Herbs for Flavor, Fragrances, Fun In Gardens, Pots, in Shade, in Sun

by Doris Thain Frost.

Doris Thain Frost of Great Falls, Va., is a board member of the Herb Society of America, has taught herb classes at the National Arboretum, and is editor of the Garden Bulletin issued by the National Capital Area Federation of Garden Clubs.

Herbs give much pleasure and profit if you grow them yourself. Plant herbs in your garden, read books about them, and discover personal joy and an added dimension to your cooking.

First of all, a place is needed to plant the seeds or roots and this means productive soil. A grower with an outdoor plot is indeed fortunate. Herbs will grow well in any garden where vegetables thrive, in the garden rows or around the edges. Herbs will grow in flower beds, in borders, among ornamental shrubs and roses, just so there is good drainage and six or more hours of sun.

Most herbs prefer an alkaline soil, a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. If the soil test indicates acidity, work ground limestone into the soil. The amount will be indicated in the soil test analysis received from your county extension services.

If an outdoor plot is lacking, many herbs will grow in boxes, pots or hanging baskets if the same conditions good soil, drainage and sun exist.

When planning an herb garden, remember that herbs belong in different classes according to their life span. Annuals, tender and hardy, may be planted in the vegetable garden as they mature in one season. Biennials and tender and hardy perennials must be planted in locations that will not be disturbed by cultivation or rotation as they live several years.

Prepare the plot as for vegetables. Animal manure and compost are good fertilizers, preferably applied in early spring. Use mulches to keep the herb foliage clean, for weed control, and to preserve soil moisture. Cocoa hulls, buckwheat hulls, leaves, straw and hay are popular mulches.

Herbs are propagated by seeds, cuttings, layering, and divisions. If you want only a few plants, buy them from commercial growers.

Seeds come in packets sold by established seed houses and by some commercial herb growers. Unless you have the equipment and space to start seeds indoors to transplant later, experience has proven that the average gardener had best buy seeds of annuals and plant them where they are to grow, and start perennials from cuttings, divisions and plants.

Parsley, the culinary biennial, can be started from seed if many plants are desired, or a few small plants purchased.

Cuttings can be rooted in water or in a medium of perlite, milled sphagnum moss, or in compressed peat pellets. The rooted cuttings may be transplanted into pots or into the garden if the season permits.

Divisions are made by digging up an older plant and pulling apart or cutting sections of the root and replanting each section individually.

Plants from commercial growers should be carefully examined for insects and disease, and if they are to grow outdoors, bought and planted when the ground has warmed and all danger of frost is past.

Bees, lady bugs, praying mantis and many other insects are friends in the herb garden as they pollinate plants and also destroy insect enemies. Herbs are peculiarly resistant to most insects and diseases.

Sometimes mints become mildewy early in the season. Either harvest early, or cut and destroy the affected stems. New growth for the second crop will be free of mildew.

Sometimes dill and fennel attract tomato worms. These can be removed by hand. Japanese beetles attack basil. Shake them off into a can of kerosene or into a bucket with warm water, salt and detergent added.

Do not use poisonous substances or powders on any herb to be used in food or beverages.

When to Harvest

The secret of a good harvest is timing, taking into account the readiness of the plant and the use to which it will be put. Just before the flowers fully open is said to be the time when the most oils and flavors are present and the richest fragrances prevail.

Successive harvests can be made of mints, comfrey, basils, parsley and others by cutting the stems early in the season, not too close to the ground so that new growth will start quickly. Cut again in late summer, and-----with annuals before frost when the entire plant may be harvested. If seeds are desired or self seeding is planned, a crop must be allowed to mature and ripen seeds.

Herbs for future use may be dried, frozen, the flavors preserved in vinegars and jellies, or kept fresh for a short time. To dry, cut the stems or stalks when the plant is ready, as I explained. Don't cut too close to the ground. Separate into small bunches, tie with string, and hang in a warm, dry, dark place such as an attic or vacant room until the leaves are crisp and brittle. In the summer this takes from three to ten days.

Strip the leaves, and buds or flowerettes if desired, and put as whole as possible into a jar with a tight lid. Check for a few days to be sure the herbs are perfectly dry, or mold, mildew or other problems will develop. The leaves are kept as whole as possible to preserve the flavor. They can be crumbled when used.

When only the leaves are dried, as with comfrey, gather the leaves, and spread thinly on newspaper in a warm, dry place until crispy dry. Then store in jars.

Basil, parsley and chives sometimes turn very dark if air dried. Stems of these can be laid on brown paper and put into an oven at 150 F or less. Leave the oven door open to allow moisture to escape. This method takes several hours.

The quickest, most modern way is to dry in a microwave oven. Place sprigs on a paper towel and cover with a paper towel. Put into the oven for one minute. Take out of oven and cool. If not completely dry put back into oven for a few seconds. When crumbly, store in jars. Basil, sage, parsley, mints and oregano, especially, retain beautiful, appetizing green colors when dried this way.

If only seeds are to be used, such as from dill, fennel or coriander, take care to cut the stems when ripe but before the seeds fall. A paper bag carefully put over a head or umbel and tied with string before the head is severed is then hung upside down (seed head down) to catch the seeds as then dry and fall.