I know for many of us it's hard to imagine or think about harvesting herbs in the middle of winter. But I received a request to talk about harvest tips and it's the perfect time for me to trim back some of my more prolific herbs before the temperature drops below freezing here in the Houston area. The Southeast Texas Herb Society has a great handout on herb harvesting tips and my Facebook Live post today will show some specific tips/tricks as well.
A few key things to remember:
When to Harvest: There are many different considerations when deciding when to harvest including time of year, time of day, moon cycle, and plant growth cycle.
For many plants, if you're planning to harvest the leaves, it's better to harvest before the plant has flowered. If you're harvesting the roots, it's better to harvest after the plant has flowered. This will ensure the maximum essential oils and medicinal compounds are present in the part of the plant you will use.
Harvesting during the first quarter of the moon up until the full moon is considered to have the highest sugar context and vital energy for leaves and flowers (i.e. above ground components of the plant). Harvesting during the third quarter up until the new moon is ideal for root harvests or any other underground parts of the plant.
Typically, harvesting in the early part of the day, once morning dew has dried will offer maximum essential oil content in the leaves. Time of year is very specific to the plant you are harvesting - dandelion roots are ideal in the spring, while echinacea root is best harvested in the fall.
How to Harvest: Most herbs thrive when harvested with a short 'trim' instead of cutting off entire stalks. This includes mints, thyme, oregano, parsley, chives, etc. Others like lemongrass should be cut down to the base of the stalk. Keep in mind that harvest will often encourage new growth on the plant, so it's a great idea to fertilize and/or water your plants after harvesting to encourage the new growth.
How to Dry or Store: Once you've harvested your herbs there are a number of options to store them including drying for extended use. But first, I strongly recommend a risk and soak in a light vingear bath to clean off any critters or possible contaminants. If you are drying your herbs, remember to keep them out of direct sunlight to conserve as much of the essential oil as possible.
Hang Drying can be great for longer, tough stemmed herbs including rosemary, sage or lavender. Be sure to tie them with a rubberband at the end so as the plant shrinks in the drying process it doesn't fall out.
Screen drying or drying on parchment or paper towel is ideal for smaller leaved herbs or those that were clipped thinner. Yarrow becomes so 'flaky' when it dries that I like to dry it on my screen instead of in a bundle to preserve as many leaves as possible.
Herbs can also be stored in the refridgerator for up to a week. Try to remove as much moisture as possible before storing. I like to keep a papertowel in my container to continue absorbing moisture while it's in the fridge.
If drying herbs, be sure to get them into an airtight container as soon as possible but not before they are completely dry (usually 10-14 days, depending on size and thickness of the leaf).
Comments