Denton County Living Well Magazine May/June 2016 | Page 36

HERB GARDENING
by Kay B. Wills

D

on’t have much space? There is no better choice for container
planting than flavorful herbs such as basil, rosemary, thyme and
parsley. Where can you put a small herb garden? Anywhere there is a
water source and plenty of sunshine, such as the patio, back porch and
even your kitchen windowsill.
Your herbs needs at least six hours of sun each day and should be
planted in a premium-quality potting mix. Do not use garden soil
as it can be too dense and possibly lead to disease or nematodes.
A definite must is containers with good drainage holes and large
enough to accommodate the growing roots. Combine the herbs
according to their shape with enough room for more than one in
a pot to make the presentation more attractive and interesting. For
example, pair upright rosemary with creeping thyme. If the pot is large
enough, you can add sage or chives, too. A large strawberry jar is a
perfect vessel for compact herbs that you only use a pinch at a time. These
include mint, oregano, thyme, and sage.
Harvesting Tips
Generally harvesting herbs is similar to giving them a hair cut. Cutting off
the tips, down to a intersection of leaves, makes the plant branch out and
regrow as a fuller plant. Cut them regularly so they do not grow leggy, and never
cut off more than a third of their growth at any one time. Perennial herbs should
be pruned back every fall, about a third to keep them from getting too woody
over the winter months, and to encourage new growth in spring.
Harvesting when the oils responsible for flavor and aroma are at their
peak, requires proper timing for the plant and the intended use. Herbs
grown for their foliage should be harvested before they flower.
While chives are quite attractive in bloom, flowering can
cause the foliage to develop an off-flavor. Collect herb
flowers, such as borage and chamomile, just before
full flower. Herb roots such as bloodroot, chicory,
ginseng, and goldenseal, should be harvested in the
fall after the foliage fades. Some general guidelines to
use include:
• Begin harvesting the herb when the plant has enough
foliage to maintain growth. Up to 75% of the current
season’s growth can be harvested at one time.
• Harvest early in the morning, after the dew dries, but
before the heat of the day.
• Harvest herbs before flowering, otherwise leaf production declines.
• Herb flowers have their most intense oil concentration and flavor after
flower buds appear but before they open.
• Herb flowers harvested to dry for craft purposes should be picked just before they
are fully open.
• Annual herbs can be harvested until frost.
• Perennial herbs can be clipped until late August. Stop harvesting about one month before the frost date. Late
pruning could encourage tender growth that cannot harden-off before winter.
• Harvest tarragon or lavender flowers in early summer and then shear the plants to half their height to encourage a second
flowering period in the fall.

If you are new to gardening or just new to growing food, just imagine the first time you serve tomatoes garnished with basil you grew
yourself, or the woody flavor of rosemary baked into a chicken. There is a great satisfaction and pride for growing your own food,
and herb gardening is the perfect introduction.
34 DENTON COUNTY Living Well Magazine | MAY/JUNE 2016