Gardening News & Tips

Harvesting Herbs

One of the first guidelines in harvesting herbs is to harvest early in the morning. Right after the morning dew dries is the ideal picking time. However, you want to pick them before the sun has risen very high in the sky and warmed the herbs considerably. The timing is important because the necessary oils that give herbs its fragrance and flavor lose their characteristic qualities when overexposed to heat.

A cool, sunny, dry morning is best for herbs harvesting. Wet leaves require a longer drying period before you can store them. If you plan to use fresh herbs, pick and use those as needed.

The intended use, climate, and maturity of the plant are all influences on the timing of the harvest. Cold climate gardeners have fewer chances to harvest and often elect to grow herbs indoors. Herb gardens grown in warmer regions have the advantage of a longer growing season.

Avoid heavy harvests of perennial herbs during the first year of growth. This allows them to establish themselves and to encourage root growth. You may trim them slightly to promote bushiness.

Tips for Drying Herbs

Drying herbs is one of the most convenient and simplest ways to preserve herb flowers and leaves. It is so simple to discover how to dry herbs that you can keep a full winter's supply for yourself and have plenty left over to give as gifts. We have gathered useful information for you on how to dry herbs.

Most people use one of the following three drying herbs methods: air drying on raised screens, hang the herbs to air dry, or drying in a dehydrator.Your choice of how to dry herbs depends on use of the herb and on its particular characteristics. For instance, for drying the herb Angelica: hang leaves and enclosed seed heads to air dry. Alternatively, cut roots into 2 inch pieces and dry in a dehydrator.

How to Dry Herbs

Bunches of herbs are decorative as they dry, long before they can be used in arrangements. Hang drying is an excellent way for you to preserve herbs, especially in large quantities. You need a dark, well-ventilated, dry place to hang the herbs. A spare room or attic could be an ideal spot by covering any windows to block sunlight from entering.

Harvest herbs for hang drying as early in the day as possible. You do not have to bother with washing them. If you must rinse the herbs, let the surface moisture completely evaporate before bunching the herbs. Spread the rinsed herbs on a slatted drain rack to allow the air to circulate, which speeds drying.

Tie small bunches of herbs using elastic thread, rubber bands, or twist ties. Hang the bunches so that air circulates freely around them. If you are drying cooking herbs, enclose the bunches in paper bags. This will keep insects off your herbs and prevent them from getting dusty as they dry. The herbs take a bit longer to dry using this method but remain dust and insect free.

It may take up to 3 weeks under the proper conditions to drying herbs when they are enclosed in paper bags. If your drying conditions are somewhat humid, drape cheesecloth over herbs drying on a screen. The open weave of cheesecloth permits adequate air circulation around the herbs while keeping most of the dust out as well.

Hang the herbs at least 12 inches from the wall. Leave about 6 inches between bunches. An expandable laundry rack makes a handy and portable dryer when you only have a few bunches to dry. You can arrange the drying rack in a permanent location by screwing small hooks into the ceiling at 3 foot intervals in rows across the room. Afterward, run strings down each row of hooks. Tie the herb bunches to the strings.

After trying your hand at how to dry herbs, most herbs will be dry in a couple of weeks after being hung in dark, well-ventilated, dry conditions.

When they are completely dried, the herbs feel crackly crisp. You can either use them immediately or store for later uses. When your cooking herbs are dried, remove the leaves from the stems. Store in tightly sealed jars, bottles, or other containers in a dark cabinet. Since nearly all the moisture has been removed, dried herb flavors are more concentrated than freshly harvested ones.

It is recommended to decrease the amount to one-third of what you would normally add if using fresh picked herbs in your homemade recipes.

Go to herb gardening tips from Drying Herbs

Homemade Potting Soil

Your garden soil may be top of the line but making homemade potting soil is a good idea when starting seeds. No matter how rich your topsoil is, it can harbor organisms that put seedlings at risk. Bagged seed-starting mixes are widely available but you can save money by using our easy to make homemade potting soil recipe below.

Soil is made up of inorganic particles such as clay, sand, and silt. As well as minerals, organic matter, water, and air. The quality of soil is judged by the proportions of these ingredients. Organic matter is an essential part of the soil makeup because it supplies nutrients to the plants and can help to improve drainage.

Homemade Potting Soil Recipe

1. Combine equal parts of fine vermiculite and milled peat moss for a seed starting mix. Wear a disposable mask to avoid breathing in the fine particles.

2. Add hot water to the potting soil until it is moist enough to stick together. On the other hand, you do not want it dripping wet. The hot water keeps seeds warm.

3. Fill your containers or flats to within about

Pro Mix Potting Soil

Lightweight Pro Mix potting soil is a real heavyweight when it comes to its multi-uses for outdoor plots or indoor container gardens. You can use the potting mix for seed beds, transplants, or re-potting. A special ingredient of Pro Mix potting soil is sphagnum peat moss that helps it retain moisture longer. The mix aids in providing soil aeration and drainage for supplying optimum growth to your plants. This pro formula is preferred by many seasoned gardeners throughout the world.

The ingredients list for Pro Mix potting includes: Sphagnum peat moss, vermiculite, limestone, perlite, and a wetting agent. The mix is highly recommended for seed bed trays, container gardens, houseplants, and hanging baskets. For the best results: fertilize plants a few weeks after seeding or potting.

Pro Mix soil & seeding mix is suggested for growing plants requiring a soil pH of 5.5 -7.0. The following steps are how to effectively use Pro Mix potting soil: