YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCckF4QEozMeLrNsy_RUVYOw?sub_confirmation=1
Grow Herbs: Herbs are plants used for cooking and flavoring, medicinal, aromatic, or ornamental purposes. Mostly fresh and dried herbs’ leaves and some seeds or roots are used during an entire season.
Location: Herbs are decorative and useful in flower beds, borders, rock gardens, and corner plantings. Many gardeners establish a small herb garden near the back door. Generally, a 180 – 300 cm / 6 – 10 foot square, circular, or rectangular area is sufficient. Locate the tallest herbs at the back of the plot, and reoccurring herbs at the edge of the garden where they won’t interfere with next year’s soil preparation.
Getting started: Bi and annual herbs can be established by planting the seed directly in the garden or starting seed indoors for transplanting. To save your own seed, harvest the entire seed head after it has dried on the plant. The seeds should be allowed to dry in a protected cool and dry place. The plants should be dug up and cut into several sections 10 – 15 cm / 4 – 6 inch of the stem and root them by placing the cuttings in moist sand in a shady area. In 4–8 weeks, roots should form.
Herbs in containers: Some herbs can be placed in pots and grown indoors during the winter. They should be exposed in a sunny south window and given care similar to house plants. Herbs can either be dug up toward the end of the growing season and placed in pots or started from seed indoors.
Care: Needed care for herbs is similar to a vegetable or flower garden. Select a sunny well-drained location, apply a balanced fertilizer, and avoid excessive use of nitrogen, water as necessary during dry periods. Generally, you will need about an inch of water per week. a mulch will help conserve soil moisture and reduce weed growth as well. Especially, the mints prefer moist soil and require more frequent watering.
Harvesting: Gradually remove some of the leaves as needed, except the foliage at once of some herbs. Chervil and parsley leaves can be cut and dried any time. Lovage leaves should be harvested early during the first flush of growth. On rosemary and thyme, clip the tops when the plants are in full bloom. Basil, fennel, mint, sage, summer savory, sweet marjoram, tarragon, and winter savory are harvested just before the plants start to bloom.
Drying: After harvesting, hang herbs in loosely tied bundles in a well-ventilated room. Spread the branches on a screen, cheesecloth, hardware cloth or flat trays. Keep dust off the herbs with a cloth or similar protective cover allowing moisture to pass through. Best practice is to dry herbs naturally in a cool and dark room.
Storage: Herbs thoroughly dry put in airtight containers such as sealed fruit jars and stored in a cool dark location. Any sign of moisture accumulating in the jars indicates the herbs are not thoroughly dry. Flower stalks should be pulverized before putting them in the jars, except whole foliage herbs.
Source: https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/S51.pdf
