FAQS-Herbs |
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Preparing Herb Garden for Winter
Growing Basil from Seed : “How do I grow basil from seed?”
"Starting basil from seed is similar to starting most seeds. Plant in slightly moist seed starting mix, covering seed with just 1/8" or so of soil. Loosely cover the container with plastic wrap to maintain humidity and set in a spot out of direct sunlight. At warm temperatures (about 70 degrees) the basil should germinate in just a few days. As soon as you see sprouts, remove the plastic and place the pot in direct sunlight, or within 1-2" of a fluorescent light bulb. Keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy and the plants should grow well. You can also sow seed directly into a garden bed in full sun as soon as the soil has warmed in spring. By starting your own seeds, you can enjoy a number of unusual varieties of basil, including lime and lemon basils, cinnamon basil, and Thai basil. And don't forget some attractive and tasty purple basil!”
Planting Rosemary Cuttings : "I cut a few sprigs off my outdoor rosemary and put them in a glass jar with water, and, voila, they grew roots! Now what should I do? Can I grow rosemary indoors? What type of soil should I use?"
"Rosemary is one of those versatile plants that adapts to growing indoors or out, in pots or in the ground. To pot up your cuttings, find a container with good drainage holes in the bottom, fill it with regular potting soil, and plant your new rosemary. Then water it thoroughly and place it in bright light but not direct sun. The cuttings should develop roots in a few weeks. Rosemary prefers soil on the dry side, so don't overwater the plant. Water when the top of the soil dries out, or when the pot feels light when you pick it up. Sometimes rosemary is grown as a topiary plant. You can train your containerized plant into a topiary by pinching out all growth except one main stem, and rubbing out anything that sprouts along that stem but leaving the top stems and foliage alone. You'll end up with a "lollipop" rosemary, with a long, bare stem and a fluffy top of foliage."
Overwintering Rosemary : "A friend gave me a large, woody rosemary plant, which I planted in my yard last summer. Do I dig it up and bring it inside to a cool room, or should I keep it where it is? Should I mulch it?"
"Rosemary is generally hardy to about 15 degrees F. It's a tough shrub, but won't survive temperatures cooler than that unless you protect it. To be on the safe side, if it's not too large, transplant it to a container and bring it inside, next to a sunny window. It needs well drained soil and frequent watering, and will do best near a humidifier. When the weather warms in spring you could take it out to a porch or deck."
Trimming Sweet Basil : "My sweet basil plants are about 10 to 15 inches tall--no flowers yet. Can I cut off the top of the stems to make the plants bushy, or do I have to wait for the first flower?"
"Actually, it is best to keep basil from flowering because, as an annual, once the plant flowers and sets seed it will go into decline. Usually gardeners encourage bushiness by a process called pinching. They begin literally pinching off or trimming off the growing tip(s) of the branches when the plants are quite small. (You can eat the pinchings!) They repeat this several times until the plants are as bushy as desired. When the plants become quite dense, some gardeners simply trim or shear them regularly and use the shearings in cooking. Other gardeners will cut off a larger proportion of the plant for harvest, especially if they plan to dry or freeze a quantity of basil all at one time. These more drastic harvests can be done just a few times a season as they are stressful on the plants and eventually the plants just ‘wear out’." In either case, the trimming prevents the plant from flowering and it regrows in order to try to flower. Since your plants are already quite tall, I would suggest cutting them back by about a third. This will give you a nice harvest and allow you to begin pinching as it grows back. When you do this, be sure the plant receives adequate water and nutrients to regenerate itself."
Preparing Herb Garden for Winter : "What should I do to help my herb garden make it through the winter? I have sage, thyme, oregano, parsley, spearmint, peppermint, and wormwood. What do I do to protect the plants from deep snow and very cold winters?"
"Perennial herbs are hardy and relatively low maintenance. The ones you have listed all fit this category, so there should be no special procedures to follow. After frost, trim away any browned and dead stems and mulch lightly around, but not over, the plants. Snow acts as an insulator and protects plants from excessive cold, so it is not something to worry about. In fact, plants tend to fare better when snow stays in place all winter. In the spring, tidy up any winter damage and gradually pull off debris that has blown in and become wedged in the plants."
Growing Dill : "I have planted dill from seed. How do I know when it is ready to pick and best way to dry and/or prepare? "
"Dill (Anethum graveolens) can grow 3'-4' tall. It's an interesting plant, with feathery leaves and stalks of umbrella-like clusters of small yellow flowers. If flowers are allowed to remain on the plant, seeds will form at the end of the growing season. You can harvest the foliage at any time during the growing season for kitchen use, cut the yellow flower clusters for inclusion in canned or pickled vegetables, or allow the seeds to mature and harvest them when they turn hard. Seeds are separated from the stems and air dried, then stored in an airtight container for use in cooking."
Harvesting Herbs : "I have tried year after year to grow herbs, usually basil and oregano. The plants thrive but then after I harvest some of the leaves, they are never quite the same. I usually pinch them with my fingers."
"I wonder if you're accidentally damaging 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. 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 inches high, and you can continue snipping the leaves and stems throughout the summer months."
Basic Herb Gardening : “I want to get started on making a herb garden but I really don't know how to get started. Can you help?”
"First, you need to decide whether you will dedicate an area outside in your garden, grow in containers outside, or grow in containers inside. Next, think about what types of herbs you would like to grow. There are so very many it boggles the mind! However, it is a lot of fun browsing around and picking and choosing. Like flowers, there are perennial and annual herbs, and different herbs have different requirements, so choose herbs that will grow well in the space you've chosen. There are some common factors; most herbs like full sun and thrive in rich soil, but there are exceptions. For example, basil is an annual that enjoys a very rich soil, but oregano is a perennial that thrives in less fertile soil. I would recommend you start with a list the herbs you use most in cooking, and choose a half dozen or so to start with. Once you feel confident with these, you can introduce others to the plan."
Growing Cilantro : "This is the first time I have planted cilantro. I purchased the plants from a local nursery, and just days after planting them they started to flower. One of my fellow gardeners said to leave the flowers and the plant would start to bush out. Another gardener said to pinch the flowers off, and the plant would grow bushy. A third said that the plant is kaput, and to start new plants. Which one is correct? How can I get my cilantro plant to bush out?"
"It's difficult to coax cilantro to grow tasty leaves once it flowers. Your best bet is to go with gardener number three: start new plants. Cilantro is an annual herb, a member of the parsley family. The seed is generally sown in cool spring temperatures for a summer crop, or as summer wanes for a fall crop. For good quality cilantro, harvest foliage prior to the formation of flowers. When the plant sets blossoms, foliage quality declines. Since yours has bloomed, you can leave the flowers on until the plant dies and then harvest the seeds (the seeds are the spice called coriander!). Grind the seeds to use in the kitchen, or save some to plant in August for a fall crop of cilantro.”
Growing Sage : "Can sage be used in dried flower arrangements? Does it need full sun, wet or dry soil? How high does it grow?"
"Culinary sage (Salvia officinalis) is generally used fresh or dried as a flavoring in stuffings for meat and poultry. It is also used in making herb vinegar and butter. The leaves probably wouldn't hold up well in dried arrangements. There are flowering salvias, such as Salvia farincea and Salvia clevelandii, that you can grow for dried bouquets. Culinary sage is fairly drought tolerant but it will definitely benefit from adequate watering. It thrives in full sun in well drained soil. The plant does better if not planted in soil that is too fertile. Generally the plant grows to about 2 feet high and up to 3 feet across."
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Herbs FAQs
