Once you’ve planted herbs in the garden or containers, you may be tempted to walk away and let them grow unchecked. However, knowing when and how to prune herbs is so important. It helps your plants stay vigorous and productive, and keeps them growing longer than if left to fend for themselves.
Editor’s Note: For the best flavor from your fresh herbs, plan to harvest them in the morning before it gets hot and plants are stressed for water. Herbs also have more vibrant, fresher flavors when harvested from younger stems—another good reason to prune herbs often!
How to Prune Basil
Basil plants will grow quickly in the garden, getting leggy with oversized leaves. Pruning every couple of weeks will keep the plant tidy, prevent flowering and encourage growth of new leaves. Prune basil by snipping the stems about 3 to 4″ down from the tops, just above a leaf node. This is how to store fresh basil.
Lime Basil Pie
Spinach-Basil Lasagna
Basil & Heirloom Tomato Toss
Caprese Salad Kabobs
Chicken Provolone
Pesto
Basil Vegetable Strata
Basil Pork Chops
Crispy Goat Cheese Appetizers
Seared Salmon with Strawberry Basil Relish
Strawberry-Basil Cocktail
Heirloom Tomato Tart
Basil-Lemon Crab Linguine
Garlic Basil Butter
Grilled Basil Chicken and Tomatoes
Strawberry Basil Jam
Honey-Melon Salad with Basil
Viva Panzanella
Lemon-Basil Grilled Shrimp & Couscous
Basil Dill Coleslaw
Roasted Tomato Soup with Fresh Basil
Basil and Parsley Pesto
Tomato-Basil Steak
Peach-Basil Cooler
Caprese Chicken
Grilled Sausage-Basil Pizzas
Basil Corn & Tomato Bake
Blueberry, Basil and Goat Cheese Pie
Grilled Tilapia Piccata
Prosciutto-Pesto Breakfast Strata
Berry-Basil Limeade Jam
Lemon-Basil Mojito Mocktails
Bruschetta Chicken
Basil Grilled Corn on the Cob
Grilled Basil Chicken
Lemon Basil Salmon
Basil Burgers with Sun-Dried Tomato Mayonnaise
Mediterranean Chicken in Creamy Herb Sauce
Cherry Tomato & Basil Focaccia
Lemon-Basil Chicken Rotini
How to Prune Parsley
Regularly cutting your parsley plants not only stimulates new growth, but also keeps the plant from getting overgrown and going to seed. To prune parsley, go for the stems growing around the outside of the plant—new stems come up through the center. Trim outer stems close to the ground. Prune throughout the season when you see the plant getting gangly, to remove flowers or when you need parsley for a recipe.
Don’t miss our guide to cooking with fresh herbs!
Steak with Chipotle-Lime Chimichurri
Grilled Veggie Sandwiches with Cilantro Pesto
Blue Cheese-Stuffed Shrimp
Cheese and Fresh Herb Quiche
Chicken with Citrus Chimichurri Sauce
Heirloom Tomato & Zucchini Salad
Crunchy-Herbed Chicken Breasts
Lemon Garlic Mushrooms
Lemony Parsley Baked Cod
Simple Lemon Parsley Potatoes
Grapefruit-Gremolata Salmon
Homemade Ranch Dressing and Dip Mix
Flavorful Herb Bread
Garlic Lover's Chicken
Roasted Herb & Lemon Cauliflower
Quinoa Tabbouleh
Quick Bacon Potato Salad
Chicken Piccata with Lemon Sauce
Herb-Buttered Baby Carrots
Lemon-Parsley Baked Cod
Grilled Pineapple Chimichurri Chicken
Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad
Bow Ties with Walnut-Herb Pesto
Basil and Parsley Pesto
Red Potato Salad with Lemony Vinaigrette
Pork Meatballs with Chimichurri Sauce
Parsley Smashed Potatoes
Shrimp Pasta Salad
Garlic-Herb Mini Quiches
Garlic Garbanzo Bean Spread
Cherry Tomato Salad
Potato-Bean Salad with Herb Dressing
Spicy Kale and Herb Porchetta
Curry & Parmesan Tuna Salad
Herbed Salmon Fillet
Lemon Cranberry Quinoa Salad
Herbed Beer Can Chicken
Parsley Butter
Chimichurri Monkey Bread
Grilled Steaks with Cilantro Sauce
How to Prune Rosemary
Regular pruning of rosemary plants will keep the stems from getting thick and woody. If your rosemary has survived the winter, prune back older stems in the spring. On young rosemary plants, snip the top 2 to 3″ of the stems weekly or even more often if the plant is growing vigorously. Prune through the spring and summer.
Rosemary Flatbreads
Rosemary Sweet Potato Fries
Chicken with Red Wine Cream Sauce
Lemon-Rosemary Layer Cake
Strawberry-Rosemary Yogurt Pops
Beer-Braised Pulled Ham
Rosemary Butternut Squash Lasagna
Sausage Skillet with Pasta & Herbs
Bistro Herb-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin
Rosemary-Parmesan Popcorn
Garlic Chicken with Herbs
Herb Roasted Root Vegetables
Citrus & Herb Roasted Turkey Breast
Herbed Apple-Cranberry Bread Dressing
Apple Orchard Pork Roast
Rosemary-Thyme Lamb Chops
Cranberry, Brie & Turkey Pizza
Roasted Herb & Lemon Cauliflower
Honey-Roasted Chicken & Root Vegetables
Flavorful Mashed Potatoes
Skillet Beef and Potatoes
Bruschetta with Prosciutto
Champagne Cocktail
Winter Squash, Sausage & Feta Bake
Lemon & Rosemary Shortbread Cookies
Lamb Stew
Kalamata Cheesecake Appetizer
Grandma's Rosemary Dinner Rolls
Rosemary Jelly
Herb Garden Vegetables
Herbed Goat Cheese Baguette Slices
Rosemary Beet Phyllo Bites
Portobello Bruschetta with Rosemary Aioli
Mushroom-Gruyere Scalloped Potatoes
Brussels Sprouts in Rosemary Cream Sauce
Rosemary Lemonade
Rosemary-Lemon Sea Salt
White Bean Soup with Rosemary & Parmesan
Roast Rack of Lamb with Herb Sauce
French Onion Pizza au Gratin
How to Prune Thyme
Thyme is another woody type of herb and frequent trimming will promote new growth. You can pinch leaves from thyme plants as you need them, or trim the top couple of inches of the stems. Cut stems just above a leaf node (where the leaves grow from the stems). Flowers can be removed so that more leaves will grow; however, thyme plants will still grow even after flowering.
Lemon & Thyme Roasted Chicken
Thymed Zucchini Saute
Thyme-Baked Apple Slices
Orange-Glazed Pork Loin
Herb & Romano Cheese Wreath
Chicken & Garlic with Fresh Herbs
Heirloom Tomato Pie
Asparagus 'n' Shrimp with Angel Hair
Flavorful Mashed Potatoes
Orange-Thyme Chicken in Garlic Sauce
The Ultimate Chicken Noodle Soup
Roasted Potatoes with Garlic Butter
Slow-Cooker Short Ribs
Grilled Lemon & Thyme Lemonade
Blushing Penne Pasta
Thyme-Roasted Carrots
Rosemary-Thyme Lamb Chops
Maple-Thyme Chicken Thighs
Thyme-Sea Salt Crackers
Strawberry-Thyme Jam
Thyme & Basil Roast Pork
Honey-Thyme Butternut Squash
Turkey Thyme Risotto
Spring-Thyme Chicken Stew
Lemon Thyme Green Tea
Potato Kielbasa Skillet
Cherry Tomato Mozzarella Saute
Shrimp Tortellini Pasta Toss
Chicken Biscuit Potpie
West African Chicken Stew
How to Prune Mint
You will be much happier with your mint if you prune it frequently throughout the season. Left unchecked, established mint plants will overrun your garden and even the lawn! Begin pruning and harvesting mint in spring as soon as leaves appear on the stems. Trim mint stems back by as much as half, and this can be done every few weeks. Pruning this way works with all varieties of mint.
Mojito Slush
Minty Watermelon-Cucumber Salad
Minty Sugar Snap Peas
Cantaloupe Ice Pops
Cilantro & Lemon Marinated Chicken Kabobs
Touch-of-Mint Iced Tea
Couscous Tabbouleh with Fresh Mint & Feta
Hearty Chicken Gyros
Mint Julep
Summer Orzo
Tandoori-Style Chicken with Cucumber Melon Relish
Minted Beet Salad
Couscous Salad with Olives & Raisins
Lemon Mint Curd
Cranberry-Lime Semifreddo with Pound Cake
Mint Watermelon Salad
Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad
Grilled Pork with Pear Salsa
Brown Sugar Salmon with Strawberries
Grilled Fruit Phyllo Tart
Mediterranean Bulgur Bowl
Pork Tenderloin with Cranberry-Orange Relish
Curried Beef Pitas with Cucumber Sauce
Mint-Cucumber Tomato Sandwiches
Spring Chicken and Pea Salad
Moroccan Stuffed Mushrooms
Strawberry Mint Chicken
Pork Tenderloin with Cranberry-Pear Chutney
Whole Wheat Orzo Salad
Mojito Marinated Fruit
Mediterranean Layered Dip
Mimi's Lentil Medley
Stuffed Grilled Zucchini
Grilled Greek Fish
Yellow Squash & Watermelon Salad
Shrimp with Tomatoes & Feta
Grilled Steaks with Cilantro Sauce
Slow-Cooker Tropical Pork Chops
Casablanca Chutney Chicken
Lime Mint Jelly
Lemon Herb Quinoa
Delicate Mint Thins
Spicy Beef Salad
Thai Veggie Dip
Dad's Best Pork Chops
Spiced Mint Tea
Watermelon Cups
Pea Soup Shooters
Honey-Lime Berry Salad
Moroccan Pot Roast
Minted Butter
Zesty Herbed Lamb Chops
Halibut Steaks with Papaya Mint Salsa
Citrusy Fruit Kabobs
Iced Melon Moroccan Mint Tea
Minted Sugar Snap Pea Salad
Layered Mediterranean Dip with Pita Chips
Lemon Mint Spritzer
Raspberry Mint Jam
Avocado Fruit Salad with Tangerine Vinaigrette
Grilled Pork Noodle Salad
Rustic Tuscan Pepper Bruschetta
Maple Blackberry Mojito
How to Prune Cilantro
Cilantro plants that are not pruned will quickly produce flowers, and then die back. Snip stems from your cilantro before it flowers, cutting about one third of the way down the stem with leaves remaining below so the plant can regrow. The plant loses energy later in the season and you’ll have to let it go to seed at this point. (Those seeds are coriander!) This is why some gardeners do successive plantings of cilantro seeds to have new plants growing all summer.
Here’s how to chop cilantro.
Spiced Grilled Chicken with Cilantro Lime Butter
Fajita-Style Shrimp and Grits
Sriracha Veggie Slaw
Steak with Chipotle-Lime Chimichurri
Creamy Lime Pie with Fresh Berries
Strawberry Tomato Salsa
Cilantro & Lemon Marinated Chicken Kabobs
Vegetarian Pad Thai
Southwestern Goulash
Jicama Citrus Salad
Orange-Glazed Chicken & Chorizo Meatballs
Cilantro Ginger Carrots
Flank Steak with Cilantro Salsa Verde
Cilantro-Avocado Tuna Salad Sandwiches
Flank Steak with Cilantro & Blue Cheese Butter
Cilantro-Lime Chicken Sandwiches
Cilantro-Lime Rice
Mexican Egg Casserole
Cilantro Salad Dressing
Watermelon and Spinach Salad
Black Bean & Corn Quinoa
Grilled Steaks with Cilantro Sauce
Sesame Cilantro Shrimp
Shrimp & Avocado Salads
Cilantro Blue Cheese Slaw
Cilantro Shrimp & Rice
Radish, Carrot & Cilantro Salad
Cilantro Tomato Bruschetta
Watermelon and Tomato Salad
Cilantro Potatoes
Shrimp Gazpacho
Sweet Potatoes with Cilantro Black Beans
Cilantro Lime Shrimp
Roasted Carrots with Cilantro-Walnut Pesto
Lime-Cilantro Marinade for Chicken
Cilantro Beef Tacos
Cauliflower Ceviche
Grilled Veggie Sandwiches with Cilantro Pesto
Corn with Cilantro-Lime Butter
Caribbean-Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Peach Salsa
How to Prune Dill
Dill is a vigorous grower (it’s one of the fastest growing herb plants), but will quickly bolt (go to seed) in hot weather. The fragrant, leafy stems can be harvested beginning when dill plants are 6 to 10″ tall, and doing so will help prevent the dill from flowering. When cutting dill, take only about one third of the plant at a time.
And if your dill does flower? Save and dry the flower heads to harvest the dill seeds. Like cilantro, many gardeners do successive plantings of dill to have more plants to harvest.
Creamy Parmesan Spinach Bake
Slow-Roasted Lemon Dill Chicken
Fresh Cucumber Salad
Salmon with Dill Sauce & Lemon Risotto
Dill & Chive Peas
Zucchini Patties with Dill Dip
Dill Garden Salad
Eggs Benedict with Dill Sauce
Dilly Barbecued Turkey
Braised Dill Potatoes
Chicken Tzatziki Cucumber Boats
Grilled Corn with Dill
Red, White & Blue Potato Salad
Lemon & Dill Shrimp Sandwiches
Chicken and Broccoli with Dill Sauce
Chicken Bean Soup
Garlic-Herb Salmon Sliders
Salmon Mousse Cups
Tortellini with Asparagus & Lemon
Garden Spinach-Potato Salad
Smoked Salmon-Potato Brunch Bake
Greek-Style Chicken Burgers
Salmon with Horseradish Pistachio Crust
Herb & Sun-Dried Tomato Muffins
Pickled Green Beans with Smoked Salmon Dip
Mediterranean Shrimp Orzo Salad
Dilled Mushroom Turnovers
Roasted Green Bean Salad
Greek Salad Ravioli
Hearty Slow-Cooker Breakfast Hash
Steak & Mushroom Stroganoff
Curried Beef Pitas with Cucumber Sauce
Mushroom & Smoked Salmon Tarts
Flavorful Matzo Ball Soup
Smoked Salmon New Potatoes
Shrimp Pasta Salad
Balsamic Herb Vinaigrette
Cucumber-Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes
Dilled Seafood Salad Sandwiches
Tzatziki Potato Salad
Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs
The post How to Prune Herbs (And Why You Definitely Should) appeared first on Taste of Home.
Nancy Mock