Proper way to trim herb plants?
Question:Hi i have my self a herb garden with some garlic!! Yum Yum cant wait to use them.. Anyways what is the proper way to trim my herbs? My Basil is growing so fast thought I would make so food with it tonight!! Anyways thanks for the answers
Answers:
Once herbs produce flowers, they want to produce seeds. And once they produce seeds, they die. If you want to eat the leaves, not save the seeds, don't let them flower. So, the best way to use them is to nip off the top 2 inches or so of every plant or stem, especially if it looks like it's making a flower. The plant responds by sending out side shoots, which has the added benefit of making the plant bushy. And this makes for a larger harvest.
just trim them all even but make sure that you dont cut off the flower that they give.
Take out the dark mature sprigs which will help the smaller plants to grow easier.Just clip them off at the base.
Keep Basil and Sage trimmed and don't let them flower. Once they flower, all their nutrients will go into producing seeds and that will cause bitterness.
I keep my Basil trimmed because I'm constantly using the leaves. I cut stems of Sage as the stems begin to produce flower buds.
Basil is also good on porches and patios because it keeps away mosquitoes and flies. Basil is also a great companion plant around Broccoli for the same reason.
You can allow some herbs to flower because it is the seeds you use and not the leaves.
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Don't let garlic go to seed! Otherwise you will have thousands of little garlic seedlings next spring and your garlic will be "pithy" tasting.
Clip off the flower heads and the garlic will die back on it;s own, then it will be ready to harvest.
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