When planting veggies, don’t forget the herbs
By now most of us have our vegetable gardens planted. However, it is not too late to plant more and something you don’t want to forget to add to your garden are herbs. Used alone or in combination, they help make cooking fun, and eating a sheer joy!
Herbs are among the easiest plants to grow, asking little beyond sunlight, well drained soil and water. They come as annuals, perennials, as well as biennials and you can still find a good assortment of starts at the local nurseries.
Not only can you plant your herbs in your garden, but they are great in container gardens. They are also a good addition to flowerbeds, offering texture as well as beautiful blooms.
Remember, herbs are to enjoy so put them in a location where you will see them and touch them daily. Harvest your herbs, too. Novice gardeners are often reluctant to snip them but, trust me, your plants will be bushier and healthier if you pinch and prune. A general rule of thumb is that an herb plant can be cut back by one-third.
Fresh leaves may be picked as soon as the plant has enough foliage to maintain growth. To ensure good oil content, pick leaves or seeds after dew has disappeared but before the sun becomes too hot. For dry, winter use, harvest leaves before the flower buds open. Rinse the leaves on the stem in cold water to remove soil. Allow plants to drain on towels until dry. Then place the herbs in a paper bag and tie the stems. Leave 1 to 2 inches of the stems exposed. This allows the plant oil to flow from the stems to the leaves. Then tie a string around the stems and hang to dry in a warm, dry location. In about two to three weeks the leaves will become brittle. Tap them free from the stems and the leaves will fall into the bag. Store leaves in an airtight container away from the light. If you have no place to hang them, place your herbs in a paper sack, making sure you label the sack, and place the sack in the back of your refrigerator. In about three weeks gently test the bag to see if the herbs are crispy. When dry, remove and store in a glass container away from light.
Popular culinary herbs include basil, chives, parsley, sage, thyme, oregano, mint, savory, rosemary and dill. Any cook can appreciate the luxury of going out to a garden and picking fresh herbs to use in a favorite dish.
An update on weeds
Recently, this column talked about thistle and mullein being of value in the garden for wildlife. Their merits as wildlife food however are outweighed by several serious “bad habits” that have landed them on the Washington State Noxious Weed List and thus subject to control.
The Noxious Weed List is maintained by the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board, an advisory board of the Washington State Department of Agriculture. The list is broken into three classes and lists plants that have been deemed to be either a detriment to agriculture or ecosystems and biodiversity. Each class is subject to different levels of control.
Noxious weeds, including thistle and mullein, get into grain and hay fields and can substantially reduce the yields and value of the crop. Because agriculture is such a large part of our region’s economy, the NWCB can mandate control of the weeds through the local county weed boards.
Many of the weeds on the noxious weed list are also there because they crowd out other plant species, destroying biodiversity and ecological balance. Because wildlife can only thrive where there is a variety of foods, the value of some weeds as wildlife feed is far outweighed by their harm to the ecosystem.
For more information and a complete list of weeds on the noxious weed list, go to www.nwcb.wa.gov.