Herbs are a huge part of my practice
That’s actually what I started with (apart from moon water) because I love to cook!
I added magick to my daily life through herbs in my cooking
But I also wanted to start growing my own
I tried growing herbs when I was a child, but I was not very good with plants back then
I knew very little about plants and how to grow them until I was in my mid-twenties
Knowing the life cycle of the herbs that you are growing is important for many reasons
You need to know if they last a year or if they last longer
You need to know when to harvest and when not to
There isn’t a lot that goes into growing herbs, but it is important to understand how they work
What kind of herbs are there?
There are two major kinds of herbs
- Annual herbs
- Perennial herbs
These fancy words just tell you how long they live
Since they have different lifespans, they have different needs
You’ll need to think about harvesting and harvesting seeds a lot faster with annuals than you do with perennials
And some herbs fall into annuals instead of perennials because of the weather
If it gets really cold, herbs may not survive the winter
That means they will end up as annuals even though they may not fully reach maturity
Lavender, for example, if harvestable during the first year but you get a lot more harvest during years 2 and 3
If they are killed by frost, they will not be able to reach that increased harvesting
And they will need to be replaced every year
So make sure to keep your climate in mind when planning your herb garden
What are annual herbs?
Annual herbs are herbs that go through their entire lifecycle in one year
They go from seed to death in a year
Annuals are a bit more work because of this
If you don’t want to buy seeds every year, you will need to harvest seeds from your plants before they stop flowering
I would rather get my seeds for free from the plants I already have so I do this with mine
Just keep in mind that it may take some practice to effectively harvest seeds when they are ready
What are perennial herbs?
Perennial herbs are herbs that come back year after year
How many years depends on the herb
Lavender usually comes back around 4 years
They look really sad in the winter and may even look a little dead
But they will regrow stronger after the last frost
As long as they can survive that frost
I leave my perennial herbs outside during the winter if they are old enough, but I keep them covered
This prevents overwatering from the rain and protection from other elements
But they still get sun when it does decide to come out
Greenhouses or moving them inside are also options to prevent them from dying in the winter
Are the herbs always either annual or perennial?
Whether an herb is an annual or a perennial depends on the herb itself and the environment
People in Alaska have to replant all their plants every year because nothing in the garden survives the harsh winter
Unless the plants are in a really nice greenhouse or inside the house
The plant needs to have the genetics of a perennial AND the ability to survive the winter to come back every year
How and when do I harvest my herbs?
When you harvest depends on the herbs
If you are harvesting the leaves, you should harvest them before they flower
If you are harvesting flowers, harvest before the flowers start to droop
Avoid cutting into any thick, woody parts of the herbs
Those are harder to grow back
The best time to harvest is in the morning after the dew dries but before the heat of the day
If you harvest during any other time, you risk losing production
How do I get seeds for future herbs?
Getting seeds is simple but you do need patience and somewhere to hang the flowers
Wait for the flowers to be drying out and dead looking
Make sure it isn’t a windy day and that you have somewhere to hang the dried flowers that is also protected
Hang your herbs upside down with a bag under it
As the seeds dry, they will drop into the bag
Make sure you clean the seeds before storing in a dry place