Simple secrets of herb gardening
By Carmen Ketron
Urban Horticulture Agent,
Darlington and Florence,
Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service
Herb gardening is a fun and exciting way to enjoy an outdoor activity and reap the benefits of a delicious edible treat. Herbs enhance dishes by adding complex flavors as a healthy substitute for salt and sugar. Many herbs grow as perennials and are enjoyed throughout the year.
Growing
• Keep herb plants in full sun. If you are growing indoors, place it on a sunny window or utilize a grow light using fluorescent bulbs. Rotate plants once a week for even sun exposure.
• Do not overwater.
• Use lightweight potting soil if growing in a container.
• For non-porous containers such as glass, place rocks at the bottom so roots can stay dry
• When planting combinations of different plants together, make sure they complement each other by growing at the same rate or requiring the same temperature to thrive.
• Weather at 60 degrees at night and 70 degrees during the day is ideal.
• You can find more information at https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/herbs/
Harvesting
• For the best flavor, harvest young leaves at the top of the plant.
• Plucking too many large bottom leaves will make it hard for the plant to collect sunlight and grow.
• Remove dried or dead leaves so nutrients can focus on new growth.
• Perform regular haircuts during the growing season to help prevent leggy, woody plants.
• Perennial herbs should be pruned back 1/3 every fall to keep them from getting too woody & encourage new growth in spring.
Drying and preserving
• Air drying works best for low moisture herbs like marjoram, oregano, rosemary, and dill. Hang upside down in small batches in a well-ventilated space, out of direct sunlight, in an area with low humidity. Areas of high humidity may cause herbs to dry slower or mold. You can place them in a paper bag to dry, inside a pantry, or on top of the refrigerator.
• Drying in an oven or dehydrator works best for high moisture herbs like basil, chives and mint. Strip leaves from their stalks and space out leaves on a baking tray. Set the oven to the lowest possible temperature. Leave the oven door slightly open to allow moisture to escape. Turn the leaves over every 30 minutes to ensure even drying (about 1 hour). Leave in the oven until cool.
• More information can be found at https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/drying-herbs-seeds-nuts/
Cooking with herbs
• Drying herbs concentrates flavor, so you don’t need to use as much in recipes. For example, if a recipe calls for one tablespoon of fresh herbs, use one teaspoon of dried herbs.
• Dry herbs should go into dishes at the beginning of the cooking process to release flavor.
• Soft and fresh herbs should go into dishes at the last minute to not cook out the flavor.
• Ripping and tearing herbs releases flavor faster.
• Keep herbs fresh by putting them in a water container like cut flowers or adding a moist paper towel in a bag with fresh herbs and setting them in the fridge to keep crisp.
• Wash herbs right before use.
