A GARDENER has shared a harvesting tip that encourages growth without damaging your basil plants.
He explained that the hack will encourage basil growth all through summer.
The gardener (@back_yard_bountiful) shared the gardening tip in a viral post.
When it comes to basil plants, he explained that it was fairly common for novice gardeners to "mess up" the harvesting process.
He began by checking his basil plants for flowers, which signals how ready they are for pruning.
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If a plant does not yet have a flower, he advises leaving the plant alone to grow more.
Those that do have flowers are ready for pruning, and a hack helps him prune the plant at its peak for regrowth.
From the bottom of the plant's stem, he counts three nodes up, grabs a pair of scissors, and snips the plant above the third node.
"Use that basil for your dish," he said.
"See these shoots on either side of the node I just cut? They're going to grow into new stems."
He showed off a basil plant he'd pruned earlier, which had grown into its new stems and even sprouted flowers.
With a pair of scissors, he repeated the node trick, cutting the basil off above the third node.
"Keep doing this and you'll be harvesting all summer," he said.
The gardener recommended using fresh basil in salads and topping Italian dishes with it.
Beginner gardeners were thankful for the advice.
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"Thank you so much! I've been doing this wrong forever!" said one commenter.
"I was always wondering why mine wouldn't last. So helpful, thanks!" said another.
Others shared additional tips and tricks to prevent damaging the plant.
"I was told to never cut basil with metal," said one viewer.
"Pinch the stem with finger and [your] thumb nails."
"You are correct!" seconded a more experienced viewer.
One commenter suggested pinching the flowers off if you don't need the basil right away.
While some felt the technique wasn't needed, the gardener explained that it was critical for him.
"This is unnecessary. Just pick the flower off, no need for counting or getting specific," said one viewer.
"Disagree. We want a bushier rather than a tall plant; we do this," the gardener replied.
