5 collect basil to ensure a constant source of fresh herbs

An excellent addition to any kitchen garden is fresh basil. It tastes great, requires little maintenance, and has a pleasant scent that repels common garden pests like mites and aphids. One way to keep this plant productive in your yard (or on your windowsill) is to prune it. Regularly cutting back the leaves or stems of your basil plant allows it to focus its energy on new growth. We spoke to gardening professionals who explain how to harvest and preserve basil leaves and stems so you can be confident you’re harvesting this plant the right way.

Meet the Expert

Lisa Hilgenberg is a gardener at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Regenstein Fruit and Vegetable Garden, which features 400 different culinary plants in exquisitely designed beds.
Sally McCabe is associate director of community education for the non-profit Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, which uses horticulture to improve access to fresh food, healthy living and employment opportunities in the Philadelphia area.
Related: How to Grow and Care for Basil Plants—Indoors and Outside

When to Harvest Basil

Basil should be harvested when it is six to eight inches tall and has four sets of leaves. “Ideally, you should harvest plants before they bloom,” advises Sally McCabe, associate director of community education for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. “You can even harvest during the growing season.” When your basil plant hasn’t seen rain or water in a few days, harvest in the morning when the oils are at their highest concentration.

How to Harvest Basil Leaves

The Chicago Botanic Garden’s Lisa Hilgenberg, horticulturist at the Regenstein Fruit and Vegetable Garden, adds that picking individual basil leaves will help balance and care for the plant. If you need a few leaves at a time, this is a great option. If you only want to harvest the leaves, carefully pinch off each leaf where the stem joins the main branch. “Start with the topmost leaves and work your way down to encourage bushier growth,” says McCabe.

How to Harvest Basil Stems

When basil stems are harvested, the plant produces additional leaves more quickly. “For full stems, use sharp shears or pruners to cut just above the leaf node (the bump where a new leaf grows),” advises McCable. “It will also encourage new growth in that area.” For bushy, robust plants in summer, Hilgenberg recommends removing basil stems every two to three weeks until the first frost.

How to Store Fresh Basil

According to McCabe, the best way to preserve fresh basil is to cut off the lowest leaves and place the stems in a glass of water on your tabletop, just as you would with flowers. If you’re just collecting leaves, place them in a resealable bag and cover with a damp paper towel. Alternatively, you can freeze the leaves in an ice tray filled with water before storing them longer in a freezer bag. Hang the basil leaves upside down to dry the leaves and keep them in an airtight container after drying.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long can a basil plant live?

Being an annual, the life cycle of basil ends in a single growing season. It will continue to exist until frost kills it or it blooms and sets seed. According to McCabe, regular picking will delay flowering and extend the life of the plant.

Will basil grow back if it’s cut down to the soil?

Although it’s not best practice, basil can regrow if it’s cut down to the soil. It will take some time, but new shoots will emerge from the base as long as the roots are healthy, says McCabe.