Herbs Herbs Herbs
Generally speaking, herbs are one of the easiest things to grow as a beginner gardener. They’re also some of the most fun because there’s no fancier feeling than strolling out to your garden to pluck a few leaves to garnish your dinner, elevate your salad dressing, or muddle into your cocktail.
Herbs are ideal if you’re just getting started with growing your own food because you don’t have to wait for fruit to ripen, you just let it grow and snip a few sprigs whenever you need it, and they’re perfect for small space and container gardening. Herbs were also my gateway into food preservation. We’ll talk about what herbs are, which ones are common in Central Texas, considerations to keep in mind for planting and care, and ways you can preserve them.
An herb is basically defined as “any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume.” The herbs we’re most familiar with are the fragrant yummy ones that we use in cooking or for natural medicinal remedies. There are both annual and perennial herbs.
Annuals are plants that have one growing season, and by the end of their season they die. Some will self seed and some will need to be replanted each year.
Examples include basil, cilantro, dill, chamomile, summer savory.
Perennials are plants that will continually come back year after year. They may die off in the winter but come back on their own in the spring.
Examples include most herbs in the mint family, like rosemary, oregano, thyme, sage, lemon balm, marjoram, anise hyssop, and obviously mint.
There are some exceptions to what can be grown as a perennial or annual depending on your growing zone, but for the sake of this article we’ll focus on Central Texas (zone 9A).
Our favorite herbs for Central Texas:
Basil
Chamomile
Catnip
Chives
Cilantro
Dill
Lemon Balm
Marjoram
Mint
Oregano
Parsley
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme
Winter Savory
Basil is one of our favorite herbs to grow. Prune regularly for a larger harvest and bushy plant.
These herbs do well because they’re mostly from the Mediterranean region, which means they’re suited for hot, dry climates. Most of them do best in full sun and well draining, sandy soil. Water about once a week or when the top inch of soil feels dry. It’s definitely recommended to look into the care instructions for whatever individual herbs you decide to grow, because it can vary. For example, mint prefers moist soil while rosemary can thrive on very little water.
Tips for Harvesting your Herbs
For many herbs like thyme, basil, oregano, mint, and sage, you’ll want to prune right above where you see smaller leaves starting to grow. This encourages further, bushier growth because the plant will basically double from that spot. In doing this, the more you harvest the more you’ll grow!
Allow plants to get at least 5-6” tall before pruning.
Use sharp, clean scissors or pruning shears like these to make cuts.
Don’t prune on the “woody” parts of the stems of more mature plants, because this part won’t grow back.
Harvest before the plant produces flowers, after which the leaves will start losing their flavor.
You can leave some annual herbs like cilantro or dill to go to flower, because they will drop their seeds and grow again the next season.
Always leave at least ⅓ of the plant when harvesting.
Harvest in the early morning when leaves are at their juiciest.
Preservation & Uses
Dried:
Never buy spices again! Well, at least some of them. Loosely tie cut herbs with twine and hang in a dry, well ventilated area. You want to be sure your herbs are completely dry before storing in a clean, airtight container, preferably glass. If they aren’t totally dry then they will mold. I typically don’t grind my dried herbs until I need to use them to keep them fresher for longer, but that’s just a personal preference. You can do this with a small coffee bean grinder or pestle and mortar. You can also dry your herbs faster in a dehydrator - I’ve heard great things about this brand but I used to use a super cheap dinky one and it worked just fine.
If you find yourself with way more oregano than you need, cut it up, hang to dry and toss it into your next pasta sauce.
Herb butter:
Not only is this an easy and convenient way to use your herbs, it’s also friggin delicious. Herb butter is exactly what it sounds like - butter that has been mixed with herbs to be used on steak, chicken, fish, veggies, toast, eggs, potatoes or really anything.
1 stick of butter, softened
2 Tbsp minced herbs
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced or grated (optional)
In a bowl, mash together butter, herbs, salt, lemon juice and garlic if using.
Spoon butter onto parchment paper or plastic wrap, form into a log and wrap well.
Chill for at least 3 hours before using, keep in fridge up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months
Refrigerate:
You can keep many herbs like parsley, cilantro, mint, oregano and sage in the refrigerator for a short period of time. Place in a glass container (I use mason jars) with water like you would a bouquet of flowers. Make sure to remove any leaves from the part of the stems that are submerged. Adding just a little bit of lemon juice will help deter bacterial growth, but not really necessary if you plan on using them soon. Herbs should last about a week or more this way.
Use Fresh:
Obviously you can also use your herbs right away! We often talk to people who are too hesitant to prune their herbs, but for most herbs the more often you harvest the more they will grow! So get in there! There are so many ways you can use your herbs:
Salad dressings
Marinades
Soups
Sauces
Summer salads
Put into sandwiches
Toppings for eggs
Herb dips
Mixed into pasta
Chimichurri
Pesto
I’m making myself hungry just writing this list and the possibilities are truly endless.
This spring and summer we will be whipping up a bunch of recipes involving herbs and will be sure to share them on instagram @ontheedge_gardens.
In the meantime, happy gardening, yall! Let’s grow shit!
-Hunter + Chelsea
Handy planting guide from The Natural Gardener
