Herbs are the perfect beginner gardening project for anyone interested in growing their own food. Most herbs need very little time or attention to grow abundantly, and once mature, they make it so easy to elevate ho-hum recipes into something decidedly more gourmet. However, a common question we hear from gardening newbies is, “when should I harvest my herbs?”
I get it—it’s a little nerve-wracking to attack your baby plant with a pair of scissors! Here’s what you need to know about harvesting your herb garden.
The height of summer is a perfect time to harvest your herbs, though many may have been ready for several weeks now. Now that the weather is beautiful and warm, the conditions are just right to encourage your herb plants to regrow with even more flavourful foliage to enjoy through the season. Here are some more specific timing tips for harvesting popular herbs:
Basil can be picked as soon as the plants are about 6”-8” tall and full of gorgeous leaves. Don’t be shy to gather lots, up to 30% of the plant at once. The more you use, the more you’ll grow.
Like basil, cilantro should be harvested once it reaches 6”-8” inches in height and should be cut from the top down. Frequent trimming is ideal for encouraging more growth and discouraging the plant from bolting (or flowering), which not only changes the shape of new leaves but also results in an altered and less pleasant flavour.
While parsley might look a lot like cilantro, the two herbs are quite different. Parsley is ready when the new leaves are clearly divided into three segments. Cut from the outer stems of the plant and leave the inner ones alone to encourage bushier regrowth. Trim the stems in small bunches, cutting at ground level.
Mint is one of the quickest-growing herbs in the garden, and it can stand up to some pretty aggressive harvesting. Once the plant grows past 4” tall and leafs out, you can start plucking and using this herb’s sweetly fragrant foliage. Mint’s flavour is best when collected before the plant begins to flower.
Warm summer mornings are the best time to pick oregano, as the herb’s essential oils are in their highest concentration at this time of day. Wait until your oregano plant has grown at least 4” tall, and then cut with clean shears by trimming just above a pair of leaves. This encourages the herb to regrow bushier than ever!
Like oregano, thyme is best when collected in the morning. As your thyme grows, you’ll notice the stems become “woody” as they mature, while new stems will look tender and green. As a rule of thumb, harvest tender stems and leave the woody stems alone as much as possible. To encourage regrowth, leaving at least five inches of plant height is ideal. Thyme’s flavour is best when harvested just before flowering.
Summer savory is related to thyme and should be harvested similarly. Begin cutting when the plant is at least 6” tall by snipping the tender stems from the mature, “woody” stems. I also recommend picking summer savory in the morning.
As soon as your lavender starts flowering, it’s time to get the shears out! Ideally, lavender stems should be cut when a few of the flowers on the stem have bloomed and most are still in bud. Harvesting in the morning will allow your lavender to retain the most fragrance (and flavour, if you intend to use it for cooking).
If you aren’t using your herbs right away, the two most popular ways to preserve herbs are to dry them or freeze them. You can dry herbs in a food dehydrator or place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake at a low temperature (180˚F) for 2-4 hours until easily crumbled.
An excellent trick for freezing is to grind your herbs up in a blender with a little bit of olive oil and freeze them in labelled ice cube trays. This allows you to throw a “cube” of fresh herbs into your recipes whenever you need them!
For more herb harvesting tips, or to shop for some fresh herbs to add to your collection (it’s really never a bad time of year to grow them!), visit our garden centre in Guelph or browse our online shop.
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