I've been meaning to write good notes on what I learned this year and what I hope to do differently next year. I'm starting with herbs.
First, I didn't plant as much variety as I'd like to next year. Part of the problem is finding a good spot for perennials. I'll start with the herbs I did plant and then note the ones I want to add.
1. Mint. There is a big stand of mint that escaped pots near our fence line. It's an unknown variety, but well-established. I used it all summer in lemonade. In pots in the vegetable garden I also planted apple mint, spearmint, and your basic mint mint. The apple mint had impressive, large, lush leaves, but it never grew too many stems so I don't think I harvested it for anything. Maybe it will grow better next year. The spearmint got kind of overwhelmed by a nearby marigold and a dock, so it's not as strong as it might have been. But the mint mine is outrageous! It must be 3 feet in diameter spilling out of it's pot. And that's AFTER I whacked it way back to dry it's leaves.
Keeping the mint in terra cotta in the garden seemed to work well. It got watered whenever everything else did. One great thing about the mint is that it dried so well. Hung by the handful in a paper bag for about 2 weeks, it smelled amazing as I pinched the leaves off.
2. Basil. This is one crop that must be started indoors as early as possible and maybe planted out in a cold frame. And buying a few starts from the greenhouse is a good bet too. It took 'til June 30 before I could harvest any decent amount.
I planted 4 lettuce leaf basil and at least 12 regular plants. I ended up with about 8 large ones, with the ones out in the vegetable bed growing strongest. The lettuce leaf basil looked cool, but didn't have a great taste.
A friend, Gene, recommended a method of harvest that should maximize yield. I'd like to try this next year.
1) Basil growing tip from Ecology Action, Nov. 2010, p. 3.
a) Once basil reaches 4-6 growth nodes and is at the point of flowering, cut back to 2 growth nodes (starting from the ground up), as long as there are enough leaves for photosynthesis.
b) Water well after each cutting.
c) After 7-10 days, it should be ready for second cutting (again, just at the point of flowering).
d) Cut back to 1 growth node (counting from the main stem).
e) Repeat every 7-10 days until plant starts to get leggy, around the third cutting. Then cut back to 6-8” and wait until it re-grows. ( 2 weeks).
f) Repeat the entire process – taking 3 or more cuttings.
g) Cut back to 8” and repeat process.
h) Of course, let some go to seed to save seed.
I converted most of the basil to pesto, especially when pulling the plants toward the end of the season, and froze it in 1/2-1 c portions. I definitely could have used more. I feel sure we'll eat everything I've frozen over the winter months.
I also planted a few starts in between plants I expected to get large, like tomatoes. The problem is, the basil is pretty slow growing and by the time the basil was ready to grow it was already shaded by the larger plants. So basil needs dedicated garden space, at least a square foot per plant. I would, ideally, have 16 square feet of basil.
3. Cilantro. I have got to get serious about succession planting. This is one of my favorite herbs, so despite the fact that it bolts about a week after it reaches harvestable size, I'm going to try to grow it. It might make sense to grow it in a fertile soil flat, where the seeds can be sewn densely every 2 weeks. Maybe the shortage of soil would even stunt it a little - either that or make it bolt even faster!
4. Parsley. This was a starting year for parsley. I now have 3 strong italian flat leaf, but need to put in a curly leaf plant. I'm hopeful these will come back next year.
5. Sage. We discovered sage butter. Man, oh man. Finely chop 2 T of sage leaves and simmer in 1/2 c butter and then sprinkle in nutmeg. My smallish sage plant from a local greenhouse thrived next to the garden fence. If it comes back next year I'd be very happy, but I'm not sure I can expect that.
6. Thyme. Eh. It's growing, but not stunningly. I think I should research varieties too. There seem to be a million and I have no idea which I'd like best.
7. Tarragon. I planted a very tasty tarragon, but allowed it to get crowded out, and I don't know if the weak plant remaining could possibly survive winter to come back next year. We have a very strong, but tasteless variety that does come back voraciously every year, so I guess I can be hopeful, but I should move it.
8. Rosemary. I had a 3 year old shrub in a pot that had moved in and out of the house with the seasons. We put it in the ground this spring. I'll bring two new starts in the house this winter, so we'll have those come spring if the shrub doesn't survive. My mom taught me to slip some sprigs up under the skin of a chicken before roasting it and we just love that. I'd like to find more uses. I'm betting rosemary butter is good.
9. Lavender. I have a small but strong lavender plant. They survive in the backyard of a neighbor, so I hope this one will revive next spring and get even larger.
10. Oregano. This plant was a runt 2 years ago, harvestable this year, and I'm hoping for stunning next year. Flavor is good, but boy does it disappoint when dry. There must be some trick to that.
11. Lemongrass. This was a fun experiment worth repeating. I'm told if I bring the clump in over winter, and set it back out next spring it will be much stronger next year. The stalks and leaves can be dried or frozen for soup or tea. It's the kind of thing you can't bring yourself to pay for, so it seems worth the small garden space.
12. Chives. I have a massive clump of chives. Garlic chives are taking over. I can barely see the regular chives any more. Perhaps next spring I can tidy this up, or maybe just start a fresh patch. They are really a crop that just keeps giving.
For next year:
1. Dill. Need to plant dill somewhere where it can reseed it self permanently.
2. Plants good for tea. I had calendula this year, but never harvested any to dry. Camomile? Lemon Balm?
3. Marjoram.
4. Savory.
5. Up for suggestions. Just leave a comment.
Here's the hoop house. Karl came over and helped me throw it together while Doug was working on our addition. The hoop house consists of 6 10 ft lengths of 3/4 inch PVC. The two end arches were cut in half and a T-connector was cemented between the two halves. The ridgepole was cut to length, and inserted into the two T-connectors. (Not cemented so that it's easier to take it down later. We'll see if that's a problem.) 5 4 ft long rebars were cut in half to make 10 2ft pegs. Pounded into the ground with 4 inches above, these rebars are the posts that anchor the ends of the PVC arches. An old paint tarp was laid over the top. (I still haven't gotten around to sizing it correctly.) Rocks and wood anchor it around the sides and right now snow does too. An old hose was cut in foot long lengths and slit on the inside of the curve to clamp the plastic to the PVC arches. These work OK, but the weight of the snow on top, and sometimes the wind can cause the hose to pop off.
