virginia home food production

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1 L..J) S~S'S A'lto I M 1/S</ l'j1.i), 1../2.0 c, 2.. virginia home food roduction FACT SHEET DEPARTMENT OF HORTICULTURE V. I.. & S U. LIB FEB Setember MR 420 HERB CULTURE FOR HOME GARDENS Culture Herbs are very easy to grow. They are quite free from damage by diseases and insects. A bountiful harvest can be secured with a minimum of care. A few short rows in the vegetable or flower garden will rovide an adequate suly for the average family. Deending on the secies, variety, and growth cycle, herbs are either annual, biennial, or erennial. Kee this in mind while locating them in the garden along with the following oints. * Grou herbs according to light requirements (full sun or artial shade) and locate the lanting area accordingly. (See table) * Choose a soil that is fertile, welldrained, and loamy (H ). * Acid soils are unsuitable for herbs. Lime corrects acidity. * Preare the soil to a deth of eight inches. Plant herbs in early sring about 1 week before the average date of the last frost in your area. Sow the seeds thinly in a shallow furrow and cover with soil equal to about 4 times their largest diameter. Do not cover too deely. Annuals and biennials can be grown directly from seed in the garden. Perennials should be started from seed or cuttings in a window box or some other suitable forcing structure. Four or five inches of clean sand makes a satisfactory rooting median. Kee the sand moist and kee the lants out of direct sunlight when young to revent wilting. In four to six weeks, move the cuttings to ots or coldframes for the winter. Control weeds during the growing season to reduce the use of water and nutrients which are needed by your herbs. A light l" mulch of fresh sawdust, leaves, or other organic material will conserve soil moisture and hel control weeds. Irrigation may be necessary during eriods of draught. Harvesting Herb leaves which are to be used fresh, may be icked whenever the lant has enough foliage to maintain continued growth. Most herbs for drying should be icked just before the flowers oen, when the leaves contain the highest content. of aromatic, volatile oils. The stems should be selected and cut individually about 6" below the flower buds. Remove dead or damaged leaves, and wie off any dust or dirt which may be resent. If the leaves are very dirty, they may be rinsed gently in cold water and dried with aer towels.

2 Seeds can be harvested when they change in color from green to brown or gray. You may save seed for next year by allowing the lant to comletely mature, harvest the seed and allow them to thoroughly dry before storing. After curing, sread the seed in the sun for a few days before storing. Drying and Storage Herbs may be dried by tying the cut sterns in small bunches, and hanging in a well-ventilated, dust-free, darkened room. Do not use artificial heat, or exose the leaves to sunlight. This will reduce the quality of the dried roduct. The best flavor will result if herbs are dried in not over 4 to 6 days. If the leaves are not too small, they may be removed from the sterns and dried in a single layer on trays made of window screening or!i;" hardware cloth. Stir the leaves gently once or twice a day to seed the drying oeration. When the drying rocess seems to be comlete, remove the leaves from the sterns or trays, and lace in sealed glass jars in a warm lace for a week. At the end of that time, examine the jars to determine if any moisture has condensed on the inside of the glass. If it has, remove the contents and sread out for further drying. If necessary, the final drying may be comleted by sreading the leaves on a cookie tray, in an oven heated to not over 12QOF. If ossible, avoid the use of artificial heat. Herb leaves are dry when they become brittle, and will crumble into owder when rubbed between the hands. Most herbs are used in owdered form. The leaves may be crushed with a rolling in, or assed through a fine sieve. Store herbs in air-tight bottles, referably brown glass, in as cool a lace as ossible, not in direct sunlight. By using an air-tight storage container, you will kee your herbs from losing their essential oils and their delicate flavor. As long as your herbs and sices retain their distinctive odor, they should retain their flavor. Herbs as Potted Plants Most small-sized herb lants may be grown in 4 or 6 inch ots as house lants. When given loving care in a sunny window, they will suly srigs for culinary use throughout the winter. Place one young arsley or chervil lant, or several chive bulbs in each ot. If an enclosed orch or sunroorn is available, larger herbs may be grown. Some of the best are basil, borage, lemon balm, sweet marjoram, rosemary, and thyme. The best rocedure is to start lants from seeds, cuttings or divisions in midsummer. Or, if available, young vigorous lants may be dug from the garden in late summer, and laced in suitable containers. By: P.D. Relf, B. Adler, A.R. McDaniel Virginia Cooerative Extension Service Programs, activities, and emloyment oortunities are available to all eole regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, handica, or olitical affiliation. An Equal Oortunity/ Affirmative Action Emloyer Issued in furtherance of CooE'.rative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, and Setember 30, 1977, in cooeration with the U.S. f?eart~ent of Agriculture: W. _R. Van Dresser, J:?ea!1.. Extension Division, Cooerative Extension Service, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univers1t:y, ~l~cksburg, V.1rgm.ia 24061; M. C. Harding, Sr., Administrator, 1890 Extension Program, V1rg1nia State University, Petersburg, Virginia

3 COMMON NAME Scientific Name A Annual B Biennial P = Perennial ANISE A Piminella anisum BASIL, SWEET A Ocimum basilicm BO RAGE A Borago off icinalis CARAWAY B Carum carvi CATNIP P Neeta cataria CHERVIL A Anthriscus cerefolium CHIVES P Allium schoenorasum CORIANDER A Coriandrum sativum DILL A Anethum graveolens FENNEL A Florence fennel, Finocchio Foeniculum Foeniculum off icianalis HERB CULTURE AND USE Height Sacing Rows Plants 18" 10" " 10" 3-4 ft. 18" 10" 15" 3-6" 12" 12" 12" 18" 24-36" 12" 60" 18" 18" Cultural Hints Grows from seed; lant after frost. Grows from seed; lant after frost. Sun Grows from seed, will self-sow; does best in dry, sunny area. Grows from seed. Biennial seed bearer. Hardy; sun or shade. Grow from seed or by division. Sow in early sring. Partial shade. Little care. Divide when overcrowded. Grown from seed or by division. Grows from seed sown in sring. Sun or artial shade. Raise from seed sown in early sring. Sun or artial shade. Grows from seed sown in early sring. Sun or artial shade. Uses Green leaves for seasoning, garnish dried seed used as sice. Seasons for sous, stews, omelets and salads. Young leaves used in salads and cool drinks. Seed used in flavoring, esecially bakery items. Leaves used for tea and seasoning. Aromatic, leaves used in sous and salads. Tos finely cut; favorite chef's flavoring - used indoors as ot lant. Seeds used in confections; leaves in salad. Leaves and seeds used in flavoring and ickling. Has anise-like flavoring, for salads; stalks and leaves eaten raw or boiled.

4 COMMON NAME Scientific Name A Annual B Biennial P = Perennial HOREHOUND P Marribium vulgare HYSSOP P Hyssous off icinalis LAVENDER P Lavandula vera LOVAGE P Levisticum officinale OREGANO P Origanum vulgare PARSLEY B Petroselinum crisum PEPPERMINT P Mentha ierita ROSEMARY Rosmarinus of ficinalis Height 3-4 ft. 6" 36" 3-6 ft. Sacing Rows Plants 18" 15" 18" 15" 18" 18" 30" 30" 18" 9" 18" 6" 18" Cultural Hints Uses Grows in light soil, Leaves used in full sun and intense seasoning and in heat. Protect in cold candy. climates during winter. From seed, cuttings, or division. Grows in oor soil, A mint with highly from seed. Hardy. aromatic and ungent leaves Grows in rocky, dry, Fresh in salads, or sunny locati~ns with flowers dried and lenty of lime in soil. laced with linen. Rich, moist soil.from Of the carrot famseed lanted in late ily cultivated in summer. Sun or artial old Euroean gardens shade. as a domestic remedy. Grows in oor soil. Flavoring - not as From seed or division. oular as sweet marjoram. Grow from seed start- Brings out flavor ed in early sring. of other herbs, Slow to germinate. makes a fine base, and seasoning. Can start from seed Aromatic; used for but division or cuttings flavoring, condireconnnended. Tolerates ments; oil used in sun or shade. Cut before roducts such as they go to seed. Renew chewing gum, toilet beds every 3 to 4 years. water, soa, liquer. Grows in well-drained soil containing lime. From cuttings or seed. Leaves flavor sauces, meats, and sous.

5 COMMON NAME Scientific Name SAGE Salvia officinalis SPEARMINT Mentha sicata SUMMER SAVORY Satureia hortensis SWEET MARJORAM Marjorana hortensis Origanum marjorana SWEET WOODRUFF Aserula adorata TARRAGON Artemisia dracunculus THYME Thymus vulgaris WINTER SAVORY Satureia montana A Annual B Biennial P = Perennial A (in mild winters) Height 18" 18" 18" 12" 8 II 8-12" Sacing Rows Plants 12" 18" 18" 18" 15" 18" Cultural Hints Uses From seed or cuttings. Give full sun. Slow starter from seed (start indoors and translant). Renew bed every 3 to 4 years. Grows in a moist soil. Hardy. From cuttings or division. Grows in well-worked loam. Sow seed in sring. Sun Grown from seed or cuttings. Treated as annual or over winter as ot lant. Kee indoors or in cold frame over winter. Thrives in semi-shade. Grows in full sun but does better in semishade. From root cuttings or by division. Protect in cold winter. Grows in light, welldrained soil. Renew lants every few years. From cuttings, seed or division. Grow in light, sandy soil. Trim out dead wood. From cuttings or seed. A seasoning for meats and herb teas; used either fresh or dried. Aroma tic, used. for flavoring, condiments. Use leaves fresh or dry for salads dressings and stews. Seasoning, fresh or dried. Flavoring in drinks. Euroean herb of aster family, aromatic seasoning. Aromatic foliage for seasoning meats, sous, sauces and dressings. Seasoning for stuffing, sausage, eggs; ~ccents strong flavor.

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