Learn to Grow: Pruning Herbs to Increase Their Yield

Herbs are a great entry point for first-time gardeners and a cornerstone of any avid planter’s plot. However, they can be a bit of a fickle friend. You patiently wait for them to grow, but then -- in a flash -- they start flowering! While these flowers are beautiful, they present a bit of a problem for gardeners looking to increase the yield they’re get from each plant.

The most successful herb gardeners, like Misilla on “Learn to Grow,” know just when to harvest and prune these kinds of plants so they taste best and keep giving all season long. In this episode, she shares a few tips on pruning and harvesting herbs to help you along the way!

When a herb plant is focusing its energy on flowering, it causes the leaves to grow slower and smaller than before. That’s why it’s important to harvest herbs before flowering or continue to prune them back once flowering begins. Not to mention: if you plan on drying herbs, it’s best to harvest them now before they blossom. Otherwise, it’ll deplete the plants of compounds that give them their aroma and flavor.


MORE VIDEOS!


Learn To Grow
The New Crop

Marion is a digital content manager for RFD News and FarmHER + RanchHER. She started working for Rural Media Group in May 2022, bringing a decade of digital experience in broadcast media and some cooking experience to the team.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Hurd joined this week’s Champions of Rural America to review the proposed Farm Bill moving through the House and discuss its potential impact on rural communities and farmers across the country.
Mexican livestock officials are emphasizing surveillance and inspection systems to preserve access to the U.S. cattle export market. Texas’ Bovina Feeders explains the rising stakes as the border stays closed.
University of Arkansas’ Allen Szalanski discusses a news study on rice stink bugs, what it could mean for farmers, and pest management strategies for the future.
Weak crop margins and tariff uncertainty are delaying machinery purchases and signaling slower capital investment across U.S. agriculture.
Farm Bureau Economist Dr. Faith Parum explains the role farm safety net programs play in supporting farm finances as growers head into the 2026 planting season.
Corn demand is rising thanks to ethanol expansion, yet year-round E15 remains missing from the Farm Bill—leaving farmers questioning the policy gap.