When I was in my teens and early 20s, I called myself a brown thumb
I killed every plant I ever tried to keep
But I also didn’t do the learning needed to keep each type of plant healthy
Growing an herb garden was always a goal of mine
Herbs are plants that don’t have woody stems. They usually have soft and delicate stems. They also stay small compared to other plants (less than 10 feet tall). They are used for many purposes including cooking, cleaning, scent, and more
I love to cook so I knew about the many options for using herbs in my recipes, but they are so useful in more ways!
As a budding green witch, it has been my goal to learn all the amazing uses for herbs
What categories do plants go into?
There are 4 main categories of plants:
- Herbs,
- Shrubs,
- Trees,
- Climbers
More plants than I realized fit into the herb category
Roses, for example, are herbs that I didn’t know were herbs
Even those their stems are slightly woody, they are not woody enough for trees
And they definitely don’t fit as shrubs or climbers
Green witches use herbs for many things
We use them for cooking, baking, spells, cleansing, cleaning, making beautiful scents, and more
While the trees, shrubs, and climbers are helpful in their own way, the variety of uses for herbs is why they tend to be a favorite
What characteristics do herbs have?
Herbs have some basic characteristics to watch out for, but these characteristics are on a scale
The first major characteristic is that herbs have soft and tender limbs
Some herbs are super tender, like Parsley, and they are always pretty flexible
Other herbs have more woody stems, like roses, but are always tender enough to be able to bend (unlike trees)
Those stems are also green and delicate
Herbs are also small compared to other types of plants
While herbs can get up to 10 feet tall, the other types of plants can get much larger
Most herbs have shorter life spans too
They usually only live between one and three years
Other plants can live longer than most humans
Keep in mind that science categorized based on the best fit
Not every herb will fit all the characteristics, but they will fit more than they fit other categories
Do you care for herbs differently than other plants?
Most herbs do not like to do watered a lot
If their roots are too wet, they will get sick and die
They also need to be pruned and cared for to live their full lifespan
While herbs may have their own needs, not all herbs are cared for the same
Some time more water, some like less, some need a lot of sun, while others need shade
All plants are going to have their own needs and herbs are no different
So if you want to care for your herbs, you need to learn more about the specific herbs that you want to take care of
How long do herbs live?
Herbs usually only live a couple of seasons
Some, like roses, live longer
But most herbs only live between one and three years
Once again, you need to look at the specific plant for a better lifespan estimate
But compared to other plants, herbs do not live very long
We had a grapevine live for most of my childhood, and there are trees that have lived a hundred years
That isn’t a thing for herbs
When and how do you harvest your herbs?
You want to harvest your herbs before they start flowering
This will be different times of the year depending on the herb
Once the herbs flower, they lose their flavor and get bitter
When you’re at the start date that your herbs are ready to be harvested when you want to Harvest Inn in the early morning
you don’t want your freshly harvested herbs to have to deal with the heat of the day or the cold of the night
If you have a first-year herb, you will likely only get one harvest
But when they are big enough to support growth, you’ll be able to harvest multiple times throughout the season
I was able to harvest my second-year English Lavender about eight times this year
How you harvest also depends on the herb
Find the thickest part of your herb’s stem
This is the wood of your plant
You do not want to cut this part
Cut the leaves and stem right above this part where it is still soft and flexible
If you have an herb with long stems, like Parsley, you can gather a few before clipping them
Can you get seeds from your herbs instead of buying them every time?
If you want to save seeds from your herbs, you will want to allow them to flower
The seeds come after the flower
So you will want to stop harvesting your herbs in the late summer
This gives them plenty of time to flower and make seeds
Before you get too excited about your seeds, make sure that your plant isn’t a hybrid
Many stores sell plants that are unable to produce viable seeds because they want you to have to buy them every time
If they aren’t a hybrid, then you can always give it your best shot
You will want to let your herb flower and allow those flowers to fully mature
Don’t wait until the seeds are already starting to drop, but don’t take them too soon or they won’t be mature enough
When they are ready to be harvested, cut the flower off your plant and place it on a paper towel in the sun
You want the flower and seeds to fully dry
The flower will crack and the seeds will fall out easily
Now that you have dried seeds, you want to store them in a sealed container in a cool dry place until you are ready to plant them