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| Hi all,
I have some basil plants i grew from seed that are near ready for harvest. It is my first time and I have read up soo much online how to harvest basil, but still have some doubts... When you say "pinch off the top", do you mean pinch off the two or four tiny leaves growing at the tip of the plant to leave a leveled stem at the tip? I also read "pinch off the leaves just above (or below)" where a new set of leaves are growing out between the leaf and the stem... is that correct? Wont that leave an ugly flat area? Will it grow back? Will i stunt the plant? What if I just pulled off the leaves starting from the older ones at the bottom (they are huge already!)? What happens? I realise that anyway i pull them off, the plant will continue to grow, but I'd really like to do it the right way to encourage a good bushy growth. Many thanks! |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by fatamorgana Zone 5/6 (My Page) on Tue, Apr 10, 12 at 9:29
| The general rule of thumb is to harvest no more than 1/3 of the living mass (leaves especially) of a plant at any one time if you want it to keep living and growing. Some plants you can go more than 1/3, some less. It depends upon the plant. With young basil, go slow. Take only a little to encourage more growth. That will ensure bountiful future harvests. Make sure to leave some nice healthy leaves and leaf buds on the plant. FataMorgana |
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