What herbs to grow and how many?
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giggler
Sous Chef
I think it is a regional thing. Here it is hot! so I grow Basil and Parsley. and Rosemary is a bush that is used for Landscaping in yards so I just go snip some bits off my neighbor's bush. Are you growing in Pots or a garden?
Eric, Austin Tx
Eric, Austin Tx
larry_stewart
Master Chef
I grow Parsley,Sage ,Rosemary ,Thyme ( purposely listed in that order), Basil, Oregano, Bay Leaf, Chives ( Not sure if considered an herb)
I grow more basil and parsley than the others
Im big on making tabouli, which calls for a hand full of parsley at a time, so I grow a decent amount since it wouldn't grow back quick enough for me to use it
Basil also, when i used ( pesto and other pasta dishes), I usually use a cup or two at a time.
The others , the recipes don't call for as much ( although usually when using fresh you have to use more in the recipe than what they would call for if using dry).
Most of my herbs are grown in submerged pots, to keep them contained, organized and it looks nice too.
Can also grow a few different herbs in one larger pot.
my sage plant is huge, and I only used like 10 leaves a year. Problem is the plant is going to do what its genetically programmed to do, so in most cases, its difficult to just grow a little. By the end of the season, I usually have enough to give to everyone I know.
In my area:
Sage, chives always survives the winter
Rosemary, thyme and oregano sometimes survive the winter
Parley also survives the winter, but goes to seed almost immediately after
Bay leaf, basil do not survive
Parsley freezes well
Thyme, bay leaf, oregano, sage and rosemary dry really well ( and maintain their flavor)
Left side of pic is my herb garden in early spring( from a few years ago ). Once July kicks in, I have to keep busy to prune them so they don't take over the whole herb garden.
I grow more basil and parsley than the others
Im big on making tabouli, which calls for a hand full of parsley at a time, so I grow a decent amount since it wouldn't grow back quick enough for me to use it
Basil also, when i used ( pesto and other pasta dishes), I usually use a cup or two at a time.
The others , the recipes don't call for as much ( although usually when using fresh you have to use more in the recipe than what they would call for if using dry).
Most of my herbs are grown in submerged pots, to keep them contained, organized and it looks nice too.
Can also grow a few different herbs in one larger pot.
my sage plant is huge, and I only used like 10 leaves a year. Problem is the plant is going to do what its genetically programmed to do, so in most cases, its difficult to just grow a little. By the end of the season, I usually have enough to give to everyone I know.
In my area:
Sage, chives always survives the winter
Rosemary, thyme and oregano sometimes survive the winter
Parley also survives the winter, but goes to seed almost immediately after
Bay leaf, basil do not survive
Parsley freezes well
Thyme, bay leaf, oregano, sage and rosemary dry really well ( and maintain their flavor)
Left side of pic is my herb garden in early spring( from a few years ago ). Once July kicks in, I have to keep busy to prune them so they don't take over the whole herb garden.
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CraigC
Master Chef
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- Jan 27, 2011
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We grow herbs and some exotic stuff based on usage. Rosemary, basil, parsley and thyme are always going (we really don't have a winter). We also have a Kaffir lime tree for the leaves, galangal (Siamese ginger) and an Australian finger lime. Galangal and kaffir lime leaves are used in Thai cooking.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
Grow what you like to cook with
Caslon
Executive Chef
I grow alfalfa sprouts. That's all the sunshine my poor little north facing condo gets. None. 
Some use grow lights.
Some use grow lights.
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Steve Kroll
Wine Guy
This is what I was thinking as well. However, what I find is that if I have an excess of certain herbs (even some I don't normally cook with), I'll go searching for uses.
I tend to mostly grow just a few herbs that I like: chives, basil, mint, dill, and a few others. One herb I've tried to grow that doesn't seem to do well here is cilantro. I love the stuff and would use it up quickly, but it seems to always bolt before I get the chance. I've tried growing it in shadier areas, watering more often, etc. I haven't quite figured out the trick for growing it yet.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
My cilantro bolts too! I also haven't figured that out
This year Im growing basil, mint, parsley, chives, rosemary, garlic
I wanted to grow lemongrass again
Ive grown sage, oregano, and other stuff but don't use it that much so I quit
This year Im growing basil, mint, parsley, chives, rosemary, garlic
I wanted to grow lemongrass again
Ive grown sage, oregano, and other stuff but don't use it that much so I quit
di reston
Sous Chef
I grow perennial and seasonal herbs. They're all easy to cultivate, but nevertheless it influences what I cook throughout the year, which is what I prefer. I don't have a greenhouse, and I wouldn't have one here where I live because it would be a blight on the environment, and, anyway, our neighbours do the same, and the food we eat is seasonal in any event. There are other areas not too far from us where greenhouse cultivation is a normal part of growing produce for the markets in the big cities, but here we're in a Unesco site of special interest, so they don't encourage that.
di reston
Enough is never as good as a feast Oscar Wilde
di reston
Enough is never as good as a feast Oscar Wilde
Dawgluver
Chef Extraordinaire
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2011
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I've got chives, mint, lemon balm, oregano, and a bit of thyme and sage, most of which the oregano has swallowed up. All but the thyme and sage are extremely prolific. I didn't get any annual herbs in this year, but usually have dill, parsley, and basil.
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larry_stewart
Master Chef
Me too.
Mine goes straight to bolting every time.
Not that Im glad everyone else has issues, Im just glad that Im not the only one
blissful
Master Chef
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2008
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- 6,335
I put my cilantro in the lettuce garden, which means when it bolts and goes to seed, it comes up everywhere for years to come whether I like it or not. (I like for some to come up.) It comes up any time the seeds get near the surface, so when I plant lettuce, then a few weeks later too.
If one big plant goes to bolt and seed, let it mature there, harvest the seeds (coriander). (alot of them fall in the garden) Then you can plant those for a few years. I think I still have a couple cups of coriander in my spice cabinet from last year. It is prolific so don't let it all go to seed.
You can get at least 2 good 'crops' of cilantro in Wisconsin, one in the spring into summer and another planted in july into the fall.
Dill is ready all at once too, so better to plant it every few weeks or months. I grow basil every year, make sure to cut it back, I didn't cut it back last year and they ended up being 4 feet tall and gangly.
If one big plant goes to bolt and seed, let it mature there, harvest the seeds (coriander). (alot of them fall in the garden) Then you can plant those for a few years. I think I still have a couple cups of coriander in my spice cabinet from last year. It is prolific so don't let it all go to seed.
You can get at least 2 good 'crops' of cilantro in Wisconsin, one in the spring into summer and another planted in july into the fall.
Dill is ready all at once too, so better to plant it every few weeks or months. I grow basil every year, make sure to cut it back, I didn't cut it back last year and they ended up being 4 feet tall and gangly.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
I did the same thing with my arugula a few years ago and I am still planting the seeds and enjoying crop after crop.
Some are easier that others to grow, depending where you live.
Rosemary and thyme grow like weeds here, and over-winter for three years, easy, before getting out of control. Basil has to be planted every spring.
Rosemary and thyme also handle the heat and drought well, here. They also put out quite yield. One of each is plenty for my garden, giving me a two foot ball of herbs.
I love basil, but have to keep it watered every day, which is a burden on my neighbors when I travel for business.
My oregano, which I also love, is somewhere in between. It can go a few days without water, and will over-winter most years -- even under snow. My Italian parsley is summer hearty, but not winter.
CD
Rosemary and thyme grow like weeds here, and over-winter for three years, easy, before getting out of control. Basil has to be planted every spring.
Rosemary and thyme also handle the heat and drought well, here. They also put out quite yield. One of each is plenty for my garden, giving me a two foot ball of herbs.
I love basil, but have to keep it watered every day, which is a burden on my neighbors when I travel for business.
My oregano, which I also love, is somewhere in between. It can go a few days without water, and will over-winter most years -- even under snow. My Italian parsley is summer hearty, but not winter.
CD
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blissful
Master Chef
- Joined
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- Messages
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Jennyema, exactly! Good for you.
I learned something about saving seeds last year even though I've been saving some seeds for years and years. Lettuce seeds, and some herb seeds (like cilantro) are some of the easiest seeds to save. Just wait until the heads go to seed and start to fall, cut them off into a big plastic bag, let them sit in the sun and dry out, smash down the heads and stems and leaves through the plastic with a brick, sift and winnow and sift and winnow, and you get lots of seeds. Lettuce seeds are great to save, just watch them for 'fluff' on the seed heads which shows up as the seeds are ready.
I winnow most of mine by putting the smashed leaves/stems/seeds in a 9x13 metal pan, and blowing across it with a hair dryer carefully. The leaves and stems fly out and the seeds stay.
I learned something about saving seeds last year even though I've been saving some seeds for years and years. Lettuce seeds, and some herb seeds (like cilantro) are some of the easiest seeds to save. Just wait until the heads go to seed and start to fall, cut them off into a big plastic bag, let them sit in the sun and dry out, smash down the heads and stems and leaves through the plastic with a brick, sift and winnow and sift and winnow, and you get lots of seeds. Lettuce seeds are great to save, just watch them for 'fluff' on the seed heads which shows up as the seeds are ready.
I winnow most of mine by putting the smashed leaves/stems/seeds in a 9x13 metal pan, and blowing across it with a hair dryer carefully. The leaves and stems fly out and the seeds stay.
tenspeed
Executive Chef
I grew cilantro once, and it bolted fairly quickly. I've read that you should plant cilantro every few weeks so you always have some available. I don't use much cilantro, so this is more work than I'm willing to do.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
I did this but was messy about it and had arugula growing in my lawn for two years ...
Mom re-pots her tender herbs in the fall and brings them inside. She has a table near a window where they continue throughout the winter. Then they go into a container garden in the spring.
I bought slo-bolt cilantro and got it planted the other day. Will see how that goes. The parsley needs more shade, it just bakes in the full sun.
I bought slo-bolt cilantro and got it planted the other day. Will see how that goes. The parsley needs more shade, it just bakes in the full sun.
Sagittarius
Senior Cook
Larry
Good evening.
I grow Basil and it does not like extreme heat or cold. In October, I take the basil off my terrace and bring them indoors .. It does well indoors in light without direct sun.
I also take in all the herbs I grow on the terrace as it is quite cold here during the Winter & very windy ( Barcelona ).
Great post.
Thank you and have a wonderful weekend.
Good evening.
I grow Basil and it does not like extreme heat or cold. In October, I take the basil off my terrace and bring them indoors .. It does well indoors in light without direct sun.
I also take in all the herbs I grow on the terrace as it is quite cold here during the Winter & very windy ( Barcelona ).
Great post.
Thank you and have a wonderful weekend.
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