Wait until the basil plant has at least 6 inches of growth and several sets of leaves
Use clean, sharp scissors or pruning shears
Find a stem with two healthy leaf nodes
Cut the stem just above a pair of leaves or nodes
Remove the top growing tip to encourage branching
Prune regularly to keep the plant compact and bushy
Never remove more than one-third of the plant at a time
Pinch off any flower buds as soon as they appear
Harvest from the top first, not the bottom leaves
Repeat pruning every 1 to 2 weeks during active growth