Basil's natural growth pattern is to grow upwards- vertically and kinda leggy like this- This is my previous crop of basil that I did not prune. This time, I decided to prune it and see if I could get a fuller, more rounded bush shape. 3 weeks ago- Now that the roots had been established in soil, I decided to do the first cuts on my plant. Before pruning today- It's grown quite a but but it had a few old leaves and was looking a bit thin so I decided to prune it. After pruning today- The concept of pruning a plant to thicken it doesn't make sense, but regular leaf removal actually encourages new fuller growth. Remember, this takes time.