Okay, so I’ve got this parsley plant, right? It was getting HUGE. Like, taking over my whole herb garden huge. I knew I needed to prune it, but I was kinda scared. I didn’t want to kill it! But I also wanted, you know, more parsley, and a bushier, healthier plant. So, I finally decided to just go for it. Here’s what I did:
Getting Started
First, I grabbed my gardening tools. Nothing fancy, just a pair of clean kitchen scissors. Clean is key, because you don’t want to introduce any nasty stuff to your plant.

Time for Snips!
- I started by looking for the oldest stems. These are usually the ones on the outside of the plant, kinda thick, and maybe even a little yellow-ish.
- Then I followed those stems all the way down to the base of the plant, where they meet the soil.
- And… snip! I cut them off right at the base. It felt a little brutal, but I knew it was for the best. I take it one snip at a time.
Taking a Step Back
After cutting a few of the outer stems, I took a step back to look at the plant. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t taking too much off at once. My goal was to remove about a third of the plant, which sounds like a lot, but trust me, it grows back fast!
Focusing on the Center
I also trimmed some of the stems in the very center of the plant. These were shorter, newer stems. Cutting these back helps encourage the plant to grow outwards instead of just upwards, making it bushier.
Finished!
I kept snipping and stepping back, snipping and stepping back, until I was happy with how it looked. It definitely looked smaller, but also healthier and more… contained. And the best is all that fresh, fragrant.
And that’s it! Honestly, it was way easier than I thought it would be. Now I’ve got a ton of fresh parsley to use, and my plant looks so much better. I will say that this is super great that I made a great call!