basil and even applied it to mint and lemon balm works wonders!
I’m also testing yeast as a natural soil booster for stronger root growth. Sounds crazy, but the results have been wild so far.
Thanks Kevin great content as always. Greetings from a fellow plant nerd across the pond!
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Love this kind of plant experiment! In Germany, I’ve tried a similar technique with basil and even applied it to mint and lemon balm works wonders!
I’m also testing yeast as a natural soil booster for stronger root growth. Sounds crazy, but the results have been wild so far.
Thanks Kevin great content as always. Greetings from a fellow plant nerd across the pond!
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kristinbrandt4912
Hi Kevin, I've been following you for years and have learned so much from your content! Just wanted to say that i really appreciate and admire the amount of work you put in to these videos that follow a plant or experiment over several months or a season. That takes so much planning and patience! It makes for a really high quality video and it is so appreciated!
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Hi Kevin, I've been following you for years and have learned so much from your content! Just wanted to say that i really appreciate and admire the amount of work you put in to these videos that follow a plant or experiment over several months or a season. That takes so much planning and patience! It makes for a really high quality video and it is so appreciated!
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robertbuczek8751
Great tutorial for how to grow basil bushes! The other thing I do is mulch the soil with pine needles or straw so rain and hand watering don't splash soil unto the leaves cuz if you have to rinse the basil off to use for pesto etc you wash off a lot of the essential oils. I learned this from Nana who came here from Sicily in 1901.
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Great tutorial for how to grow basil bushes! The other thing I do is mulch the soil with pine needles or straw so rain and hand watering don't splash soil unto the leaves cuz if you have to rinse the basil off to use for pesto etc you wash off a lot of the essential oils. I learned this from Nana who came here from Sicily in 1901.
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TheRahsoft
1. those cuttings you harvest can be eaten or used to root to create new basil plants( which I do, or at worse feed them to your vermiculture.
2. you could grow a basil plant in a smaller pot and allow it to generate flowers to attract pollinators( i use these as companion plants for tomatoes)
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1. those cuttings you harvest can be eaten or used to root to create new basil plants( which I do, or at worse feed them to your vermiculture.
2. you could grow a basil plant in a smaller pot and allow it to generate flowers to attract pollinators( i use these as companion plants for tomatoes)
reply
theshirtless
Where are you growing these In the garden or in the greenhouse as I'm not seeing much bug damage on yours Cabbage looper caterpillars have been destroying mine this season as we don't like using BT and we just started to cover everything with fine mesh bug netting - which helps but not 100%.
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Where are you growing these In the garden or in the greenhouse as I'm not seeing much bug damage on yours Cabbage looper caterpillars have been destroying mine this season as we don't like using BT and we just started to cover everything with fine mesh bug netting - which helps but not 100%.
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epic_gardening
This is great. and. when I do trim off my flowers, I toss them in a salad. yummy! One question. are you applying the same technique to your hair as well Trying to make it bushyer Lol. Couldn't resist. I believe this is the first time I've actually seen your whole head of hair. maybe; )
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This is great. and. when I do trim off my flowers, I toss them in a salad. yummy! One question. are you applying the same technique to your hair as well Trying to make it bushyer Lol. Couldn't resist. I believe this is the first time I've actually seen your whole head of hair. maybe; )
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jekalambert9412
This is not a realistic comparison. When we grow basil, we harvest it. Your point about pinching back to the nodes can be incorporated into our harvesting technique to increase yields, but side by side, the heavily pruned plant seemed stunted by the pruning until late in its lifespan.
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This is not a realistic comparison. When we grow basil, we harvest it. Your point about pinching back to the nodes can be incorporated into our harvesting technique to increase yields, but side by side, the heavily pruned plant seemed stunted by the pruning until late in its lifespan.
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kittiew260
We are finally getting a dry and warm day. Hope my basil bounces back after a horrible spring more less rest my garden. It's been rough here NWPA
You all should hook up Gardening in Canada a soil scientist with a degree. I think you would love her science based information.
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We are finally getting a dry and warm day. Hope my basil bounces back after a horrible spring more less rest my garden. It's been rough here NWPA
You all should hook up Gardening in Canada a soil scientist with a degree. I think you would love her science based information.
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baneverything5580
I saved basil seeds last year to scatter around the garden for bees and the smell helps confuse the various caterpillar moths. I have a lot planted beneath okra, tomatoes, ground cherries and sunflowers and I harvest the tips of all the branches like you do.
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I saved basil seeds last year to scatter around the garden for bees and the smell helps confuse the various caterpillar moths. I have a lot planted beneath okra, tomatoes, ground cherries and sunflowers and I harvest the tips of all the branches like you do.
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epic_gardening
I never come across Strawberry Fields here in the SF East Bay. But Ocean Forest is widely available. Question though. If the plant is already forming flowers, will cutting them off buy more time Or is the plant going to end its life cycle soon regardless
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I never come across Strawberry Fields here in the SF East Bay. But Ocean Forest is widely available. Question though. If the plant is already forming flowers, will cutting them off buy more time Or is the plant going to end its life cycle soon regardless
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epic_gardening
Basil is a really cool plant! I got some massive Basil Bushes in my GreenStalks last year. I am planning on something similar again this year. The pruning really does help, so stay on top of it and remove the flower ASAP, if they get that far along.
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Basil is a really cool plant! I got some massive Basil Bushes in my GreenStalks last year. I am planning on something similar again this year. The pruning really does help, so stay on top of it and remove the flower ASAP, if they get that far along.
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Goshgolly27
I appreciate the time you dedicated to this video. It’s extremely helpful to see what to do in the different stages. Your videos help me be more confident in tending my plants, and I get compliments from my family on how well my plants are growing!
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I appreciate the time you dedicated to this video. It’s extremely helpful to see what to do in the different stages. Your videos help me be more confident in tending my plants, and I get compliments from my family on how well my plants are growing!
reply
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