Harvesting Herbs
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sparklemama
Posted: Aug-20-2004 at 11:24pm
hi there guys, well i have a question that might seem to be a little obivious but when is that best time to harvest your herbs? is there specific ways for certain plants? I have a herb bed that i put in this year and most of the plants in there been growing very nicely. Do you think i should harvest off my first year plants this year or should i let them go till next summer? I have lemon verbena, africna blue basil, purole basil, rosemary, oregano, pineapple mint, three thymes, golden and silver sage, bronze fennel, horehound, and winter and summer savory. man t hink i forgot a few but you get the point..lol. i'm just so proud of my little beds so if any one could give some suggestions or what they do in their beds i would most apperciate it! thanks a bunch, jenn
Gardening is the only therapy I can afford.
Trish
Posted: Aug-21-2004 at 12:55am
Jenn, you have a mix of perennial and tender herbs. The lemon verbena, the basils, and summer savory are annuals in the PNW -- frost will kill them. Give them haircuts and use their leaves. I've kept verbena and african blue basil as winter houseplants, despite some whitefly and aphid problems.
For the first season, harvest your perennial herbs lightly. Many herbs are most potent before the plant reaches full bloom. Pick your harvest in early morning, as soon as the dew is dry.
I like the look and fragrance of herbs, so I leave most of mine standing all season, ready to brush through. The only herb I regularly decimate is the catnip -- I have mason jars full of catnip leaves that we share with the kitties off-season. It grows back anyway.
sparklemama
Posted: Aug-23-2004 at 9:46am
hey trish, thanks for your suggestions. I put both my tender and hardy herbs in the same bed this year as it was a new one and being a true impatient gardener i wanted that filled in look. Next year i am going to put all my tender herbs in with my veggies i think. Things like rosemary and my sage i can leave alone and just go out there in the winter to harvest as i need. It will get me out there..lol. I guess i will be getting up with the birds to get that fresh morning pick tomorrow. Thanks again for you help, have a wonderful day! Jenn
Gardening is the only therapy I can afford.
cjmiller
Posted: Aug-23-2004 at 4:29pm
This is the first year I have actually picked herbs in the pre-bloom stage, and Trish is so right about the potency being at perfection just as the flower buds comes on. The tarragon was the first one to get to pre bloom stage and I cut it all off at about 2 inches, and now it is fuller and has smaller leaves than the first growth, The dried tarragon was well received by several neighbors and we still have fresh available. The other herb that really seemed to benefit from an early hair cut is the Mexican Oregano which also has spread and looks really good,--better than the Greek Oregano.
I have never bothered to trim the Rosemary, as it stays in good shape all winter here in Portland, even the freeze last winter, didnt affect it much, so it only got a trim for shaping early this spring.
In the fall, I cut all the tired chives down to the ground, as the chives seem to sprout before I expect them. When things are dormant in winter, I look for dead branches in the thyme, sage, and rosemary, trim them for shape, and for things like marjorum, and greek oregano take off last years growth as it is time to give them a reason to grow, come spring.
Oh yes, you need to be warned about things like fennel, dill, cilantro, and verbena they reseed like crazy, so when those flowers develope into seed heads it is time to lop off their heads. And, be prepared to weed out all the ones you missed next spring.
Carol
Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
By co-authors Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners) and Wendy Tweton