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herbs

Growing Herbs: For Your Kitchen!

May 1, 2019

If you’re planning a kitchen herb garden, think about what herbs you like to use. Are you interested in drying herbs for tea—like mint or lemon verbena?  Do you cook Italian food (basil, oregano), Mexican food (cilantro), or Asian recipes (Thai basil, lemon grass)?

What is an herb?

Merriam Webster defines an herb as a plant or plant part valued for its medicinal, savory, or aromatic qualities. Here we’re talking about the savory or culinary herbs that you can grow in your home garden. Herbs are generally easy to grow, requiring only plenty of sunshine and well-drained soil. Many are suitable for planting in containers on a deck or patio. Herbs may be annual, perennial, or even biennial (parsley).

Herb Garden in Container_by Frances Carter_CC_Flickr
Herb garden planted in container

Where to grow herbs

What kind of space can you devote to an herb garden—a few pots on a balcony, a small raised bed, or a section of a large vegetable garden? Check out the size and space needs of the herbs you would like to grow. Note: Some herbs—such as mints and lemon balm—need to be contained if you don’t want them to take over your space!

Herb Garden in Raised Beds_by Kyla Kae_CC_Flickr
Herb garden planted in raised bed

Place herbs in average garden soil (or potting soil if you are using containers) where they will get at least six hours of sun a day. While annual herbs generally need more water than the perennials—which tend to be from the sunny, drier Mediterranean region—all need good drainage. Fertilize only lightly for best flavor and aroma. Grown with enough sun and good air circulation, most herbs are pest and disease free.

How to get started

When you choose seeds or plants, look at the planting times and hardiness zones to determine when to plant and if the varieties you choose will thrive in your location.

 Seeds. You can purchase seeds for almost any culinary herb, and some herbs are better planted from seed directly into the garden, such as dill, cilantro, and fennel. Dill and cilantro are both short-lived and usually require plantings every few weeks if you want a continued supply.

Plants. Most perennial herbs, such as mints, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and tarragon, are easier to establish from plants—to ensure you get the correct varieties as well as to have plants large enough to harvest in their first season.

 How to harvest

Growing your own herbs means you’ll have fresh herbs to use in season. Once your plants are established, you can start harvesting—just don’t remove more than ¾ of the leaves at once! Pick your herbs early in the day. For annual herbs, harvest before the plants start to flower. Some annual herbs will last until frost. Some perennial herbs may even stay green into winter for occasional harvest! To preserve herbs, they may be dried or for best flavor, frozen. Freeze chopped herbs in a little water in ice cube trays.

Traditional hanging method for drying and preserving herbs.
Herbs of sage, garlic chives, and parsley hang ready for drying.

The Buncombe County Extension Master Gardeners’ will be staffing an information table at the Asheville Spring Herb Festival at the WNC Farmers Market on May 3, 4, and 5, 2019. 

 Article by Joyce Weinberg, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer

For more information:

Growing herbs:

https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/growing-herbs-for-the-home-gardener

Harvesting and preserving herbs:

https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook/16-vegetable-gardening#harvestingherbs

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Categories General Gardening Tags basil, cilantro, Dill, fennel, herbs, mint, oregano

Vegetables: The Carrot Family (Apiaceae)—Roots and Herbs

August 6, 2018

Did you know that carrots are related to celery, celery root (celeriac), fennel, parsnips, and lots of herbs used for their foliage and/or seeds, including angelica, anise, caraway, coriander, cumin, chervil, cilantro, dill, lovage, and parsley? We also call plants in the Apiaceae family umbellifers because of their umbel-shaped blooms, which are like umbrellas. You can grow most of these plants in your own garden—some you can start right now for fall harvest!

Heirloom carrots

Grow carrots in clay?
Yes, you can! Many WNC gardeners don’t bother with carrots (Daucus carota var. sativus) because they are so readily available in stores and they think they won’t do well in our clay soils. Home-grown carrots come in many shapes, sizes, and even colors, making them a tasty addition to your garden. Raised beds and container gardens are one way to avoid heavy soils, but choosing smaller varieties, such as ‘Thumbelina’ or ‘Paris Market’ or Nantes varieties, which are shorter and have blunt tips are better choices if your garden is “clayey.” 

Planting
You can still plant carrots, dill, parsley, and parsnips (Pastinaca sativa) now through mid-August for a fall crop. You can even leave your carrots and parsnips in the ground and harvest them as needed as long as temperatures stay above about 20F.

Although you can often find parsley and other herbs as transplants, plan to grow Apiaceae from seed. Plant directly in the ground in a sunny spot. Although best in full sun, many will tolerate partial shade if you’re short on space.

Annual, biennial, or perennial?
Although we grow most Apiaceae as annuals, many are biennials or even perennials. Annuals complete their life cycle in one season, while biennials form roots and leaves their first year, then flower and seed before dying in their second year. Perennials typically live for more than two years.

Knowing the lifespan of the plants you are growing is important because you may need to leave them in in the ground beyond one season to harvest your desired crop; also, if you are buying transplants, beware! One spring I got a great deal on large parsley plants, only to have them immediately start to go to seed, showing their biennial nature.

  • Anise, chervil, cilantro/coriander (yes, they are the same plant—the leaves are known as cilantro and the seeds are coriander), cumin, and dill are annuals.
  • Angelica, caraway, carrots, celery, celeriac, parsley, and parsnips are biennials.
  • Fennel and lovage are perennials.

Maintenance
Water. Keep your planting moist until seeds sprout. Water regularly throughout the growing season.

Thin/Weed. Knowing your crop seedlings from weeds is always important! Many Apiaceae have ferny foliage, which may help. Thinning is important for root crops, so leave at least an inch or two between carrots and parsnips. Weed often as pulling large weeds may damage your crop roots; cutting off weeds at the soil surface may help. Weeding after a rain and watering after weeding help avoid root damage.

Fertilize. Apiaceae are not heavy feeders, but you want to see healthy foliage to produce roots and provide leaves and seeds in your herb crops, so some fertilizing during the season may be helpful.

Insects and diseases to watch for. Armyworms, carrot worms, and leafhoppers may feed on your plants. Leafhoppers also spread aster yellows, which affect carrots and celery. Swallowtail butterfly larvae feed on dill, fennel, and parsley. 

Beware toxic and invasive Apiaceae

Giant hogweed_Jon Sullivan_CC BY-NC 2.0
Giant hogweed
Poison Hemlock_Dan Mullen_CC BY-NC-ND 2.0_Flickr
Poison hemlock
Queen Anne's Lace-Wild Carrot_RichardBH_CC BY 2.0_Flickr
Queen Anne’s lace

There are some very toxic members of the Apiaceae family! Be careful around the leaves of garden parsnips, which can cause an allergic rash in some—and never eat parsnip leaves or stems. You may have heard about the giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum), which can cause blistering and burning skin reactions—much worse than poison ivy—and even blindness. We recently identified poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) growing at our Extension office. This is another plant you don’t want in your landscape because eating any portion of the plant can be fatal! Even the wild carrot (Daucus carota) known as Queen Anne’s lace is considered a problematic invasive plant throughout the southeastern United States. Remove it before it goes to seed if you have it in your landscape, but be sure of your identification—use extreme caution when handling unknown Apiaceae plants.

Article written by Debbie Green, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer.

More information:
Garden Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs in North Carolina
by NCSU Cooperative Extension

Vegetable and Herb Seedling Photographs
by Travis Saling, The Westside Gardener

Invasive, Exotic Plants of the Southeast: Queen Anne’s Lace
by NC State University

Giant Hogweed? Maybe It’s Cow Parsnip, Poison Hemlock, or Purple Angelica
by University of Illinois Extension

Pest Alert: Giant Hogweed
by North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA & CS)

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Categories Vegetables & Fruits Tags carrots, giant hogweed, herbs, poison hemlock, Queen Anne's Lace, weeds

Fresh Herbs at Your Doorstep

December 12, 2017

I love having fresh herbs right outside my kitchen door to snip when I’m cooking. It is surprisingly easy to grow a large variety of culinary and tea herbs in a small space. Here’s how.

Herb Garden Near Door for Easy Snipping_by DWood
Herb garden near kitchen door for easy snipping

Which herbs to grow?
Perennials. Choose from many culinary herbs such as oregano, thyme, sage, chives, rosemary (‘Arp’ variety does best in WNC), lavender, and mint. A word of caution: to avoid mint invading your entire garden, plant it in a container.

Biennials. Parsley is a biennial herb that many gardeners replant every year. The first year you will have the delicious leaves and the second year it goes to seed.

Annuals. The most common annual herbs are basil, dill, chamomile, and cilantro.

Plants or seeds?
In general, perennial herb transplants are readily available. Most annual herbs start readily from seed.

Herb Garden in Container_by Frances Carter_CC_Flickr
Herb garden planted in container

Grow herbs in a container or in the ground?
Either! If you are limited on space or sun, consider containers. I have good success with metal tubs that you can find at most hardware and big box stores. You can pack lots of herb plants into a large tub. Just remember to punch holes in the bottom for drainage—a hammer and nail work great. You can also plant several herbs in a 14-16-inch round or square planter with drainage holes. Use 3 parts potting mix (NO fertilizer or moisture beads) and 1 part organic matter—such as compost or leaf mold—mixed into the top half of the container.

For in-ground growing, choose a space that drains well. A 3-foot by 3-foot area can easily accommodate 8 to 10 perennial herbs. Work organic matter into the top 4-6 inches of the soil and you’re ready to plant.

Herb Garden in Raised Beds_by Kyla Kae_CC_Flickr
Herb garden planted in raised bed

Growing conditions
Group herbs that have like growing needs together. Most herbs require 6 or more hours of sun a day, but dill and cilantro can tolerate partial shade. Perennial herbs prefer hot dry conditions. Biennial and annual herbs require more water and organic matter.

Fortunately, herbs have few pests or insects. 

Harvesting herbs
You can harvest up to 75% of a season’s growth at one time. Clip herbs in the early morning for best flavor. Cut perennial herbs for use until one month before the first projected frost date to avoid stimulating new growth that may not harden before winter. Harvest annual herbs right up until frost.

Harvest flowers, such as chamomile and lavender, before they are in full bloom. This maximizes flavor and shelf life. To encourage a second fall flowering of lavender, harvest the flowers in early summer, then cut back young plants by half their height and older plants by one-third. Do not cut into the woody, brown stem of lavender or it may not generate new growth.

Use fresh-cut herbs and flowers in cooking or diffused in water for teas. Use 2-3 times the amount you would use of dried herbs.

Preserving
Drying is the traditional way to preserve herbs. Use a food dehydrator, or tie a small bunch of stems together with string and hang upside down in a warm, dry spot, with good air circulation, out of direct sunlight. When the herbs are completely dry and brittle, store them in glass jars for up to one year.

Freezing chopped fresh herbs or flowers in water in ice cube trays is another great way to preserve the herbs. When you need herbs, just drop the cubes in soups, stews, sauces, or water for tea. 

Winterizing
Perennial herbs should survive the winter without additional protection, if planted out of direct winds and lightly mulched.

Learn more
Horticulture Information Leaflet, “Growing Herbs for the Home Garden”, NC State Extension Horticulture Publication.
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/static/publication/js/pdf_js/web/viewer.html?slug=growing-herbs-for-the-home-gardener

Horticulture Information Leaflet, “Harvesting and Preserving Herbs for the Home Gardener”, NC State Extension Horticulture Publication.
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/harvesting-and-preserving-herbs-for-the-home-gardener

Horticulture Information Leaflet, “Winterizing the Herb Garden”, NC State Extension Horticulture Publication.
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/winterizing-the-herb-garden

Cornell Book of Herbs and Edible Flowers by Jeanne Mackin, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Ithaca, New York, 1963.

Article written by Debbie Wood, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer.

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Categories Herb Gardens Tags herbs

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