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 Warner's Nursery eNewsletter
INDOOR HERB GARDENING |
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 Fresh herbs are among the most fascinating and useful of all plant varieties. Not only can they be used in cooking -a simple addition of chopped chives sprinkled over an omelet or soup, or a very elaborate Pesto sauce fashioned from fresh grown basil, make it difficult not to get passionate about herbs. But Herbs are so much more than that! They are beautiful to look at; offer great scents in the home, fresh or dried; can be used for medicinal and healing purposes; or fashioned into beautiful herbal gifts; and they're so much fun to grow!
These rewards don't have to be limited to a summer garden (which we all know is entirely too short-lived in Flagstaff!). Herbs are incredibly easy to grow indoors, and even just a few potted herbs can supply you with wonderful seasonings and herbal gifts through the rest of the year. |
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Growing herbs indoors not only extends your growing season, allowing you to harvest fresh herbs all year, but some herbs actually do better in containers than when planted in the ground. It is easier to adjust the soil to suit each plant as well as for maintenance and watering. Many herbs can become aggressive and messy looking in the garden, but confined in a container are much more attractive. Once the chance of frost is over, you can move your containers outside onto a patio or deck.
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HARVESTING AND STORING HERBS
Sometimes your herbs look so great; you forget they have a ton of uses. To make sure you get the most out of them, use them fresh and store what's left.
Frequent harvesting will encourage steady growth of your herbs, and keep your indoor herb garden looking beautiful year-round.
Different types of herbs will need to be harvested differently. Some general rules include:
- Harvest older growth first.
- Do not allow herbs to flower; once the plant's energy goes into creating a flower, the herb's flavor will diminsh or may become bitter. Pinch back blooms as soon as you notice a blossom. (There are exceptions - see "using your herbs in cooking" for a list of herb flowers which taste great in cooking!)
- To clean fresh herbs, submerge them in a sink or bowl filled with cool salted water (about 2 tbsp salt per sinkful). The salt will drive away insects without damaging the flavor of the herbs. Remove the herbs from the saltwater, and dry in a salad spinner. Make sure they are dried completely prior to storage by blotting with paper towels.
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USING YOUR HERBS IN COOKING
As a general rule in cooking, you will need to double the amount of fresh herbs as the recipe calls for in dried herbs. If you have been storing them for a few days, your fresh herbs will be slightly less potent, so you may need to use even more.
Tender herb leaves, like basil, chives, coriander, dill, fennel and parsley should be harvested just before use and added at the end of cooking, to retain their flavor.
Thicker and woodier herbs, such as bay, oregano, sage, thyme and rosemary can be added during the cooking process to allow them time to meld with the other flavors.
Thicker herb leaves, like rosemary and sage, can be very pungent and should be finely chopped and used sparingly or added whole and removed before serving. | Click here for a yummy recipe using fresh herbs from your own garden!
TICLE HEADLINE |
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We have fresh grown herbs arriving weekly, so stop in today and you could have fresh herbs in your dinner tonight!
Looking for more variety? We always have a large selection of herbs from seed, and it's not as hard as you think to grow them. Our sales associates will be glad to help you get started growing your indoor herb garden! Or, join our Seminar on Starting Seeds Indoors, this Saturday at 2pm.
I'm looking forward to seeing you soon!
Sincerely,
Misti Warner-Andersen Warner's Nursery | |
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