Guide to Herb Gardening
Herb gardening rewards regular use — the more often herbs are harvested and cooked with, the healthier and more productive most of them actually become.
Harvesting for Growth
Regularly snipping leaves from herbs like basil, mint, and oregano encourages bushier, fuller growth rather than a single leggy stem racing to flower and set seed. Once an herb flowers, its leaves often turn bitter, so frequent harvesting also keeps flavor at its best.
Pinching just above a leaf node, rather than trimming randomly, encourages the plant to branch out from that point.
Harvest herbs in the morning, after dew has dried but before the heat of the day, when their essential oils and flavor are at their most concentrated.
Extending the Harvest
Drying or freezing extra herbs at their peak preserves flavor for use well after the growing season ends, making the most of a productive herb garden even in winter.
