Wait until the basil plant has at least 6 inches of growth and several sets of leaves
Use clean scissors or pinch with your fingers
Cut or pinch just above a pair of leaves or leaf nodes
Remove the top growth to encourage branching
Prune regularly when stems get tall and start to flower
Remove flower buds as soon as they appear
Never remove more than one-third of the plant at a time
Harvest from the top first, then work downward
Trim leggy stems back to a healthy leaf pair
Prune in the morning for best freshness