- How do I grow herbs?
- What is eating my basil?
- Why
did my thyme die?
- Why do my dill and cilantro die every summer?
- How do I use herbs?
- When is the best time to plant herbs?
- Why did my rosemary (or lavender) die?
- Can
I grow herbs inside?
Follow these guidelines for strong plants with superior flavor
and insect/disease resistance:
- Choose high-quality plants that are...
•
locally
propagated and grown so they are better adapted to our Lowcountry
climate.
•
named
varieties, e.g., Genova Basil, Salem Rosemary, Sicilian Oregano—these are
tried and true!
•
grown
from cuttings or division— not seed! This is especially important for woody
perennials such as lavender, thyme and rosemary. Annuals
grown from seed are ok, but choose a named variety to ensure quality.
- Plant them in the right location. Most herbs
need...
•
a
minimum of five or more hours of strong sunlight.
•
great
drainage. Plant them in big pots or raised beds.
•
great
air circulation around and through the plant.
•
soil
pH near neutral. Slightly alkaline is fine— add compost to the planting
soil.
-
Feel
the soil with your finger.
-
When
soil gets to the dry side of moist, then water until wet, but not soggy!
-
Ideally,
herbs should stay just moist; not soaked, and not bone dry.
- Fertilize herbs at half-strength.
•
Herbs
can grow faster than they can produce flavor/scent, and too much fertilizer
makes them grow too fast, rendering them flavorless and making them more
susceptible to pests.
•
When
using chemical fertilizer, follow directions except use half-strength.
•
If
using an organic fertilizer, full strength is fine (organics are milder).
•
Pruning
promotes vigorous plants that are more compact and attractive.
•
Head
(cut off tips) in spring to make bushy.
•
Thin
(cut whole inside branches) in summer to help air circulation (important for
woody herbs).
[ Back to Top ]
Basil predators are usually snails and slugs, caterpillars, or
grasshoppers. All can cause large holes in the leaves of your plants. Slug
damage is easy to identify from the silvery trails left on the plants.
Handpicking, setting beer traps, or a little diatomaceous earth sprinkled at the
base of the plant should help. Also, water only in the morning. The less
moisture you have at night for these critters to travel around in, the better!
The caterpillars are harder to identify, because they are generally
on the underside of the leaf or in the soil, and can be the same shade of green
as the plant. Use an organic control such as Dipel (which contains Bt, a
bacteria that feeds only on caterpillars) to control these pests.
There is not much you can do about the grasshoppers other than
pick them off when you see them. If you use enough pesticide to kill them, you
may not want to eat your basil...[ Back to Top
]
The biggest killer of thyme in our jungle-like climate is moisture.
It is imperative to keep thyme in the full sun with well-drained soil.
The next biggest killer of thyme is webworms. They spin little webs that trap
moisture, which leads to mildew, rot and certain death. These are easily
treated with Bt (Dipel, see above, in "what's eating my basil").
Products containing Bt are readily available at your local garden shop.
Also important, be sure to cut the flowers off after your thyme blooms. [ Back to Top
]
Because they are cool season annuals, which means they thrive
in cool weather. While it is possible to coax them along through the summer
heat, it can be very difficult. Both herbs will produce flowers instead of the
flavorful leaves that we want for our cooking when the temperatures rise above
80 degrees. Providing some shade in the afternoons will help prolong the life of
these herbs, as will growing them inside on a sunny windowsill (they like the
A/C!) You can also keep reseeding crops so that you will have a continuous
supply of young plants. The best bet is to grow these herbs in the cooler months
when they will really excel! If you let your cilantro flower you can harvest the
seeds, which are called coriander (often used in Mexican and Indian cuisines).
You can also try growing Vietnamese Coriander (Polygonum
odoratum) as an alternative to cilantro. It is a heat loving tender
perennial in our climate, and thrives during the summer. Also known as rau ram,
it is used frequently in Asian dishes, but serves as a great cilantro substitute
in salsa and guacamole. The leaves are used fresh, generally chopped and added
at the end of any cooking to avoid muting the flavor. [
Back to Top ]
Unlike
many vegetables, there is no one time to harvest herbs—you can
"harvest" them all year. In the spring when you pinch the tips to
promote plant vigor and new growth; in the summer when you thin out branches to
promote air circulation and prevent disease; in the fall when you cut the last
of your basil before frost; and even in the winter, since many classic herbs
such as rosemary and oregano are evergreen in the Lowcountry. Every time you
snip, you can add new flavors to your food!
There
are several fundamental ways to use and/or preserve herbs: use fresh, by
snipping and adding to your food; freezing them; making pesto; adding to olive
oil or vinegar; or drying them.
Water
An
easy way to preserve herbs is to chop them in your food processor or blender,
place them in ice cube trays, cover with water and freeze. You can store the
cubes in a plastic bag in the freezer, pulling out a few at a time to add to
soups, stews, roasting pans, pots of vegetables, etc. The water protects the
herbs from drying out, freezer burn, and from losing flavor, but can cause
certain herbs to darken.
Vinegar
Making
herb-flavored vinegars is another quick and easy way to preserve your herbal
harvest. Use a good quality cider or wine vinegar as a base. Bruise freshly
picked herbs and loosely fill a clean jar. Pour warm (not boiling) vinegar to
fill the jar, cap with an acid proof lid, then let it sit for about two weeks.
If you would like a stronger flavor, strain the vinegar and repeat the process.
You can store it as is, or strain it through cheesecloth and rebottle, adding a
fresh sprig for decoration. You can use flavored vinegars in salad dressings,
marinades, sauces, etc.
Good
Herbs for Vinegars
Basil, bay, chervil, dill, fennel, garlic, lemon balm,
marjoram, mint, rosemary, savory, tarragon, and thyme.
Olive
Oil
Loosely
fill a clear jar with fresh, chopped herbs and cover with unheated oil
and close the jar tightly. If you rinse your herbs before you use them, make
sure they are dry before you add them to the oil, or you will get a cloudy oil.
You can start using the oil the next day to sauté foods, in salad dressings,
marinades etc. Be sure to use quickly, as it can start to get rancid within a
few weeks after opening.
Good
Herbs for Oils
Basil, fennel, marjoram, mint, rosemary, savory, tarragon, and thyme.
Drying
Drying
is no longer the preferred method of preserving herbs. During the drying process
the volatile essential oils that give an herb its flavor quickly evaporate and
are lost. If you must dry them, hang them in loose bunches in a cool, darkened
room with a little air circulation until the leaves crumble easily and
completely. Then store whole leaves in a dark, airtight, glass (not plastic)
container in a cool place. Take out a few leaves as needed and crumble into
recipes. [ Back to Top
]
In our climate, you can plant herbs year round, keeping in
mind that summer can be hard on any plant if they are not given proper care and
water. Some do better at different times however. For instance, dill, cilantro,
chervil, and most greens (such as arugula and mustard) are cool season plants
and do best when planted in fall, winter, or early spring. They will not
tolerate the heat of our summers.
Other plants such as basil, lemon grass, patchouli and Mexican
tarragon need the heat to thrive, and will really shine when planted from late
spring to early fall.
There are many herbs that can be planted any time, such as
rosemary, oregano, and lavender, and remain evergreen and tolerant of
temperatures.
If in doubt, ask before you buy, or check our list of plants
to see what is seasonally available. [ Back to Top
]
The primary cause of death to woody perennials such as
these is over watering. This is not say that these plants don't need water, but
they won't require as much as the rest of your garden. They should be kept on
the dry side, watering thoroughly just when they begin to wilt. They need as
much sun as you can give them, well drained soil, and good air circulation
around each plant. Lavender in particular, can be susceptible to fungus during
our humid summers. If you do see branches beginning to turn brown, prune them
out, and spray with a commercial fungicide, or a mixture of baking soda and
water. [ Back to Top
]
Yes, you can grow herbs inside. Just follow the above
rules for growing herbs: 1) provide them with bright light, 5 hours minimum; 2)
water carefully (it is easy to over water herbs inside since they aren't exposed
to full sun and wind, which can dry them out faster); 3) fertilize using a
half-strength commercial, or full strength organic fertilizer—once every two
weeks in spring and summer, once a month in the fall and winter. [
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]
Copyright © 1999 Pete's Herbs. All rights reserved.
Revised: April 18, 2007
.
