Winter can be a tough time for herb gardening. If you know which herbs to pick and how to care for them, you can ensure that you will have plenty of herbs to use throughout winter. Herbs are an easy and tasty way to add some variety to your garden.
Winter Herb Garden: Preparing Your Herbs
As winter approaches, you need to adjust the way you tend to your herbs. Your herbs will begin to slow in their growth, so if you want to have herbs on hand at all times, plant extra ones. Here are some other tips for getting ready for winter:
- Stop fertilizing your herbs in early fall; this will let your herbs mature enough for winter
- Avoid significant pruning of your herbs starting in early fall as well; once there is a frost, light pruning is okay
- Make sure that the soil you use is well-drained in order to prevent standing water that will decrease the hardiness of your winter plants
- To make sure your plants are hardy, water and care for them well before winter
Winter Herb Garden: Choosing Herbs
If you don’t already have herbs, or you would like to add more types of herbs, there are plenty of hardy winter herbs to choose from. If your herbs are borderline winter-hardy, it’s a good idea to grow them in a protected location, like indoors. Make sure you find out what the best way is to start growing your herbs for winter.
Transplant/Cuttings:
- Mints, thyme, rosemary, tarragon, and oregano
- To propagate from a cutting, take a 4” tip cutting that has its lower leaves stripped off, and stick the stem into a moist soilless mix. Keep it humid by covering the cutting with glass or clear plastic, and keep the soilless mixture moist
Direct-seed:
- Caraway, cumin, borage, basil, chervil, parsley, coriander, dill, anise, and fennel
- Sow seeds in flats, gently water, cover them with plastic wrap, and place them in an area where the temperature will stay above 60◦F. When the seeds sprout, remove the plastic; once the herbs have their second set of true leaves, they are ready to be potted
Winter herbs that need some protection:
- Sage, perennial pink basil, English lavender, roman chamomile, winter savory, lemon verbena
Winter Herb Garden: Winter Care
Once you get into winter, there are a few things to remember about taking care of your herbs.
- If your plants die, remove the dead plants to minimize disease problems and insects
- Mulch can be used to protect herbs in up to -20◦ F. Depending on the degree of protection needed, coat 2”-6” of winter mulch around the base of your herbs after the first big freeze of winter
- Give your herbs breaks from the cold wind by covering them with a few evergreen boughs
- Feed your herbs regularly with potassium right plant food to strengthen the leaves
- Water your herbs once a week or less, depending on the weather conditions
- If your herbs are indoors, make sure they get adequate sunlight
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