Cutting Back

I remember when my dad would cut back our huge Chinese Elm tree in our front yard.  It would look so bare and dead.  But of course, it always grew back again, healthier than ever.  It's actually good for most plants to be cut back.  I recently bought a little Basil plant from the grocery store.  I have not gotten around to planting it in the ground yet, and I may decide not to.  It's doing fine where it is and I really see it as a temporary visitor to my garden.

But like most herbs, it needs to be cut back.  This is really a win/win situation!  As I cut a few bunches of basil, it encourages the plant to grow back stronger.

In the middle of this photo, you may be able to see a place where there are two sets of new growth with small leaves.  Look closely between them and you may see a whitish place where I have pinched off the branch.  I made a great salad with garbanzo beans and fresh tomatoes and I also added some fresh basil.  That was a couple of weeks ago.  It's fairly typical for two branches to start where ever one is snipped, so the plant grows back fuller. 

You can just pinch back the ends of the new growth, like those 2 sets of tiny leaves above.  Or you can clip lower on the branch.  But whenever you cut back, try to cut just above where there leaves growing.  You don't want to cut very far between branches or leaves.  A short section of branch will just heal over.  More than that leaves the plant vulnerable to disease and insect damage.  Not only that, it won't look nice having all those sticks poking out.

I think I'll go out right now and pinch back that basil some more.  Shall I make pasta with chicken and marinara with fresh basil for dinner tonight?