Will my 'erb garden last the winter?

[Thunderponce]

I have a herb garden with; Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, Chives, Coriander, Mint, Basil, Oregano and a couple of Chilli plants in it.

Basically, will it survive the winter? i reckon the mint and rosemary will, but the rest?

.........which leads me onto my next question, how is it best to preserve the herbs and chillis?

Thanks people.

 

[rolfharris]

You can freeze herbs but they don't look much or hold their full flavour after. You can dry herbs but works best on the harder ones (thyme rosemary etc)

dried chiliies are good. You could make pastes, these hold their flavour and kick for a few months, you could freeze the pastes.

 

[lizzieloo]

I have a herb garden with; Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, Chives, Coriander, Mint, Basil, Oregano and a couple of Chilli plants in it.

Basically, will it survive the winter? i reckon the mint and rosemary will, but the rest?

.........which leads me onto my next question, how is it best to preserve the herbs and chillis?

Thanks people.

Parsley's and Mint are perennials, they'll die down but come back, mine do anyway, Sage, Rosemary and thyme will be fine.

Oregano will suffer in the winter, I can't grow it in the summer

 

[lizzieloo]

http://www.hdra.org.uk/organicgardening/gh_herbs.htm

 

[pilchardman]

Parsley's and Mint are perennials, they'll die down but come back, mine do anyway, Sage, Rosemary and thyme will be fine.

Oregano will suffer in the winter, I can't grow it in the summer

And the corriander's a gonner.

Which is good, because it tastes like deisel.

 

[lizzieloo]

And the corriander's a gonner.

Which is good, because it tastes like deisel.

Another coriander hater, hooray!

I didn't mention it cos it's horrid so I don't grow it.

 

[lizzieloo]

The chillis won't last over winter, they will on your windowsill though (I think )

 

[Ms T]

My oregano lasts the winter.

 

[lizzieloo]

My oregano lasts the winter.

I feel inadequate

 

[felixthecat]

Chives will be ok - cut 'em down and they'll grow back like weeds. Bring the basil inside - it'll do ok on the window sill in a pot.

 

[lizzieloo]

My oregano lasts the winter.

Outside?

 

[felixthecat]

My oregano lasts the winter.

Mine didn't survive inside or outside (and that summer AND winter )
My oregano always seems to have a death wish.

 

[lizzieloo]

Mine didn't survive inside or outside (and that summer AND winter )
My oregano always seems to have a death wish.

Doesn't like me either

 

[chooch]

Chillies are a perennial if you treat them good. They'll become a bit woody and unproductive, but should make it through on a warmish windowsill.

 

[votisit]

Parsley is bi-annual, the second year it sets seeds and dies. Mint is a perenial and will grow rampant in the garden forever!

 

[lizzieloo]

Parsley is bi-annual, the second year it sets seeds and dies. Mint is a perenial and will grow rampant in the garden forever!

It's a good idea to put mint in a pot, then sink that into the soil.

Didn't know that about parsley, thought it was perennial as it always comes back.

Seeds

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Just so you don't feel inadequate...Ms T has a very sheltered garden in London. Same frost zone as Florida (Zone 9).

 

[prunus]

I have a herb garden with; Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, Chives, Coriander, Mint, Basil, Oregano and a couple of Chilli plants in it.

Basically, will it survive the winter? i reckon the mint and rosemary will, but the rest?

.........which leads me onto my next question, how is it best to preserve the herbs and chillis?

Thanks people.

From my experience (London garden) All those except the Coriander, Chilli and Basil can make it through the winter, provided their roots don't get too wet and cold for protracted periods.

The chives, parsley, mint and oregano will die back to nothing, so just pull off the dead stuff and wait for it to resprout next year. Don't water through the winter. Chives will also benefit from being dug up split and replanted if they've been in place for more than a couple of years.

The sage rosemary and thyme will probably benefit from some pruning next spring (say about late April to encourage nice fresh new growth). Do NOT water the rosemary or thyme if it's in a pot, they hate wet roots in winter. Sage can be cut very hard.

That's how I do mine anyway...

(PS I did once get basil to last through a winter outside in a pot in a very sheltered garden - it was the mild winter of about 5 years ago).

 

[geminisnake]

Coriander is an annual, you're meant to harvest the seeds if you want a plant next year.
Sage, rosemary and mint will certainly all be ok, mine survive on a cold, wet, icky, unsheltered NE coast.

Mint dries very well, I always harvest mine, wash it, lie the leaves out on a teatowel or three and leave to dry.
And it is rampant indeed It grows through a corner of our back grass now, which is nice when you cut it.

Sage dries ok too, dunno about if it loses flavour, I only use mine for smudge sticks.

 

[pilchardman]

back grass

Back grass. I like that. Dunno why, but it has a nice ring. Back grass.

 

[geminisnake]

Back grass. I like that. Dunno why, but it has a nice ring. Back grass.

Well it certainly can't be called a lawn!

 

[Ozric]

.........which leads me onto my next question, how is it best to preserve the herbs and chillis?

You could try making a dehydrator for your chillis, I'm making one for mine at the mo.

 

[Cakes]

The chives, parsley, mint and oregano will die back to nothing, so just pull off the dead stuff and wait for it to resprout next year. Don't water through the winter. Chives will also benefit from being dug up split and replanted if they've been in place for more than a couple of years.

The sage rosemary and thyme will probably benefit from some pruning next spring (say about late April to encourage nice fresh new growth). Do NOT water the rosemary or thyme if it's in a pot, they hate wet roots in winter. Sage can be cut very hard.

Cool! Just what I needed to find out.

when you say cut sage back HARD, do you mean right back to the stump? I do that to the mint but I'm always a bit nervous, even though I've seen it come back year after year. I always feel like I'm killing it. The sage is really leggy though and has been bullying other the herbs. Can I cut it right down?

 

[prunus]

Cool! Just what I needed to find out.

when you say cut sage back HARD, do you mean right back to the stump? I do that to the mint but I'm always a bit nervous, even though I've seen it come back year after year. I always feel like I'm killing it. The sage is really leggy though and has been bullying other the herbs. Can I cut it right down?

Depends on how woody it is, but I usually cut mine right back to just above a budlet about 6" from the ground, if you see what I mean. I don't know what would happen if you scalped it completely!
What I meant really was you can cut and shape it as you like. Best done in spring I think, so the frosts don't damage the ends.

 

[tomas]

haven't read all posts so with risk of repetition:

coriander, basil and chilli wont make it as far as i know. not had much experiance with chilli in britan though so don't hold me to that, but i know it wont make a swedish garden with propper frezing over (5 + degres below for about 1 - 2 months).

oregano is actualy a type of mint so will make it as will all others, although parsley only lasts two years before it dies, if it seeds then you'll have another plant the third year but most parsley i've been in contact with dont flower

some of the above will die down and come back next spring, such as chive, mints (including oregano) and parsley. the rest should, if nothing else, still display some more woody parts. but i think rosemarry grow all year in britan, at least in london it does but then london doesn't freze.

now if you have the option you can move the chilli and the basil indoors, the corinader will die in any case so get seeds.

 

[Cakes]

Best done in spring I think, so the frosts don't damage the ends.

Cool! Cheers for that last bit too, I would have murdered the poor thing otherwise.

Just remembered that my sage was actually the very first plant on which I ever experimented with pruning. It is a survivor indeed!!