When you water your basil plant, measure it with a tape measure or ruler to see how much it has grown. That makes for the juiciest leaves. Drawing on the knowledge of the founders, Artemisia Nursery also offers consultations, designs, and installations. If you live in a humid area, like the Southeast, you’ll need to use a dehydrator or your oven instead of the hanging method to dry your basil. Artemisia Nursery is a worker-owned small business with plans to become a worker-owned cooperative. Basil is an important ingredient in Italian recipes. If you’re wanting to harvest basil leaves, this isn’t a good sign. That’s good for your plants because it helps them stay healthy, and it’s good for you because you’ll get more basil without growing more plants. Here's some quick tips to ensure you enjoy the largest yield from your basil plants. Leave them sit for 1-2 hours or until the surface moisture has evaporated. We’ll show you the easiest way to harvest fresh basil, plus how to store it so you have delicious basil for weeks or months to come. I wanted to learn how to plant it. Picking them before the heat of the day will give you the juiciest leaves, but you can still pick them any time of day if you can’t get out in the morning. If you want to dehydrate more of your crops and experiment with dried tomatoes, crispy green beans, and other goodies, you’ll want a larger dehydrator. Then, pinch off any number of leaves with your fingers to use as a garnish or in a recipe. Though, if you are using HID or LED, these are also well suitable as long as you are sure to have exact spacing from the tops of your plants. There's no better way to add flavor to summer dishes than with a bit of this fresh herb. "I just bought some nursery garlic. You can freeze the leaves on cookie sheets and, once froze, pack them into an airtight container. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. If you’re experiencing unsatisfactory results from your basil, here’s the secret to growing basil successfully! Bring them inside and rinse the leaves in a bowl or colander of cold water or under a gentle stream of water. You can enjoy it practically all summer long and store your last big harvest to hold you through the winter months. Basil seedlings. But while basil loves the sun, the leaves can scorch in intense light. These frozen basil cubes are perfect for making pesto or adding to pasta sauces. To harvest a small amount of … There's no better way to add flavor to summer dishes than with a bit of this fresh herb. … If you make a purchase using one of these links, Together Time Family will receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Poke a few ventilation holes and let it dry out for a few days. Before learning how to harvest basil, I’d like to offer a few tips on growing basil, which I trust you’ll find beneficial to your gardening experience. The more basil you eat the more basil you’ll grow as picking leaves encourages new growth. The basil can last for up to a few weeks. Fresh or dried, basil brightens up many recipes and can be used hundreds of ways. Basil is an herb from the mint Bind the branches together and hang them up to air dry in a warm room. I remember the first time I grew basil. Regular pruning also delays flowering, which turns leaves bitter. While you’re picking, periodically pinch off the branch tips, to … In this post, I'll describe the best way to harvest basil and provide you with some other tips. There’s nothing like fresh basil on pizza, pasta, or homemade bruschetta. This post includes affiliate links. How to Harvest Basil. Some people recommend waiting until the plant is 12″ tall, but if you have a bushy plant instead of a leggy one, that can lead you to wait too long to harvest. If you want to harvest a lot of basil, clip the stem itself up to a third of the way … But many beginners have problems here, how to harvest basil properly and how to use it in daily meals. Shake the bag to free the seeds. Harvest the leaves individually rather than chopping the plant with scissors, as this will enable new leaves to grow. Growing basil can sometimes be surprisingly challenging, as I learned long ago. To cut fresh basil, use a sharp knife and cut the leaves as fine as you need to. Sow basil seed successionally from spring to summer so you have a continuous crop. Karen Miller. Basil is rich in vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C, magnesium, iron, potassium, and calcium. The problem now is, the basil has gotten so big that it ove… As a note – after you’ve enjoyed a few harvests, you may want to let some of your basil blossom. If you need more than a few leaves, you … Cut off the brown and spent flower heads and let them dry for a few days in a warm, dry location. Learned how to grow, care for, and harvest my sweet basil."..." Zones: 2-11 (as an annual, zones 10-11 as a perennial), Needs: Moist, well-drained soil and full to partial sun. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. How To Harvest and Dry Basil . Water sparingly – basil hates to sit in wet compost. Basil is an excellent herb to use in pasta, tomato and salad dishes. As mentioned before, once your basil starts to flower, the leaves will lose flavor and color and become more bitter. Remove the steps from above the growth node (about ¼ inch back) Cut the steps and bind them together in small bunches. Sweet Basil with olives, onions, garlic, or tomato. If you’ve got it growing in your garden or pots this year, here’s how to harvest basil to get the best crop possible out of your plants. In addition to California native plants, Artemisia Nursery offers a selection of succulents, heirloom veggie and herb starts, house plants, pottery, and gardening tools and supplies. I mean yes, you could just pull away any leaves from the plant, but that would do nothing but decrease your basil production. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/c\/c2\/Harvest-Basil-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Harvest-Basil-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/c2\/Harvest-Basil-Step-1.jpg\/aid9293764-v4-728px-Harvest-Basil-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"