Growing Herbs - All year long

Unfortunately for those of us who live in four season climates are unable to harvest fresh cut herbs from the garden all year long. We are forced to pay little extra for those out of season greens at local markets and grocery stores. Most often by the time they arrive to many of the big grocery stores they are already between 5-7 days old, not exactly freshly cut anymore, are they?

Wouldn’t it be great to be able to pick what you need when you need it without ever having to leave your house all year long? Well you can,by growing herbs all year long! You may not be able to grow everything that you do during the summers growing months, but if you have some south facing windows in your home that receives plenty of sunlight, you can bring some of your favorite herbs, like Rosemary in for the winter.

1. Basil

2. chives

3. garlic chives

4. lavender

5. lemon balm

6. Marjoram

7. mint, oregano

8. sage

9. thyme.

Container gardening is a great way to enjoy your plants all year long.  Just simply carry them inside when the weather begins get too cold. Plants like Rosemary and basil are perfect for planting in containers. Keep your container plantings near the kitchen, and of course bring them in for the winter months. I also will use containers for planting invasive plants such as mint. As much as I love mint and use it in our soaps as well, I do not want it taken over the entire garden.

A 4 to 6 inch container is the perfect size and be sure that it has drainage holes in the bottom. You will want the container to fit in your windowsill or shelf. Fill the container with a high quality potting soil that has good drainage.

Your herbs will grow best in a window that receives southern exposure. They will require at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. If your plants are not receiving enough light you can always ad fluorescent lights, but keep in mind that if this is their primary source of light , to have the light on for 12- 14 hours and about 3 inches above the plant.

Be sure not to over water your plants during the winter months, herbs like Rosemary like it dry, and basil does not like to be watered at night. It is best to water earlier in the day and make sure the soil looks dry before watering again. The potting mix soil should have plenty of fertilizer in it to get the plant through several months; however if they begin to look pale a dilution of fertilizer about every two weeks should help. Also keep in mind to snip flowers as they appear.  Herbs will put out more energy when producing flowers making them less flavorable. If your herbs start to become too woody it is probably time to transplant them to a larger container, or outside or even perhaps throw them in the compost pile and start with a newer plant.