The red version of the popular green culinary herb is also becoming increasingly common in home herb gardens. There are a few things to keep in mind when caring for it, because the basil plant is anything but undemanding. Regular cutting can make a big difference.
Should you cut back red basil?
Cutting red basil is animportant care measureand definitelyrecommended. Especially if it is a perennial basil plant, regular cutting should not be avoided in order to optimize growth and harvest.
How far can you cut back red basil?
It is important to cut back basil only so far thatat least one pair of leaves remains. There is no need to be very cautious when cutting back the edible red basil as a care measure. We recommend
- Regularly and consistently cut off all branches on which buds are forming and
- In the growth phase from May/June to September, regularly shorten the shoot tips, which corresponds to the harvesting process (see tip box).
When is the best time to cut red basil?
It should definitely be cut backbefore flowering- this is the so-called harvest cut. Once basil has bloomed, it stops growing. If the red basil is an annual, it is cut back completelybefore winter. If not all of the cuttings can be processed fresh, it is possible to dry the basil, freeze it or make pesto or a flavored oil from it. Perennial red basil such as the popular “African Blue” variety should also be cut back before overwintering - but significantly less.
How often should red basil be cut?
So that the culinary herb stays alive for as long as possible and produces a rich harvest, it should be cut regularlyevery one to two weeks. In this way, flowering can be delayed during the growth phase.
Tip
The cut shoot tips can be used to propagate the red basil.
What are the benefits of cutting back red basil?
The advantages of cutting back include the resultingcompact and bushy growthShoots that are too dense, however, should be thinned out so that fungal diseases cannot spread unhindered.
In addition If the red basil has not yet bloomed thanks to cutting, the leaves are significantlyaromaticin taste and the plant produces aricher harvest because they growth does not stop.
Does cutting back also have disadvantages?
Basically, cutting red basil hasno disadvantages. Only if no leaf axil from which new shoots can form were left standing, the plant would be destroyed and would have no opportunity to sprout again.
Tip
Even when harvesting, cut instead of plucking
If you need red basil for cooking, you should definitely avoid picking off individual leaves. It is much better to always cut off an entire shoot tip, at least five centimeters long, just above a branch. The same applies here: one or two pairs of leaves should remain standing. The basil can then form new shoots at the interface.
