Herbs add rich, fresh flavor to any food and can be grown outdoors in the growing season or indoors year-round. For the novice gardener, herbs are an easy way to add a home-grown item to the dinner table. Because herbs are used in small quantities, only a few plants are needed to provide sufficient fresh and dried herbs for an entire season.
The ornamental value of herbs makes them useful in flower beds, borders, rock gardens and corner plantings. Some herbs are annuals, while others are perennial and come up year after year. It’s important to recognize if an herb will perennialize as you may want to place it in the flower bed instead of in your vegetable garden.
Many gardeners establish a small herb garden near the back door. Generally, a 6- to 10-foot square or rectangular area is sufficient, but you also can use circular or free-form designs. If you haven’t heard of it yet, look at herb spirals as a space-efficient, water-wise herb garden. Windowsill herb gardeners are also gaining in popularity. These small gardens bring a touch of green and freshness to your kitchen in winter months.
Care for the herb garden is similar to that of a vegetable or flower garden. Select a sunny, well-drained location and apply a balanced fertilizer, but avoid excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers. Water as necessary during dry periods. Generally, you will need about an inch of water per week, if not supplied by natural rainfall. A mulch will help conserve soil moisture and reduce weed growth as well. The mints prefer moist soil and require more frequent watering.
Harvesting herbs consists primarily of pinching off leaves or small stem portions as you need them. Many herbs, such as basil, benefit from regular pinching to maintain a better shape. Never remove all the leaves from any one plant.
For the novice herb gardener, begin with your favorites. If you use thyme on your Thanksgiving turkey, start with a pot in your windowsill. If you regularly make guacamole, cilantro may be all you need. As with vegetables, grow what you’ll eat! Unlike most vegetables however, you may also include a few for fun and looks. I enjoy having lavender in my garden just to smell from time to time and my purple basil generally goes undisturbed, I just couldn’t resist the color!
If you don’t know where to start, or are looking to add a classic to your growing garden, below are some of the more popular herbs grown in Kansas.
• Cilantro is an annual that can be directly seeded in full sun. Cilantro keeps its flavor best in cooler seasons as it tends to bolt in hot summer weather. Bolting (rapid growth that results in onset of seeds) can be an issue if you have only one plant but if you spread planting out throughout the season it becomes less of an issue. With this schedule, as one plant bolts the next is coming into production. The plants that do bolt and produce seeds can be harvested as coriander.
• Chives are a great option for the kitchen herb garden. As part of the onion family, a little bit of chives go a long way in omelets and sauces. Cut chives leaves straight across as needed and enjoy their grass-like appearance in garden beds or pots.
• Basil is a fast growing annual that can be started from seed indoors in early April. Basil prefers a protected, sunny area to grow in. Along with traditional Italian basil (such as Genovese) basil also comes in lemon, Thai and purple varieties. Each has a distinctly different flavor and purpose. Don’t be afraid to buy one of each and experiment with basil in curries, teas and salad dressings!
• Rosemary is a perennial shrub with a calming scent. Rosemary is an herb not only useful for cooking but also for aromatherapy. Rosemary prefers a sunny location but doesn’t tolerate wet feet.
• Mint is a vigorous perennial in Kansas. Peppermint, spearmint and others in the mint family will take over if given the opportunity. Plants prefer rich, moist soil and at least 8 inches to spread. Although mint can be a challenge to contain, it makes a tangy addition to summer drinks, jams and sauces!
• Thyme and oregano will both perennialize and spread in your garden. In my herb spiral, I like to tuck thyme and oregano in between the rocks of the upper layer. This allows the plants to trail down the rocks, saving space and adding a nice texture to the garden.
• Sage is a drought tolerant and fairly cold-tolerant medium shrub. Sage prefers full sun and will spread readily.
If efficiency in the herb garden is your goal, flowers should be removed to encourage more leaf growth. Many times, herbs that are well taken care of will produce more leaves than a small household will regularly use. If that is the case for your garden, flowers can add a nice aesthetic appeal and may be left on the plant.
When harvesting, use leaves on stems without flowers or, if that isn’t possible, select leaves further down on the stem. Herb flowers are generally edible but aren’t as strongly flavored as the leaves and have an odd texture unless finely chopped.
Ariel Whitely-Noll is the horticulture agent for Shawnee County Research and Extension. She can be reached at arielw@ksu.edu.
The Link LonkNovember 14, 2020 at 08:00AM
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Ariel Whitely-Noll: New to growing herbs? Start with favorites - The Topeka Capital-Journal
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