Yes - pruning the top third of your basil plants when harvesting the leaves is a good way to keep it from flowering and going to seed. Basil does best in well drained, more lean soil in full sun. This means a soil that is not rich with compost or fertilizer but instead has more sand or perlite in the mix. You may want to try growing your basil in a cactus type of soil mix or just add extra sand to the planting area if you plant into the ground. Do not overwater and remember that this heat loving plants hates cold nights so don't set your basil plants outdoors overnight until the night temps are above 55 degrees. You can use scissors or just pinch the tips of your basil plants as soon as you see any buds starting to form. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti