John M

You can preserve basil for later use by drying, freezing, or turning it into infused oils and pesto cubes. If you’ve got a thriving basil plant and more leaves than you can possibly use in fresh salads and pasta dishes, you probably want to know the best ways to preserve basil for later use.   … Read more

You pick leaves off a basil plant by pinching them off right where they meet the stem, starting from the top down to encourage bushier growth.   This simple method is the key to a healthy, abundant basil harvest, and it’s way easier than you might think.   If you’ve ever wondered how to pick … Read more

You pick fresh basil by looking for leaves that are vibrant, firm, and free of any dark spots or wilting.   If you’re wondering how to pick fresh basil that actually lasts, the trick is all in the stem and the leaf texture, not just the color.   When you pick fresh basil straight from … Read more

You pick basil without killing the plant by only taking leaves from the upper part of the stem, never stripping the lower sections bare.   Learning how to pick basil without killing the plant is all about making the right cuts in the right places, and it’s honestly simpler than most gardeners think.   If … Read more

You pick basil off the plant by snipping or pinching the leaves from the top of the stem, just above a pair of leaf nodes.   This is the single best way to harvest basil because it encourages the plant to grow bushier instead of taller and leggy.   When you pick basil off the … Read more

You pick basil leaves in a way that keeps it growing by always snipping just above a pair of healthy leaves, never pulling from the bottom or stripping the stem completely.   When you do this correctly, the plant responds by sending out two new branches from those leaf nodes.   That’s the real secret … Read more