How To Harvest and Preserve Your Garden Herbs

October 10, 2013 · by Kathy Woodard · 13 Comments

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For those of you who grew herbs in your garden this year, you may be wondering what to do with them! What do you do with that much sage, after all? Before you throw your hands up and figure that herb season is over with the first frost, read these tips on how to harvest herbs, and clever ways to preserve them so you have fresh from the garden flavor all year long. Feature photo above from ‘Rustic Garden Bistro‘.

• Pick herbs in late morning for best flavor, on a sunny day.

• Do not let herbs go to flower before you pick. Pinch off the flowers as they appear until you are ready to harvest.

• Many, if not most herbs can be cut whenever you need them, and they regrow quickly. Exceptions to that include parsley and basil, both which tend to bolt to seed quickly after reaching maturity. These are the herbs you need to harvest on time. Harvest these in bunches.

• Yes, you should wash your herbs before you preserve them.

• Remember in milder winter areas, some herbs stay evergreen all winter long. These are best to clip as needed, and you don’t need to harvest large parts of the plant. These tend to be the hardier herbs… in my zone 7 garden, many Thymes, Sages and Rosemary survive quite well. Oregano, marjoram and lemon balm? Not so much!

How to Preserve Herbs

– Drying Herbs

Drying herbs is pretty self explanatory, but the most space intensive way to preserve herbs. If you choose this route, you must have a warm, dry indoor area to hang the herbs. Hang them in small bunches, cover them to keep them clean, and when dry, strip the leaves off the branches and seal in bags or jars. Make sure they are crispy dry before you seal them up. You can also dry herbs in the microwave or a food dehydrator. Check out this great tutorial from ‘Food52’ on how to dry your herbs. Nice photos below from James Ransom.

– Freezing in Water

Freezing fresh herbs in ice cube trays is pure genius as in this idea from Ladies Health Magazine. Simply pop the ice cubes straight into the cooking pot. You can also simply place chopped herbs into a ziploc bag, squeeze out all the air, and freeze. Break off a piece when needed.

– Freezing In Oil

Love this idea! If you cook dishes that are more savory and wouldn’t want to add water to, freezing your herbs in oil is the perfect solution. Use a good extra virgin olive oil and cover chopped herbs in the ice cube trays. Freeze overnight, then pop out of the trays and seal in plastic bags, Freeze until ready to use. Add to any dish that has an oil or savory base. This preservation method has the freshest taste to us. Check out this tutorial from ‘The Kitchn’.

– In Salt or Sugar

To preserve herbs in sugar or salt, simply layer the fresh herbs with either in a sealable jar. You can use both the salt (or sugar) and the herbs for seasoning. Some herbs naturally make great herbal sugars… lavender, mint, rosemary, lemon balm. Others make terrific herbal salts, such as basil. More tips from ‘The Healthy Green Kitchen’.

Take advantage of these easy ways to save your herbs for later use, and savor the smell in your kitchen as an added bonus. Does anything smell better in fall than fresh herbs and spices?

And if you didn’t grow herbs this year? Get on it people… no other plant combines purpose with pleasure quite so well.

Image Credits: Rustic Garden Bistro, Food52, Ladies Health Magazine, The Kitchn, Healthy Green Kitchen

Trimming Rosemary

Found this helpful article. I was about to trim my rosemary now but... NO! Wait til spring or summer!

Cutting Back Rosemary: How To Trim Rosemary Bushes

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Image by deimagine

By Heather Rhoades

While pruning a rosemary plant is not needed to keep a rosemary healthy, there are several reasons why a gardener might want to prune a rosemary bush. It may be that they want to shape the rosemary or reduce the size of the rosemary shrub or to create a more bushy and productive plant. Whatever your reasons for wanting to prune your rosemary, there are a few things you need to know about how to prune a rosemary bush.

When to Prune Rosemary

Rosemary pruning can be done anytime during the spring or summer up until four to six weeks before the first frost.

Pruning rosemary after this time, or in the fall and winter, can cause the rosemary shrub to focus on growing new, tender growth rather than hardening off and protecting the growth that it has. If a rosemary bush does not harden itself off, it will be more susceptible to winter damage which can kill it.

Tips for How to Prune a Rosemary Bush

Before you prune your rosemary bush, make sure that your pruning shears are sharp and clean. Blunt or dirty pruning shears can result in ragged cuts that can leave the rosemary plant vulnerable to bacteria and pests.

The next step in how to trim rosemary bushes is to decide why you want to trim the plant.

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If you are trimming the rosemary to shape it, say as a hedge or a topiary, draw a mental picture of what you would like the plant to look like and trim away the branches that do not fall into that outline. If your shaping needs to remove more than one-third of any branch, you will need to prune the rosemary back in stages. You can prune back branches by one-quarter, but you will need to give them a season to recover before pruning again.

If you are looking to reduce the size, you can prune back the overall plant by one-third at a time. Then wait two to three months and you can prune back by one-third again.

If you are doing rosemary pruning simply to create a busier plant, you can remove the end one to two inches of the branches. This will force the branch to split and will create a bushier plant. This technique is particularly helpful if you are growing rosemary for cooking, as this creates more foliage in a more compact space.

You may also find that your rosemary plant is in need of some rejuvenation. Find tips for this here: Rejuvenating Rosemary Plants.

The steps for how to prune a rosemary bush are simple but important. Knowing how to trim rosemary bushes properly will help you keep your rosemary happy and manageable.

I need to prune my camellia japonica and found this handy pruning guide from Polk County, NC. Polk is a bit west, closer to the mountains than Charlotte but I figure it's fairly close. You may want to factor Charlotte calendar is about 2 weeks-1 month earlier due to warmer climate. Check it out:

Pruning Calendar

PLANTS	REMARKS
JANUARY
Shade Trees: oak, hickory, beech, black gum, poplar, sycamore, ginkgo, etc. * (Bleeder trees include: birch, dogwood, elm, maple, & styrax)	Prune undesired and storm damaged limbs. For “bleeder” trees, heavy pruning should be done during the coldest weather. For light pruning of bleeder trees (See July). Make cuts using the Branch Collar Method of pruning. For more information see Pruning Trees, Flush Cuts & Wound Dressing
FEBRUARY
Fruit Trees: apple, pear, plum, cherry, peach & nectarine	Prune annually for best fruit production. (Request a copy of “Training and Pruning Fruit Trees in NC” publication AG-29).
Grapes	Prune annually to improve fruit production and to make the vine training easier.
Summer Flowering Shrubs: crape myrtle, rose of sharon (althea), butterfly bush, eleagnus, August flowering hydrangeas(normally with white flowers)	Prune if shrub-like form is desired or if plants need shaping.
Ornamental Grasses: liriope, pampas grass, mondo grass, etc.	Trim annually. Important to trim off previous year’s growth before the spring growth begins.
Overgrown Broadleaf Shrubs: ligustrum(privet), boxwood, osmanthus, photinia(red tip), holly, cleyera, viburnum, etc.	Prune in late February to desired size. Rejuvenate by pruning out 1/3 of shrub each year. As a general rule try not to cut more than 1/3 of bush in any one year.
Camellia: japonica and sasanqua	Prune anytime after flowering but not later than July 10th.
Crabapple	Prune out water sprouts and out-of-shape limbs.
Mountain Laurel (Kalmia)	Normally very little pruning needed. If shaping desired, cuts MUST be made prior to bud break in the spring for best results**.
Conifers & Narrowleaf Evergreens: hemlock, juniper, arborvitae, leyland cypress, etc.	Often late summer growth from the previous season can misshapen these plants. Trim away the excess growth to improve the shrub’s appearance. Do not trim away all of the green foliage – unlike broadleaf plants, buds will not develop from brown colored wood.
MARCH
Rose	Prune annually for best flower production. Trim early in the month before new spring growth begins.
Nandina	Prune as needed. Cut the leggy and oldest canes near the ground. New shoots will develop at the location of your pruning cuts.
Abelia	Shape plants to desired form early in March.
Spring Flowering Shrubs: spirea, forsythia (yellow bells), flowering quince, loropetalum, breath-of-spring(winter honeysuckle), weigela, lilac, etc.	Prune IMMEDIATELY after flowering, but not after July 10th. In general, cut oldest limbs near the ground level for constant rejuvenation of shrubs.
APRIL
Azalea	Light pruning(12 inches or less) after flowering but not after July 10th (Early spring – February – and autumn pruning removes next year’s blossoms). However, overgrown azaleas should be pruned in February**.
Winter Damaged Plants	Cut out any cold-damaged branches at the end of the month.
Berry Producing Shrubs: holly, pyracantha, etc.	Prune while in flower to prevent removal of all berries. Shape to desired form.
Spring Flowering Trees: flowering cherry, Bradford pear, serviceberry, etc.	Prune only as needed, immediately after blooming.
MAY
Rhododendron	Prune after flowering, but not after July 10th. Always prune to a whorl of leaves or to the next branch. Severe or renovative pruning should be done in February**.
Hedges: privet, abelia, holly, euonymus, boxwood, etc.	Prune as desired, always make top of hedge narrower than bottom.
JUNE
Conifers & Narrowleaf Evergreens: hemlock, juniper, arborvitae, white pine, leyland cypress, etc.	Summer pruning of conifers is to shapen the plants to their desired size. Start pruning in late June and continue through July. Trim only into green growth; brown wood on conifers will not regenerate new growth. White Pines should be trimmed in summer. With White Pines trim ONLY the growth that has grown since April (new growth).
Gardenia	Prune immediately after bloom, not after August 10th.
Perennials: phlox, shasta daisy, purple coneflower, rubeckia, etc.	Remove old flowers to encourage re-bloom.
Chrysanthemums	Pinch out growth tips to make bushier plants, discontinue pinching around July 10th.
Hydrangea: Big Leaf or Florist	Prune while flowering or immediately after. (These hydrangeas usually have either pink or blue flowers.)
Fruit Trees	Remove water sprouts
JULY – AUGUST
“Bleeder” Trees: maple, birch, elm, styrax & dogwood	Perform light pruning as desired. (Light pruning involves branches of 18 inches in length or less.) Dogwoods look best left in their natural form. Prune only when grown out of their natural shape.
Rose	Prune leggy plants only and fertilize after pruning for fall flowering.
Hedges	As needed, keep bottom branches wider than top.
Brambles: blackberry & raspberry	Prune out the wood that bore fruit, cutting canes near ground level.
SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER
Any Plants	DO NOT PRUNE shrubs or trees in late summer or early autumn. Pruning stimulates new growth which may not have time to harden off before frost. You may remove any deadwood from shrubs or trees.
NOVEMBER – DECEMBER
Weed Trees and Brush	Remove any underbrush now when it is easiest to see.
Berry Producing Plants: holly, nandina, pyracantha, etc.	Use berries indoors or in wreaths as Christmas decorations
Take a rest until January!!

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* SPECIAL NOTE: Some trees should be allowed to let their lowest limbs grow until they sweep the ground. Those trees that are commonly found in our region are: Southern Magnolia, Deodora Cedar, American Holly, Hemlock and White Pine.

** NOTE: Some pruning in late winter & early spring may result in removing this season’s flower buds. However, the results of the pruning are much better when trimmed before bud break.

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This information compiled by John Vining, County Extension Director for Polk County.  

Hugelkultur Bed

“Hügelkultur” is a German word meaning “hill culture,” or “mound culture.” A hügelkultur mound consists of a raised plant bed built up over decaying wood and other compostable materials. A practice that has been used for generations by German and Eastern European peoples, it is now getting some serious attention from permaculture aficionados for its excellent results. 

I was not familiar with this but check out the Proven Winner post. It a great idea!

http://www.beauty.provenwinners.com/?utm_campaign=Winners-Circle-jan2&utm_medium=email&utm_source=emfluence#!diy-hugelkultur/cndw