Herbs for the Homestead Mini E-book by

Sue Kusch

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the author.

HERBS FOR THE HOMESTEAD Author: Sue Kusch ~ TheWitheredHerb.com “I plant rosemary all over the garden, so pleasant is it to know that at every few steps one may draw the kindly branchlets through one's hand, and have the enjoyment of their incomparable incense; and I grow it against walls, so that the sun may draw out its inexhaustible sweetness to greet me as I pass." - Gertrude Jekyll, British Garden Designer As spring approaches, many of us spend the winter months planning some of our favorite warm weather outdoor activities: planting vegetable gardens and ornamental landscapes. While many gardeners grow a few culinary herbs, the notion of dedicating a portion of our green space to an herb garden is far less popular. And yet, historically, herb gardens were considered as important as food gardens because of their traditional uses for medicine, pollinator attraction, culinary seasoning, food preservation, body care and fiber dyes. DESIGN Herbs offer a plethora of shapes, sizes, foliages and flowers. Herb garden design can be as simple as incorporating a few herb plants into established gardens and landscapes. But gardeners beware: know what you are planting, its water and sun requirements and its behavior. Planting a mint plant in middle of a flower garden will soon result in a mint garden with a few flowers! Themed herb gardens can be great fun and utilitarian. Determine the theme or purpose: culinary, medicinal, fragrant, bee/birds, biblical, fiber dye and literary (e.g., Shakespeare’s herbs). Design a creative border garden or grow them in simple rows or raised beds. (Note: most herbs fit under multiple themes.) Other designs include the more formal English knot garden and the medicine wheel used by some indigenous people. These designs require a bit more space and a lot more planning. There is an abundance of information on both of these design ideas. Many culinary herbs will thrive in containers and window boxes. TIP: One design strategy is critical to herb gardening: ensure that the herbs are close to your kitchen so that you will use them regularly. Permaculture gardening offers a unique design suitable for small urban yards: herb spirals. Usually planted near the kitchen, these small, coiled plantings (3-5 ft. wide) gradually rise vertically (2-4 ft. tall) and offer easy access to culinary and tea herbs. Rocks or bricks can be used to help form the spiraling garden and because micro zones are created by the height, a variety of herbs can be planted.

Herb Spiral (photo used from Sweet Local Farm under Creative Commons License)

GROWING CONDITIONS Herbs are incredibly easy to grow and maintain. Most do well in soils that have been amended with humus (aged compost). Take the time to learn the preferred growing conditions of individual herbs; quality herbs make quality medicine, teas and culinary seasonings. Also note the growing habits of some herbs: members of the mint (Lamiaceae) family (a large group filled with many of our preferred culinary herbs) can be somewhat invasive and will take over quickly if given the opportunity. Many of our favorite culinary herbs originated in the Mediterranean region and thus, require six to eight hours of direct sun and drier soils. Healthy soils, fertilized once a year with an organic all-purpose blend and mulched with compost, will make healthy herbs. TIP: Many herbs prefer dry feet. Over watering and over fertilization will create leggy plants that have reduced essential oils (which contain the flavor, aroma and medicinal actions). Allow soil to dry out between waterings. PROPAGATION Annual herbs like basil are started by seed. Perennial herbs, which include many of our favorite culinary & tea herbs, can be started through cuttings from mature plants or by layering. Definitely the easiest method to propagate additional plants, layering can create many new plant starts in the course of one growing season. Some herbs do this naturally: the lowest stems of mature mint and oregano plants often lay on the soil and begin to root. Simply bend a low growing flexible branch into the soil, keeping it attached to its mother plant. Cover the bent section of the stem with soil (keep the tip of the stem above soil), using a piece of wire or florist’s pin to hold the stem in place if necessary. Water as usual and within 30-60 days the stem will have formed its own root system. Clip the rooted stem from the mother plant and carefully repot it. TIP: Oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage and mints are some of the easiest herbs to layer and some will propagate by layering on their own.

HARVESTING Herbs benefit from weekly pruning by snipping tips and stems for culinary use or tea blends. This will encourage additional growth and prevent flowering and seed development.

o Leaves: Pick leaves (never strip a plant of all of its leaves unless you want it to die) before flowers have started and pinch off developing flowers because the taste of some herbs leaves can be affected by flower production. Flowers on annuals like basil also signal to the plant that it is time for seeds to develop, so pinching flowers off increases the life of annual herbs.

o Flowers: Some flowers should be picked before they are fully opened (e.g., lavender) but most should be harvested as soon as they open fully. I encourage you to leave some flowers for the pollinators.

o Roots: Harvest roots in fall, after the aerial parts of the plant have died and the plant energy has returned to the roots.

TIP: Harvest flowers and leaves before the heat of the day but after the morning dew has dried.

PRESERVATION AND STORAGE Herbs are generally preserved in two ways: dried and frozen. Hanging small bundles of herbs in a darkened and well-ventilated room is the easiest and best way to preserve the essential oils of the plants; dehydrators are often too hot and can desiccate the herbs to the point of tastelessness. Once completely dry, strip the herb leaves (called garbling) and store in glass containers (canning jars are ideal), away from heat and light. Avoid grinding herbs until needed for a recipe; the essential oils will quickly dissipate. Use the sniff & taste tests to determine if herbs are still useful – if you can smell and taste them, then the herbs are usable (though some herbs will lose medicinal efficacy). Freezing chopped herbs in water or olive oil (ice cube trays are perfect) is a great way to enjoy the fresh-like flavors of many culinary herbs during the winter months. Freeze small flowers or petals in ice cube trays for a festive occasion. Herbs offer much to the human condition. Culinary seasoning is only the tip of the iceberg; herbal teas, medicinal remedies, fiber dyes, potpourri, body care and food sources for many species of pollinators make herbs in our garden and landscapes a smart gardening strategy that also happens to look and smell wonderful. Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)

STARTER HERB GARDEN

HERB ANNUAL

PERENNIAL

SIZE NOTES Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) P 12-24 in tall Many varieties offer subtle

flavors. Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis)

P – Zone 7 and up

2-6 ft tall Needs drier soil. Upright & trailing varieties.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

P 1-3 ft tall Can be highly invasive; keep seeds from developing.

Basil (Ocimum spp.)

A 12-15 inches

Cut frequently to avoid flowering. Many tasty varieties!

Bee Balm/Bergamot (Monarda spp.)

P 3-5 ft tall Highly invasive but gorgeous. Hummingbirds adore it!

Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

A – sort of

12-15 inches

Reseeds easily- allow last flowers to go to seed

Chives (Allium sp.)

P 12 inches Plant onion & garlic chives; use in everything!

Chamomile (Matriacaria recutita)

A – sort of

12-15 inches

Reseeds easily; dainty flowers that take some to harvest.

Lavender

P 1-3 ft tall Needs drier soil; flowers should be picked just before opened.

Mint (Mint spp.)

P 2-4 ft tall Prefers moister soil; can be highly invasive in right conditions.

Sage (Salvia spp.)

P 1-3 ft tall Many varieties; prefers drier soil.

Oregano (Origanum vulgare)

P 12-18 inches

Prefers drier soil; layers on its own.