PRUNING
Pruning your herb plant will give it the opportunity to grow larger, produce more, and even taste better. When you are pruning your plant, the most important thing to remember is to not cut off more than one third of the plant. If you prune more than one third, you can cause the plant to go into shock. This can lead to stunted growth in your herbs and even your plant dying.
Pruning Basics
- When you see your herbs start to flower, it usually indicates that it is at the end of its life cycle. Herb plants create flowers to spread seeds after the herb dies, so that new herbs can grow in the upcoming season. When flowers appear on your herbs, it takes away the energy from creating new leaves to grow flowers instead. It can also cause the flavor of your herbs to change, which is why you want to prune these off as soon as possible. To do this, take a pair of shears and clip off the stem growing the flowers. By doing this, you are given the herb more opportunity to grow leaves, and to elongate its lifespan.