Once I remove leaves off the basil plant and just stems are left along with tiny, not yet full developed basil leaves, do I trim the stem back now or wait and just let it fill back up with leaves.
Hello!
Just cut off the leaves you need. You can also cut the stem above the node.
Here is a good video explaining how to do that: How-To Prune Basil So It Lasts For 90+ Days!
All the best