kellymurphy•1mo agoProlific Poster

My basil was always leggy until I tried pinching it back way earlier

I mean, I used to wait until the plant was like 8 inches tall before I'd pinch the top, but it still got weak and floppy. Last spring, I started pinching right above the second set of true leaves when the stem was maybe 3 inches, and it bush out like crazy. Has anyone else found a specific stage that works best for herbs like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

eric_carr1mo ago

Oh man, same exact problem here. I waited way too long last year and ended up with these tall, sad plants. Gonna try your method next time for sure.

avery_walker301mo ago

Wait, is that the trick? I saw a thing on youtube about pinching basil super early to stop it from bolting too. They said if you let it get tall first, it puts all its energy into growing up instead of getting full. Made sense when I heard it, but I've never actually grown herbs myself.