Question: I have tried year after year to grow herbs, usually basil and oregano. The plants thrive and it seems after I harvest them they are never quite the same. I usually pinch them with my fingers. Help!!

Answer: I wonder if you're accidentally bruising the stems when you harvest your herbs? Sometimes it's best to snip the stems with a pair of scissors. A clean cut will heal quickly, and the act of snipping the growing tips promotes new stem and leaf growth on the remaining portion of the stem.

It might also be that you're not harvesting often enough. With both the basil and oregano, try harvesting frequently rather than waiting until late in the season. You can snip sprigs from spring through summer. In fact, oregano sprigs can be harvested when the plant is only 6" high, and you can continue snipping the leaves and stems throughout the summer months.