Question
hello!

i started some basil seeds a few weeks ago and they have done awesome! i
am very excited that they grew because i have a bit of a black thumb when it
comes to plants. my seedlings are about 2" tall, have their primary (not basil)
leaves and have secondary basil leaves coming in already. i want to make sure
i do things right this time and i have a couple of simple questions.

first off, when should it be safe to transplant them into their own pots? i
started them in a single pot pretty close together and i am afraid they will all
start to lose nutrients.

secondly, everyone says to "pinch off" the leaves as it will make the plant
grow better and be bushier. when should i start doing this and in the simplest
terms possible can you explain how to do this?

any other tips or hints would be wonderful as well. thank you in advance.

Answer
Sharon:
You must be in sunny california or florida to have basil doing so well.It loves full sun and constant heat. On each branch pinch back to 2 pairs of leaves. It will start giving you more leaves when you do this. I usually do this every 3 weeks. Don't over water it and watch for white fllies and aphids. Separate each plant now and give organic fertilizer. Good luck!

Leroy