Growing
Not All Lavenders Are Equally Hardy: Overwinter Yours With These Tips From Gardeners
IN THIS GUIDE 1) Determine Your Lavender Hardiness 2) Cutting Back Lavender For Winter 3) Provide The Right Care For Outdoor Lavender 4) Pot Up And Move Tender Types Inside References Lavender is a wonderful choice for many gardens and can provide us with many yields and rewards through the summer months while it is in bloom. However, being able to enjoy lavender in our gardens over the summer months means understanding how to prepare lavender for the colder months to come. To care for lavender correctly in winter: Determine whether the lavender you are growing is hardy and can withstand winter conditions. Prune lavender in August or September to reduce the chances of winter damage. Ensure good drainage for lavender that is hardy enough to remain in the garden. Pot up more tender species and bring them indoors or under cover. Below, we will delve just a little deeper into each of these steps and look at what we should do to prepare lavender for winter depending on their type. 1) Determine Your Lavender Hardiness The first thing to understand when it comes to caring for lavender in winter is that not all lavenders are equally hardy. Several different lavenders can be grown in the UK, and these vary somewhat in their hardiness ratings. The main types of lavender that you might grow are: English lavender (L. angustifolia – H5) English hybrid types (L. x intermedia – H5) French lavender (L. stoechas – H4) Hybrid lavender (L. x chaytoriae – H4) Broad leaf lavender (L. latifolia – H3) Spanish lavender (L. pedunculata and L. viridis – H3) Tender lavender (L canariensis, L. dentata, L. lanata and L. pinnata – H3) If you are unfamiliar with the hardiness ratings, these are the designations given by the RHS which help us to understand which plants can survive winter outside where we live and which cannot.1 H5 means that plants are hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters. H4 means that plants are hardy throughout most of the UK (-10-5°C). H3 means that plants are only hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5-1°C). “Most lavenders are hardy but really don’t like cold and wet soil conditions,” says Julia Snowball, the Head Gardener at Yorkshire Lavender. “Good drainage is essential, particularly in winter.” So, as you can see from the above, where you live and which lavender you are growing will determine whether lavender can survive outside all winter or will need to be brought into a frost-free location. “Though the species of lavender you grow will go some way to determining the plant’s hardiness, there are other factors to consider, including the age of the plant,” says Master Horticulturist Peter Lickorish. “It may be best to keep more fragile young plants containerised and bring them under shelter, before planting out in the spring.” 2) Cutting Back Lavender For Winter While some lavenders are hardy enough to withstand winter temperatures fairly easily, other conditions of winter, especially winter wet, can still pose a risk – even to the hardier species and hybrids mentioned above. Pruning lavender correctly in August or September, after flowers are faded but before colder weather arrives, can be important in making sure that, whichever lavender you are growing, they make it through the winter unscathed. We have covered pruning lavender in another guide, so check that out to make sure you are doing all you can to prepare your lavender plants for winter. The correct pruning, well before winter, can help avoid snow sitting on them and causing damage. 3) Provide The Right Care For Outdoor Lavender If the lavender you are growing can survive outside all winter where you live, then it is important to make sure that you have done all you can to ensure that your plants have the appropriate growing conditions. The most important thing is to be absolutely certain before winter begins that your lavender is in soil or a growing medium that drains well. “Water needs to be able to get away from the roots, especially in winter,” shares Charlie Byrd from Cotswold Lavender. Do all you can to improve drainage where possible, especially when growing lavender in the ground. Make sure your lavender does not get waterlogged or it may not survive the winter months. 4) Pot Up And Move Tender Types Inside If you are growing one of the more tender lavenders mentioned above or live in a very cold location, you may have to consider moving your plants indoors or under cover over the winter months. Plants in pots might best be moved to a drier and more sheltered spot in a greenhouse, polytunnel or cool part of your home. During the winter, when lavender enters a state of dormancy, it should not be watered at all when outside, as natural rainfall is typically more than enough. When growing indoors, you may need to water a couple of times through the coldest months before your lavender goes outside once more. References 1. Check how hardy plants are using RHS hardiness ratings. (n.d.). Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved April 3, 2023, from https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/trials-awards/award-of-garden-merit/rhs-hardiness-rating
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Commercial Growers Share 20 Lovely Lavender Types They Swear By
IN THIS GUIDE Expert Chosen Varieties 1) L. angustifolia ‘Beechwood Blue’ 2) L. angustifolia ‘Hidcote’ 3) L. angustifolia ‘Imperial Gem’ 4) Lavandula angustifolia ‘Batlad’ 5) Lavandula angustifolia ‘Clarmo’ 6) L. angustifolia ‘Miss Katherine’ 7) Lavandula angustifolia ‘Scholmis’ 8) L. angustifolia ‘Nana Alba’ 9) L. x chaytoriae ‘Richard Gray’ 10) L. x chaytoriae ‘Sawyers’ 11) L. dentata var. dentata ‘Royal Crown’ 12) L. ‘Goodwin Creek Grey’ 13) L. x intermedia ‘Alba’ 14) L. x intermedia ‘Hidcote Giant’ 15) L. x intermedia ‘Sussex’ 16) L. pedunculata subsp. pedunculata 17) L. ‘Ballerina’ 18) L. stoechas ‘Pretty Polly’ 19) L. ‘Willow Vale’ 20) L. stoechas subsp. stoechas f. rosea ‘Kew Red’ A favourite with many gardeners, it’s easy to see why lavender, with its beautiful appearance and delightful scent, is such a popular flower and herb to grow. However, choosing a lavender is not always as straightforward as it may at first appear, since there are a number of different types, species and cultivars to choose from. If you are choosing a lavender shrub to grow, the first thing to understand is that some lavender is hardier and better suited to UK conditions than other lavender. In addition to hardiness, you might also want to think about other specifics, such as blooms, colour, appearance and fragrance. Expert Chosen Varieties We spoke with some of our lavender experts about their favourite lavenders to grow. “‘Folgate’ is my favourite,” shares Charlie Byrd from Cotswold Lavender. “It’s the first variety we grew and is brilliant. “It’s easy to grow and early flowering with an upright growth habit and in the summer evenings, it almost glows.” ‘Folgate’ “With hundreds of varieties, there are so many to choose from including white, pink and, of course, purple flowering varieties,” explains Nick & Lyndsay Butler, owners of Lavender Fields. “It is exciting when you are constantly learning and discovering new varieties every year, but there really are too many to choose from! “We love to grow lavenders that are less common and a lot of people that visit us are amazed to find out there is more than one variety.” ‘Edelweiss’ “One of our favourites is a variety called ‘Edelweiss’,” they share. “This is an intermedia variety and is probably the most strongly scented lavender we have ever come across. “It is white flowering and grows up to 1m. “In terms of a purple variety, it would have to be ‘Havanna’, which is much like ‘Hidcote’ but slightly smaller. ‘Rosea’ “It is possibly one of the deepest purple lavenders you will find but has a much larger flowering head than ‘Hidcote’. “Finally, if we were to pick a pink flowering variety, it would be ‘Rosea’, which is known for providing beautiful creamy pink flowers and is something very different to the norm.” To help you mull over your choices further, here are some of my favourite Lavender varieties to grow: 1) L. angustifolia ‘Beechwood Blue’ COMMON NAME(S): English lavender ‘Beechwood Blue’ HARDINESS RATING: H5 FLOWERS: purple and blue FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer This is an English lavender, and therefore H5 hardy. Along with all the other Lavandula listed below, it will thrive in full sun, in a sheltered spot with free-draining soil. This cultivar grows to around 45cm in height and boasts an abundance of purple-blue flowers in the summer months. 2) L. angustifolia ‘Hidcote’ COMMON NAME(S): English lavender ‘Hidcote’ HARDINESS RATING: H5 FLOWERS: purple FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer ‘Hidcote’ is another English lavender and it is one of the most popular varieties to grow in the UK. This small evergreen shrub has narrow, silvery leaves and small flowers in a deep violet-purple hue that have a strong fragrance. These are borne in spikes that grow around 3-4cm in length. 3) L. angustifolia ‘Imperial Gem’ COMMON NAME(S): English lavender ‘Imperial Gem’ HARDINESS RATING: H5 FLOWERS: purple FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer With slightly paler purple flowers, this English lavender also bears its fragrant flowers in the summer months. “Lavandula ‘Imperial Gem’ is one of my favourite Lavender cultivars,” shares Master Horticulturist Colin Skelly. “It is compact and its stems are in good proportion to its overall size, making it perfect for edging paths.: Like the above options, it is H5 hardy, so can survive winter in many a garden in the British Isles. 4) Lavandula angustifolia ‘Batlad’ COMMON NAME(S): English lavender HARDINESS RATING: H5 FLOWERS: purple and blue FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer This lovely English lavender bears pale to mid-lilac-coloured flowers each summer. Bushy and compact, as you would expect an English lavender to be, it also likes full sun and a sheltered spot and, as with all of the above, it is H5 hardy. 5) Lavandula angustifolia ‘Clarmo’ COMMON NAME(S): English lavender HARDINESS RATING: H5 FLOWERS: pink FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer A dwarf lavender which will grow no taller than around 30cm high, this option has pinkish-purple flowers above its greenish-grey foliage. Since it is compact in size, this can be a good choice for pots, for the front of a border, or for orderly low hedging. Again, this is an English lavender which is H5 hardy. 6) L. angustifolia ‘Miss Katherine’ COMMON NAME(S): English lavender ‘Miss Katherine’ HARDINESS RATING: H5 FLOWERS: pink FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer A taller lavender growing to around 75cm tall, this option has flowers that are fragrant, with a light pink hue that sets them apart from many of the blue and purple options on this list. Again, this English lavender is H5 hardy and needs a sheltered spot in full sun with well-drained soil. 7) Lavandula angustifolia ‘Scholmis’ COMMON NAME(S): English lavender HARDINESS RATING: H5 FLOWERS: blue FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer This is another compact dwarf lavender that is well suited to use at the front of a bed or border, in low hedging, bed edging or in pots. It will tend to grow to around 30cm tall, bearing its violet-purple flowers in the mid and late summer. This lavender is also H5 hardy. 8) L. angustifolia ‘Nana Alba’ COMMON NAME(S): dwarf white English lavender HARDINESS RATING: H5 FLOWERS: white FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer A lavender variety that stands out for the colour of the blooms, this cultivar of English lavender has pure white flowers. This is another compact variety that will typically grow to a height of only around 30cm. The white flowers look great above the narrow greyish-green leaves when they bloom in the late summer. Again, this lavender is a hardy option. 9) L. x chaytoriae ‘Richard Gray’ COMMON NAME(S): lavender ‘Richard Gray’ HARDINESS RATING: H4 FLOWERS: purple FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer This hybrid Lavandula is a little less hardy than the English lavender varieties listed above. However, it is still moderately hardy, with an RHS hardiness rating of H4. It grows to around 50cm tall and has spikes of deep purple flowers. 10) L. x chaytoriae ‘Sawyers’ COMMON NAME(S): lavender ‘Sawyers’ HARDINESS RATING: H4 FLOWERS: purple FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer Another hybrid type of Lavender, this Lavandula has flowers of a slightly lighter hue than the above and grows just a little taller, with stems typically reaching around 60cm in length. The flowers are borne in the mid-summer. This option is also H4 hardy, meaning that, while not as hardy as English lavender types, it is still hardy enough to survive during winter across most of the UK. 11) L. dentata var. dentata ‘Royal Crown’ COMMON NAME(S): lavender ‘Royal Crown’ HARDINESS RATING: H3 FLOWERS: purple FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer This is what is commonly known as a French lavender. It is more tender than any of the options mentioned thus far, with a H3 hardiness rating. This means that, in all but the most sheltered or coastal gardens in the UK, it will require some winter protection. However, it has great drought resistance, so could be a good option for dry, southern areas. It will grow around 60cm tall and has small purple flowering spikes topped by larger paler purple bracts. 12) L. ‘Goodwin Creek Grey’ COMMON NAME(S): lavender ‘Goodwin Creek Grey’ HARDINESS RATING: H4 FLOWERS: purple and blue FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer A hybrid Lavandula, this option grows into a shrub just shy of 1m high, typically around 90cm. It has silvery green leaves and flowering stems up to around 30cm long which are topped by spikes of dark violet-blue flowers around 10-14cm in length. The flowers bloom in midsummer and sometimes bloom at other times too in a mild climate. It is H4 hardy. 13) L. x intermedia ‘Alba’ COMMON NAME(S): lavender ‘Alba’ HARDINESS RATING: H5 FLOWERS: white FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer This is another white-flowered lavender. It is an evergreen hybrid type that grows to 1m or more in height. Again, the white flowers are a little different to the many shades of purple on offer and look lovely against the grey-green leaves of the plants. Sometimes also referred to as ‘Dutch white’ this variety is H5 hardy. 14) L. x intermedia ‘Hidcote Giant’ COMMON NAME(S): lavender ‘Hidcote Giant’ HARDINESS RATING: H5 FLOWERS: blue FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer Also growing to around 1m tall, this Lavandula has narrow greyish-green foliage and bears long-stemmed spikes of violet-blue flowers in summer. Again, this option is H5 hardy and is typically not a lavender that you will have to worry about too much over the winter months as long as the drainage is sufficient. 15) L. x intermedia ‘Sussex’ COMMON NAME(S): lavender ‘Sussex’ HARDINESS RATING: H5 FLOWERS: purple FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer Also sometimes called ‘Arabian Night’ this variety is another hybrid lavender. It forms a shrub around 75cm in height and, in the mid and late summer, bears beautiful flower spikes of a dark blue-purple hue. Again, this cultivar is H5 hardy. 16) L. pedunculata subsp. pedunculata COMMON NAME(S): French lavender HARDINESS RATING: H3 FLOWERS: purple FLOWERING SEASON(S): spring / summer This is a ‘French’ lavender that is also known as butterfly lavender to some. It is a bushy evergreen shrub with silvery green leaves and small violet-purple flowers in oval-shaped heads with large purple bracts at the top of each head. Note that this is a more tender type, which will need some winter protection in all but the mildest and most sheltered of southern and coastal gardens. It is H3 hardy. 17) L. ‘Ballerina’ COMMON NAME(S): lavender ‘Ballerina’ HARDINESS RATING: H4 FLOWERS: purple, white and pink FLOWERING SEASON(S): spring / summer / autumn This is a hybrid French lavender that was introduced from New Zealand. It has an upright growth habit, silvery green foliage and purple flowers borne on stems in dense spires, with conspicuous bracts at the top which are white that turn more purplish with age. Though this is a hardy plant, it will need a sheltered spot in full sun. When provided with the right growing conditions, it can bloom over a long period from late spring right through the summer months. 18) L. stoechas ‘Pretty Polly’ COMMON NAME(S): Lavender ‘Pretty Polly’ HARDINESS RATING: H4 FLOWERS: purple and white FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer / autumn This attractive French lavender grows to around 45cm tall. It has flowers that are a deep purple and the heads, which flower between early summer and early autumn, are topped by white bracts with a green line down the middle of them. This option is H4 hardy and, like other Lavandula stoechas, it has very good drought resistance. 19) L. ‘Willow Vale’ COMMON NAME(S): French lavender ‘Willow Vale’ HARDINESS RATING: H3 FLOWERS: purple FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer This French lavender grows to around 75cm in height. It has yellowish-green leaves and erect stems that bear dense clusters of deep violet flowers, above which very notable reddish-purple bracts stand out. This is an option for milder and warmer gardens and will often need protection in winter in the UK as it is only H3 hardy. 20) L. stoechas subsp. stoechas f. rosea ‘Kew Red’ COMMON NAME(S): French lavender ‘Kew Red’ HARDINESS RATING: H4 FLOWERS: pink FLOWERING SEASON(S): spring / summer Last but not least, this unusual French lavender variety differs from many others in the colour of its blooms and bracts. The shrubs grow around 50cm tall and bear on them deep pink to red flowers with deep purple calyces below pale pink bracts. This is another lavender that needs a sheltered spot out of the winds and as warm and mild a position as possible, though it is still H4 hardy. Of course, this list by no means exhausts the number of lavenders that you could potentially grow. You might also consider many other varieties, especially if you bring plants indoors over the winter months because, if you do, you can also consider some other more tender lavender varieties. However, I would argue that these options are among the best for growing in UK gardens.
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Harvest Parsley By Taking The First Few Sprigs In Early Summer, Then Follow These Steps
IN THIS GUIDE 1) Take 1-2 Sprigs 2) The Thinning Harvest 3) The Main Harvest 4) Store In Many Ways Parsley is an easy-to-grow herb that can be used in salads or in pot cooking to add a pleasing tingle to dishes. You can choose the degree of flavour to suit your taste, as parsley comes in a good few varieties, with the main division being between flat-leaved and curly varieties, the former being tinglier and the latter not as-tingly. This versatile herb can be used fresh or dried and it has an astonishing array of culinary uses. No matter what use you would like to put your parsley to, you can harvest it judiciously by following these steps: Take the first few sprigs in early summer. Harvest to thin out the plant when seedlings have developed true leaves. Harvest throughout the season, with a cut-and-come-again style of harvesting. Store your harvested parsley. This process is explained in more depth below. Difficulty Easy Equipment Required Gardening gloves, mini secateurs or scissors When To Harvest June to September 1) Take 1-2 Sprigs For the first step, you should take 1-2 sprigs of fresh parsley. You may read that parsley can only be harvested when a branching stem has 3 separate segments made up of leaf nodes. In practice, harvesting in this way would be too impractical and time-consuming. Use this collection technique if you have 2-3 potted plants and need only a few sprigs of parsley for immediate use. Inspect the plant and isolate a branching stem that has at least 3 clusters of leaves. Snip off that stem, leaving a bit of it behind near its attachment. 2) The Thinning Harvest The first harvest, as for many herbs, is a by-product of essential thinning. When seedlings have developed 3 sets of true leaves, thin them to a spacing of about 15cm by uprooting them, being careful to not disturb adjacent plants. Otherwise, simply snip them off at their base. You can use the thinnings for salads or garnish. 3) The Main Harvest Parsley can be harvested throughout the summer, assuming you planted it by early April. Parsley varieties have a bushy or clumping habit, though many of them could be termed as having a bushy-clumpy habit. This form of plant lends itself to an ongoing, cut-and-come-again style of harvesting. When the plants are 15-20cm large and look properly bushy, you can start to harvest your parsley. From each plant, take some stems up to about a quarter from the outside of the plant. Do not disturb the inner stems or the centre. Cut them cleanly with a pair of mini secateurs or scissors if you prefer. You will have an easy time of it if you do not point the cutting implement into the plant but, instead, move it in at an angle or tangent to the plant. Mini secateurs will enable you to work fast but with delicate precision, and the lower curved blade will allow you easily to isolate stems from thick, bushy plants. This process can be repeated until early September. It is preferable to harvest in the early or mid-morning, but if your garden has a carrot-fly problem, then harvest in the late afternoon to early evening. 4) Store In Many Ways Parsley may be stored in several ways, depending on your needs. Firstly, though, you should wash it well by putting it in a colander and holding it under running water. Some ways to store parsley include: Wrapping it in a sheet of newspaper and putting that in the fridge’s crisper for short-term storage. Putting parsley stems in a glass of water, similar to the way you would put flowers in a vase, and placing that in the fridge for short-term storage. Allowing the parsley to air dry, putting it in a plastic zip-lock bag and squeezing out the air. You can then zip up the bag and put it in the freezer for long-term storage. Chopping up the parsley, putting it in an ice-cube tray, covering it with water and putting it in the freezer for long-term storage. After, remove the parsley ice cubes on an as-needed basis. Making small bundles of the harvest and tying them with twine. Then you should hang them upside-down in a dark and dry place. When the parsley has dried after a couple of weeks, crush or crumble it with your fingers and store the dried parsley in an air-tight mason jar.
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Basil Seeds Need Warmth And Light To Germinate - Start Yours In Early Spring
IN THIS GUIDE When To Sow Basil Seeds 1) Select Your Variety 2) Prepare Planter Trays 3) Sow Your Basil Seeds 4) Transplant Outdoors 5) Water & Fertilise Regularly A hugely popular and impressively versatile ingredient, basil is as effective in the kitchen as it is endearing to grow! As a result, it’s ever-present in the homes and gardens of budding chefs and horticulturists across Britain. Its ease of growth also makes it an excellent starting point for those not yet entirely confident in their gardening abilities. If that sounds like you, here’s a brief rundown of the steps involved in growing basil from seed: Select the variety of basil you’d like to grow. Prepare pots, planters or seed trays. Sow basil seeds and allow them to germinate in temperatures of 20°C and over. Transplant outdoors in your garden, or move into a larger pot and grow on a sunny windowsill. Water and fertilise – harvesting regularly as and when you need the leaves. If that sounds a little overwhelming for a novice gardener, don’t worry – we’ve explained each step in more detail below. Difficulty Easy Equipment Required Seed trays, compost, plastic wrap, fertiliser, pots When To Sow April or May When To Plant Out June When To Sow Basil Seeds Because basil is a Mediterranean herb, it prefers warmer temperatures and plentiful sunshine. Therefore, it’s best to grow it during April or May – the more hospitable months of the year in the UK. On the other hand, if you’re growing it indoors, it can be cultivated at any time of the year. In fact, it’s a good idea to bring at least some of your al fresco plants inside when the temperature drops to ensure you have a steady supply of leaves in winter. Those with a heated propagator will also find them extremely useful when growing basil from seed. 1) Select Your Variety Sweet basil (AKA Classic Italian Basil) is probably the type with which you are most familiar, since it’s the one commonly found in supermarkets and has the classic earthy aroma and sweetness. However, there are plenty of others to experiment with. Thai basil carries a slightly spicy kick to its sweetness, while purple varieties have a stronger odour and cinnamon ones pack an extra punch. 2) Prepare Planter Trays Use a seed tray to give your basil seeds the best chance of flourishing. If you don’t have one, a washing-up bowl with 4 drainage holes drilled into the base or small individual pots will also do the trick. Whatever you use, the drainage holes are important. Fill your containers with multi-purpose compost that’s free from peat but rich in nutrients. Firm this down gently with the flat of the hand. Moisten the soil, but don’t allow it to become saturated, as this will drown the seeds before they can germinate. 3) Sow Your Basil Seeds “Spread the seeds thinly across the top of the compost,” explains Peter Lickorish, a Horticulturist with 5 years of professional experience. “They do not need to be covered with compost, as light is needed for germination. “Vermiculite could be used to cover seeds, as it can let light through.” Cover the tray or pots or glass to preserve heat and humidity. Water the soil daily but sparingly to ensure it remains moist but not waterlogged. “Watering from a try underneath can prevent seed from being unsettled,” Peter suggests. The seed trays should be placed on a warm windowsill that maintains a temperature of around 22°C but isn’t exposed to direct sunlight. A heated greenhouse can be used from late spring. After 1-2 weeks, the first shoots should begin to appear. 4) Transplant Outdoors Once the seedlings have grown large enough to handle (at least 3cm in height), you may transplant them. This can be directly into the soil outdoors or into pots around twice the size if you plan to keep them inside. “Potting them into gradually larger pots in stages can help prevent them from sitting in damp compost,” says Peter. If planting into the ground, choose a spot sheltered from wind and frost and place the plants around 30cm apart. For indoor plants, expose them to as much sunlight as possible. 5) Water & Fertilise Regularly Basil will appreciate good nutrition, so fertilise the potted plants monthly by using nettle tea or something similar. Water well (once every 2 days in the height of summer), but avoid getting the leaves wet. This should prevent powdery mildew or other diseases from developing. Prune your plants regularly and ruthlessly. Prune them back to 20cm in height and strip away as many leaves as you need, taking care to always leave at least three pairs of offshoots from the main stem so that it can continue to thrive. “Watch out for common problems with seedlings that include slugs, snails and damping off, where stems snap and rot from excess water,” says Peter. “Try not to leave trays of seeds sitting in water for long periods and if slugs and snails are a problem with basil seedlings in a greenhouse, consider placing hollowed oranges around, in which they will accumulate and can then be disposed of.”
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Only Harvest Chives Once The Leaves Grow To A Reasonable Height - We Share How
IN THIS GUIDE When To Harvest Chives Harvesting The Leaves Harvesting The Flowers Using & Storing Chives Chives are a culinary herb closely related to onions, garlic, leeks and other alliums. “My favourite plant in my garden has to be the chives I have split and moved with me for 36 years because potato salad without chives is just wrong,” says Katherine Crouch, a Garden Designer. They are relatively easy to grow and can be used in a wide range of ways in your kitchen. They are useful in a garden too – helping in organic pest control. Harvesting this common herb is one of the easiest garden jobs around. In this guide, we share the basic things you should remember when harvesting chives. When To Harvest Chives Chives can be harvested as soon as the long, hollow leaves grow to a reasonable height, which is typically from early summer onwards. They will then continue to grow over the summer and will flower before they die back in autumn, before returning the following spring. You can continue to harvest chives little and often throughout the summer months and into autumn – and keep cutting leaves from your chives plants until they begin to die back in the autumn. Harvesting The Leaves To harvest chive leaves, simply take some gardening scissors and cut off the hollow leaves around 2cm or so from the base. You can harvest a whole clump at once or, if you only need a few chives at a time, take a few at a time from around the edges of a clump. The more you harvest, the more new leaves will regrow. However, you will need to wait a few weeks for new chives leaves to grow tall enough to harvest once more. Harvesting The Flowers If you only take a few chive leaves from around the edges of a plant, then the plant should still flower if it is happy and healthy in its location. Just before they fully open, you can harvest the flowers too. Simply snip these off and you can use them in salads or as a garnish. If you wish to continue to harvest the leaves, then you should remove flowers either through harvesting, or by removing faded flowers if you have not used them all. It is important to remove the flowers if you want to make sure that the plant continues to produce new leaves. However, remember that flowering chives can also be useful for growing in the garden. Leave some for the bees and other pollinators and the other beneficial insect life that they attract. “Chives, or Allium schoenoprasum, are great ornamental plants as well as edible herbs,” shares Colin Skelly, a Horticulturist with almost 15 years of experience. “Its flowers are a resource for a range of pollinators; a tasty treat for you and the non-human residents in your garden.” Using & Storing Chives Try to harvest chives as and when you need them and as close to when you require them as possible. They don’t fare all that well once they are cut and are best used right away. If, however, you would like to store some chives to cook in recipes later in the year, you could consider chopping some chives and freezing these in ice cubes of water that you can then use as needed.
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Start A Herb Garden In 7 Steps With Malcolm Dickson, Herb Society Treasurer
IN THIS GUIDE 1) Decide Where To Plant Herbs 2) Choose The Right Soil 3) Plan (And Plant!) 4) Choose Complementary Herbs 5) Consider Raised Beds 6) Or Spiral Herb Gardens… 7) Care For Your Outdoor Herbs FAQs Growing herbs at home in your garden can be a wonderful way to use up your outdoor space. Although it might seem overwhelming to start with, when you make the right decisions and think carefully about your own specific garden, you can grow a wide range of culinary herbs wherever you live in the UK. In this guide, we collaborate with Malcolm Dickson, Treasurer of The Herb Society. 1) Decide Where To Plant Herbs When planning a herb garden, one of the first things to think about is where you will grow the herbs. A dedicated herb garden can be useful because the herbs that you require will all be in one specific part of your garden and will therefore be easy to harvest. It can also be useful to have herbs close to your kitchen (such as near your back door) so that you can minimise the time it takes to gather them when you need them. “The key to your first outdoor herb garden is to find an area which is south or southwest facing and is a warm part of the garden,” says Malcolm. A dedicated herb garden might be a: Collection of different herbs in pots and containers. Vertical garden. Typical herb spiral or other specialist raised bed. A strip of in-ground planting alongside paths. Planting them around and between other plants that you grow can also be beneficial, as herbs, especially aromatic types, can attract pollinators and other beneficial insects which aid in pest control. Herbs can often also help to confuse, distract or repel pest species, keeping crops and other precious plants safe in an organic garden. You might grow herbs: As companion plants with other edible crops in a kitchen garden. In mixed perennial planting schemes or in a flowering border. Below and around trees and shrubs in a fruit tree guild, forest garden or food forest. 2) Choose The Right Soil Herbs cover a very wide range of plants utilised for culinary use, so it is important to remember that different herbs can have very different growing requirements. It is important to think about the specific herbs that you would like to grow and to determine the conditions that they like. Often, it can be helpful to think about where those plants come from in order to understand the conditions that they will prefer. For example, many common culinary herbs come from the Mediterranean region. These thrive in full sun in a warm spot, with free-draining and not necessarily particularly fertile soil. “The soil should be free-draining and not too rich in humus,” Malcolm says. “Gritty and poor soil is best.” Other herbs, however, require very different conditions and might need much more moisture-retentive soil and could prefer an area with higher nutrient availability. Most herbs like full sun, but some will thrive in somewhat shadier conditions, in light or dappled shade. 3) Plan (And Plant!) Planning where you will plant herbs and which herbs you will grow should go hand in hand. Make sure that you understand the environmental needs and preferences of the different herbs that you would like to grow and think about how you can best meet those needs. Some preparation will likely be required before you plant your herbs, whether you are growing in a dedicated herb garden, or in a mixed planting scheme. For a dedicated herb garden you may need to: Source containers or create planting structures. Build raised bed edging and fill raised beds. For mixed planting schemes, you may need to obtain other plants such as trees, shrubs, flowering perennials or annual vegetables before you plant your herbs. Many herbs can be sown from seed in spring, but it is also often possible to plant cuttings or young purchased plants. The best strategy will depend on your budget, and also on the specific herbs that you have chosen to grow, as some are far easier to grow from seed than others. 4) Choose Complementary Herbs When planning a dedicated herb garden, it is important to think about the herbs you wish to grow in terms of their relation to each other. Some herbs can be excellent companions for one another – others, not so much. “Plant useful hardy perennial herbs such as oregano, chives, common thyme, parsley, rosemary, lemon balm and green sage to form the core of your herb garden,” advises Malcolm. “Then you can add the annuals during the season in any available spaces.” When thinking about which herbs are best planted together, it is important to consider: Whether the herbs you wish to grow are annual, biennial or perennial. Whether the herbs like full sun or partial shade. The soil conditions that the specific herbs will prefer. The water, moisture and humidity needs of the herbs. Their vigour, root form and growth habit. For example, Rosemary can quickly become large for its allocated space if not pruned back regularly, Oregano can spread and flop over its neighbours if not reduced to a smaller size in the spring and Lemon Balm can self-seed around the garden if allowed to flower and set seed. 5) Consider Raised Beds If you would like to integrate herbs into other plantings, one of the most common ways to do so is to use herbs as companion plants in the raised beds in vegetable beds. When using herbs as companion plants for fruit and vegetable crops, one of the most important things to think about is whether they are annual or perennial. Annual herbs like basil, coriander, dill, anise, and borage can be sown and planted alongside common culinary crops and grown in crop rotation schemes alongside them. Like annual vegetables and fruits, annual herbs will grow outdoors only over a single season in the UK. Borage is a particularly beneficial companion crop in kitchen gardens and it is said to promote the growth of many other plants when they are growing close by. Remember to give Borage plants at least 30cm spacing as they become quite large. It brings in pollinators and other beneficial wildlife, as well as providing an edible yield in its own right. Basil is a particularly beneficial companion crop to grow alongside tomatoes, peppers or aubergines as it deters whitefly and aphids, whilst anise is said to increase essential oil production of other herbs, making them more effective in organic pest control and potentially improving their flavour. Perennial herbs are not included as easily in annual crop rotation schemes. However, it can be beneficial to think about planting perennial herbs around the edges of annual raised beds. They can be placed either around the edges of the bed itself, along the edges of paths between the beds or in separate raised beds around the fringes of the space. 6) Or Spiral Herb Gardens… If you decide to make a dedicated herb garden rather than incorporating herbs into other planting schemes, then your goal should be to create a growing area which can provide the growing conditions for as wide a range of herbs as possible. Remember, different herbs can have very different needs. In a single flatbed, you cannot meet the needs of all the different culinary herbs that you would like to grow. A spiral herb garden is a raised bed of a very specific shape and form, which aims to address this issue. Herbs like rosemary, basil, and parsley would not usually grow particularly happily in the same bed because they have rather different growing needs, but if you create a herb spiral, all can be grown in a relatively constricted space. A herb spiral is a bed which, as the name suggests, is a spiral shape, higher in the middle and lower towards the outside. The idea is that the spiral bed creates a range of different growing conditions. The top of a herb spiral creates drier conditions and accommodates deeper-rooted herbs, whilst the southern side is sunnier and warmer and the northern side is shadier, moister and cooler. Creating a herb spiral is a great solution for those who would like to grow as many herbs as possible in as concentrated an area as they can. See this guide for more herb garden ideas (both indoors and outdoors). 7) Care For Your Outdoor Herbs If growing annual herbs, remember that they will have to be sown each year, but perennial herbs will remain in your garden over a number of years. Aside from sowing, annual herbs will usually just need to be harvested in a timely fashion. Perennial herbs can be very low-maintenance but may benefit from additional care like pruning in certain cases. If you’re growing borderline-invasive plants like mint then you will need to control their spread through regular cutting back – as they can quite easily take over a space when left to their own devices. “I have found it is easiest to grow mint in its own stand-alone pots, otherwise over time the roots spread through the border and it becomes difficult to remove,” shares Master Horticulturist Roy Nicol. Mostly, as long as environmental and watering needs are met, caring for plants in a herb garden should be fairly easy and straightforward. “Herbs generally grow well together but need regular cutting back to minimise overcrowding,” says Malcolm. “It is better to be cruel to be kind!” FAQs How Can I Keep Ants And Other Bugs Out Of My Herb Garden? Ants can sometimes colonise areas of free-draining and drier soils. As many Mediterranean herbs like free-draining conditions, gardens containing these herbs may be attractive to ants. Remember, ants are not necessarily a problem. In fact, they are a beneficial part of a garden ecosystem and will likely not do any damage to your herbs. Simply attract other wildlife to your garden to keep the ecosystem in balance and pest species in check. Can You Freeze Fresh Herbs From The Garden? Yes, many fresh herbs from the garden can be frozen by chopping them and placing them in ice cube trays filled with water or olive oil. Many herbs can also be dried for later use. How Deep Should A Herb Garden Be? This depends on which herbs you would like to grow. Herbs like yarrow, for example, have very deep roots, while many herbs have much shallower roots and can be grown even in very small planting pockets.
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Rosemary Is Best Propagated With Cuttings From Healthy Shoots In Late Summer
IN THIS GUIDE 1) Take Semi-Ripe Cuttings 2) Prepare Plant Cuttings 3) Pot Up Your Rosemary 4) Care For Potted Cuttings 5) Plant Out When Ready Rosemary is an evergreen shrub, commonly cultivated as a culinary herb, that not only tastes good but is also beneficial in a range of other ways in your home and garden. The good news is that if you already have a rosemary plant in your garden, it is very easy to propagate new plants from existing ones. One of the easiest ways to propagate this woody herb is by taking semi-ripe cuttings. In mid to late summer or early autumn: Select healthy shoots and take cuttings 10-15cm in length. Trim the cuttings just below a leaf node and remove the lowest leaves and soft tips. Place cuttings around the edges of pots, filled with a mix of 50% peat-free compost and 50% horticultural sand or grit. Place pots in a warm, bright position out of direct sunlight, and keep the medium moist but not waterlogged. Once they have rooted successfully, pot up the new rosemary plants into their own individual pots or in your garden. See below for a visual demonstration of each of these steps. Difficulty Easy Equipment Required Secateurs, compost mix, pots or seed tray When To Take Cuttings July to September 1) Take Semi-Ripe Cuttings The best way to propagate woody herbs like rosemary is to take semi-ripe cuttings. This can be done towards the end of the summer or in the early autumn. Cut sections around 10-15cm long from the plants, taking care to select healthy shoots and cutting just below a leaf node. 2) Prepare Plant Cuttings Prepare the rosemary cuttings by removing the lowest leaves and cutting off the soft tip at the top of the cutting you have taken. It is important to deal with cuttings as quickly as possible, to avoid too much moisture loss. With this in mind, try to take cuttings only when you can prepare and pot them up right away. If you wish, you can also dip the ends of the rosemary cuttings into a rooting hormone to improve the chances that they will root successfully, but rosemary is typically fairly reliable to root without this step. 3) Pot Up Your Rosemary Prepare pots filled with a cuttings medium made up of 50% peat-free compost and 50% sand or grit to improve drainage. “I find that adding grit is essential for Rosemary cuttings to root reliably,” says Master Horticulturist Colin Skelly. “Too much moisture will cause the stems to rot, so make sure that your compost is sharply draining.” Place 5 or so rosemary cuttings around the sides of each pot. 4) Care For Potted Cuttings With rosemary, it is best not to cover your cuttings, but make sure that they do not dry out. Keep them in a light, bright spot that is relatively warm, but out of direct sunlight. Water consistently, but take care not to overwater since rosemary cannot tolerate waterlogged conditions that might cause the cuttings to rot before they get the chance to root successfully. Semi-ripe rosemary cuttings will typically root successfully within a month or two. 5) Plant Out When Ready Once the rosemary cuttings have rooted successfully, pot up each individual cutting into its own individual pot. These are typically kept indoors or undercover at least during their first winter, to give the plants a chance to establish themselves well. In spring, you can harden off and transplant these indoor-grown plants to your garden, or you can choose to continue to grow them in containers, either to be placed out into your garden or grown indoors year-round. As you can see, growing rosemary from cuttings is a very easy and straightforward process. So, once you have some rosemary in your home or garden, you should have no problem getting more.
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Growers Share Their Tips For Harvesting Lavender Sprigs (And Which Stems To Cut)
IN THIS GUIDE 1) Choose When To Harvest 2) Pick Your Stems 3) Harvest Sprigs Cleanly 4) Use Immediately Or Dry & Store Lavender is a woody shrub that is available in hundreds of varieties and virtually all of them are free-blooming plants which can be harvested the same way. The actual cutting of the stems is easy, but the tricky part is knowing when to harvest and just which stems to cut. “How and when we harvest lavender depends on how it’s going to be used,” says Julia Snowball from Yorkshire Lavender. Underneath we explain these tricky parts in a four-step harvesting process: Choose the ideal time to harvest for the best yield and plant recovery. Pick the right sprigs to snip when in bloom. Harvest the lavender using secateurs or gardening scissors. Use your lavender sprigs immediately in a vase or dry and store them for later use. This process is explained in more depth in each of the below steps. Difficulty Medium Equipment Required Gardening gloves, mini secateurs, wicker basket When To Harvest Spring or summer 1) Choose When To Harvest Keep observing your lavender plants as soon they start to form buds. This can be any time from mid-spring to mid-summer depending on your variety and climate. When to harvest will depend on what you’re harvesting for, says Nick and Lyndsay Butler, the owners of Lavender Fields in Hampshire. “In the garden, if you are looking to dry lavender bunches, these are best picked when they are looking their best during flowering. “For loose lavender that will be used for things like lavender bags, it is better to wait for the lavender to start to turn grey. “This means that the lavender will have built up more oil in the flowers and will provide a better aroma.” Julia has similar rules for harvesting: “For culinary lavender, we cut the flowers just before they are fully open,” she says. “For extracting the essential oil, we want to harvest the lavender just after the flowers have gone over, as at this stage, the oil content is at its highest. “However, for craft work, we cut the lavender just before the flowers have gone over.” Alternatively, for harvesting loose lavender, when you see that around 40% of the buds have flowered, it is time to harvest your lavender. “In the garden, wait until a third of the flowers have opened and gone over, a third are open and a third are yet to open before picking lavender for drying,” says Charlie Byrd, owner of Cotswold Lavender. “This generally gives the best results and scent.” 2) Pick Your Stems Harvest lavender in the early morning and no later than mid-morning, if the plants are in a location where they get morning sun. On each plant, select stalks that mostly have buds opening into flowers. Do not select stalks with only buds or only flowers in full bloom. Make sure you don’t take too many from any one plant. 3) Harvest Sprigs Cleanly Cut each stalk with a pair of mini secateurs, or scissors if you prefer, making a clean cut with a single snip. Stems should be cut 5-6cm above the woody part so that 2-3 sets of leaves and some green stems are left behind. “I commonly get asked to rescue straggly lavender,” shares Horticultural Consultant Colin Skelly. “Unfortunately, the plant won’t regenerate from a cut woody stem, so often it’s a case of removing the plant and replanting. “This should be followed up with annual pruning, just above the woody section, to keep the plant vigorous and orderly.” 4) Use Immediately Or Dry & Store If your lavender has been harvested for immediate use, for floral decoration or for culinary dishes, the stalks can go straight into a vase or be put in a pail of cold water. Otherwise, the lavender flowers will need to be dried. “Spread the stems on a well-ventilated area out of direct sunlight for drying,” says Charlie. Lay out the stems loosely on a sheet of newspaper or a shelf with an open design in a cool, dark and dry room. Alternatively, you can tie stems to make small bunches using twine or a rubber band, and hang them vertically from the stems, flower side down, as Julia shares: “We make small bunches of the cut stems and hang them in a cool, dark and airy place until completely dry,” says Julia. Nick and Lyndsay also recommend this method: “Hang your lavender bunches upside down at room temperature for 3-4 weeks. Do not dry them in an airing cupboard, as they will dry too quickly and go very brittle.” After the flowers are thoroughly dry, they may be cut from the stems and stored. “Once dry, you can rub the flowers from the stems and use them for potpourri or lavender bags,” Charlie suggests. After the flowers are thoroughly dry, they may be cut from the stems and stored. One way to store them is in airtight mason jars. Be sure that the flowers are well and truly dry, as sealing and storing damp flowers will likely lead to mould and decay. “Always keep dried lavender in a cool, dry place,” says Julia.
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'Don't Harvest Your Salvia In Year One': Important Advice To Follow From The Experts
IN THIS GUIDE When To Harvest Sage 1) Don’t Harvest In Year One 2) Prune Regularly 3) Harvest For Immediate Use 4) Harvest For Storage 5) Allow Recuperation Time References Prized for its culinary and aromatic properties, sage (botanically known as Salvia) is a popular herb from the same family as mint and marjoram. As well as flavouring meat and poultry, it can be a great addition to buttery sauces and squash dishes.1 It’s accustomed to Mediterranean climates but will flourish just as well on a sunny windowsill, so it makes sense to have a plentiful supply on hand in any kitchen. Easy to grow, it’s also incredibly simple to harvest, but you’ll still want to follow a few basic steps. We’ve laid these out for you below: Lay off harvesting your plant in the first year. Prune regularly to prevent woody stems. Harvest for immediate use whenever necessary. Harvest for storage if you need a regular supply to hand, but make sure to store it appropriately for longevity. Allow time for your plant to recuperate before harvesting again. If any of those stages sound confusing to you, we’ll cover each one in more detail below – and will reveal exactly when is the best time to harvest your sage plant… Difficulty Easy Equipment Required Pruning secateurs or scissors (optional) When To Harvest Spring or summer preferred When To Harvest Sage Sage is a hardy perennial which produces leaves all year round. However, it is advisable to only harvest leaves in the spring and summer, before it blossoms. After flowers appear, the foliage can lose its aroma somewhat and, what’s more, harvesting later in the year can spell trouble for the long-term well-being of your plant. 1) Don’t Harvest In Year One If growing a sage plant from seed, you can expect to see the first mature leaves appear on the stem within around two and a half months of sowing. However, it’s advisable to leave the plant alone for the first year to allow it time to fully establish itself. If you can’t hold off that long, it’s entirely possible to harvest some foliage in its first spring and summer. Just be sure to do so lightly, or you may compromise its long-term health. 2) Prune Regularly As with many other plants, sage will benefit from regular pruning. That’s because it has a tendency to become too woody, diverting too much attention to the growth of its stems and flowers and not enough to the leaves for which it’s famed. “My sage plants tend not to become too woody because it’s a herb I harvest quite regularly in summer,” shares Horticultural Consultant Colin Skelly. “Even so, I tend to replant every 3-5 years from cuttings, which take quite easily. “This ensures that the plant does not lose vigour. I find that this happens in my garden with sage because the soil is quite fertile and moist (not very Mediterranean).” If allowed to become woody, you may find that the plant will need to be replaced after a few years. The best way to avoid this outcome is to prune back longer stems, especially after flowering, to keep them in shape and divert their energies back towards the foliage. 3) Harvest For Immediate Use If you’re planning to use fresh sage leaves in your cooking immediately, you can simply pluck them from the stems with your fingers. It’s possible to select either mature or baby foliage; the latter is often more popular because it’s said to have a stronger aroma and flavour. The best time to harvest your sage leaves is on a clear day when humidity levels are low. Wait for the dew to have dried off the leaves completely, as this will ensure that the oils contained within them are at an optimum level. 4) Harvest For Storage If, on the other hand, you intend to harvest your sage and store it for later use, you can use your pruning scissors to cut entire stems around 15-20cm in length. Bundle them together and secure them with twine or an elastic band, then hang them upside down to dry. Once dried, the bundle should be stored in an airtight jar or another container. It’s also possible to store sage in the fridge or freezer. You can do this with both individual leaves or entire stems, though all foliage should be placed in a ziplock plastic bag wherever you plan to store it. Fridge specimens will stay fresh for a few days, while freezer ones are good for months. 5) Allow Recuperation Time Sage will withstand quite vigorous harvesting, but you should always be sure to leave a few stalks with plentiful leaves intact. This will allow the plant to continue to photosynthesise and ensures it can bounce back stronger than before. It’s also a good idea to give your sage plant time to recuperate during the autumn and winter months. Since it produces leaves all year round, you can theoretically harvest them whenever you want. However, it’s a better strategy to harvest in advance and store the leaves as outlined above to give the plant its longest life possible. References 1. Sage. (2022, June 10). BBC Good Food. Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/sage-glossary
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