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HOW TO GROW WiTH

GETTING STARTEDHerbs are a staple for any kitchen garden

or landscape. They can be grown in con-tainers, as edging in landscape beds, oralongside vegetables in the garden. Youhave many creative options for incorporat-ing these flavor-packed plants. Try plant-ing herbs in strawberry pots with multipleopenings, as the border in a flower bed,or in small pots for a sunny windowsillgarden. Consult our comprehensiveHerbs and How to Grow websitesections for a wealth of information and

ideas. Here are a few of the herbs we of-fer, along with pointers to get you started:

Basil Prized for its ease of growingand as a key ingredient in pesto, sweetbasil is a must in any herb garden, Awoody, branching plant, it is a warmweather annual that gets a boost in 80- to90-degree weather.

Chives Onion chives form neat,perennial, grass-like clumps that makegreat garden borders or container plants.The purple flowers are edible, too. Chivesflourish in sun or partial shade.

Cilantro This is a fast-growing annual

that prefers the cooler temps of spring andfall. A bonus when the weather gets hot?The blooms produce seed pods that youcan harvest as the spice called coriander.

Dill Fernleaf dill is an All-AmericaSelections winner prized for its foliageand seed. Give this compact variety aback-of-the-border spot or ample containerspace, as it can grow up to 24 inches tall.It will reseed for the next growing seasonif allowed.

Mint Plant this creeper in a pot in theground to keep it contained; it spreadseasily via runners. Plant mint after your lastfrost date and in slightly damp or moistsoil; do not let it dry out.

Oregano No tomato sauce is com-plete without oregano! Use it as a groundcover, container plant, or in the garden,and harvest all season long. In zones 7and farther south, it benefits from a littleafternoon shade.

Parsley Whether you prefer curly orflat, parsley is a lush plant that can growup to a foot tall. Use it as a companionto annuals or perennials in beds, contain-ers, and window boxes. Parsley toleratesfrosts and light freezes. In the zones 7and warmer, it survives through winter tobloom the following spring.

Sage This strong, herbaceous peren-

nial (zones 4 to 7) provides unique flavor-ing via its velvety, gray-green leaves. In thehumid climes of zones 8 and farther south,it is usually an annual. Sage needs light,well-drained soil.

Thyme This aromatic plant is anevergreen to semi-evergreen perennial formost parts of the country. In zones 9 orwarmer, it is best treated as a cool seasonannual. Thyme needs excellent drainage,so consider mulching with gravel.

FIRST THINGS FIRST. Your plants may arrive dry and thirsty.Give them a drink, watering until the pot turns dark brown. Keepplants in a bright spot protected from cold, and plant after the last

frost. Follow planting directions on the pot label or see the videos and article atbonnieplants.com/growing/how-to-grow.

HERBS

8/12/2019 Herbs 2014 Final

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GO TO BONNIEPLANTS.COMFOR MORE TIPS ON VEGETABLE AND HERB GARDENING

FERTILIZINGFeed regularly with Bonnie Herb, Vegetable& Flower Plant Food to keep plants healthyand vigorous. Your plants will love thenaturally based formula made from oilseedextract. Apply every 1 to 2 weeks, follow-ing the label directions.

HARVESTINGIn addition to their ornamental value,herbs have a delicious payoff. Heres someadvice for clipping with confidence:nBefore you start,make sure your plants

are well-watered. Healthy, happy herbs yieldthe best flavor. A few hours later (or thefollowing morning), gather your gloves andcut with sharp clippers so you dont manglethe stems or accidentally yank out the plant.Have something in which to carry the clippedherbs, such as a bucket or large basket.

nPerennial herbssuch as oregano,sage, and thyme are the simplest toharvest. Cut about one-third to one-halfof the plants height anytime during thegrowing season.

nBasil and other annual herbsgrown for their leaves need regular har-vesting during the summer to keep themfrom going to seed. Clipping lets themfocus on growing leaves. By mid-summer,plants will be near their final height.

nHarvest herb flowers (edible herbsyield edible flowers) when the flowershave just opened. The heads will be firmand at maximum flavor. Handle themgently to minimize damage.

nGathering seedsfrom dill, cilantro(seeds are known as coriander), and oth-er herbs requires careful timing. Watchfor the seeds to plump and turn brown.When that happens, clip the heads imme-diately or you will likely lose your harvestto hungry birds or high winds.

PRESERVING HERBS FOR COOKINGLay cut herbs in a single layer on an absor-bent towel placed on a flat surface. Allowthem to air-dry for 6 to 8 days. Once theleaves become dry and crackly, store them inan airtight container away from light. Basil isokay dried, but doesnt hold its flavor as wellas oregano, dill, and many other herbs.

When drying herbs, its important to pre-vent mold. During the drying period, fluff the

herb stalks each day to expose new parts tothe air. If you live in a hot and humid area,

you may have best luck using a food dehy-drator, which reduces the chance of mold.

You can count the rules for herbpreservation on one hand: Water before

you harvest, make sharp cuts, keep herbsclean, dry them quickly, and store themaway from light and moisture. Thats it!

RECIPESNothing beats a simple sandwich withfresh basil and tomato slices, but we bet

youll have so many herbs to harvest thatyoull want more ideas. Go towww.bonnieplants.com/in-the-kitchentoview a variety of recipes for your freshlyharvested herbs and other veggies.

HERBSGROWING HERBSIN CONTAINERS

1Place containers any-where there is a sourceof water and sunshine. Inhot climates, give themafternoon shade.

2Choose containerswith drainage holes

and enough space to ac-commodate the roots asthey grow.

3Use a premium-qualitypotting mix. Dont usegarden soil; it can be toodense and infested with dis-ease or nematodes. After ayear, empty the old pottingmix (which will have lostits original texture) into acompost pile and replace itwith new. In cool climateswhere decomposition isslower, a 2-year rotation isusually okay.

4 Before planting, mixtimed-release fertilizerinto the soil at the raterecommended on thelabel. Or, fertilize withBonnie Herb, Vegetable &Flower Plant Food accord-ing to label directions.

HELPFUL HINTS

nPut heavy pots on cast-ers to make it easier tomove them around.

nConsider a spaghettitube drip irrigation sys-tem if you have manypots clustered in asingle area. It will makewatering a breeze.

nCombine herbs accord-ing to their shape sothere is room for morethan one in a pot. Forexample, pair uprightrosemary with creeping

thyme. If the pot is largeenough, you can addsage or chives, too.

nA large strawberryjar is a perfect vesselfor compact herbs that

you only use a pinch ata time. These include

parsley, oregano,thyme, sage, and rose-mary (in the top of thejar). See Herbs Well-Suited to a Strawberry

Jar in the ContainerGardening section ofbonnieplants.com.

nIn humid climates, usepea gravel as mulchin the pot to help keepleaves from rotting. Itwill also prevent soilfrom spattering on theleaves, which makes

harvesting clean herbsa snap.

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