Herbs doing too well

 

How do I prune or deadhead?  Herbs

I planted sage, thyme, parsley, basil,  mint, oregano.

And hardly ever use them!!   By the time I remember, I'm
through with the tomato sandwich, e.g.

How much can I, should I, prune to stop these herbs
from roaring away?

I don't want them to go to seed, so will offer some to
neighbors, but it's hard to coordinate schedules.

Your advice appreciated.

Hypatia

 

Higgs Boson wrote:


I just let mine go to seed, the bees love 'em.
--
signature goes here

 

On Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:11:09 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson


Google is your friend -- search for each herb by name with such terms
as "harvesting sage/thyme/etc," "storing sage/thyme/etc." . . .

I used scrap 1X2 lumber and window screen to build several 2 X 4 ft
drying racks.

Wife uses the drying racks to dry apples -- she slices the apples,
spreads the slices on the screens, then we suspend the racks from the
ceiling joists in the garden shed for several days until the apples
are dried.  We use the dried apples in the winter for pies.

Use the same racks to dry herbs.  

-- Sage, thyme, oregano, and basil:  Cut a bunch of each then strip
the green leaves off the stems onto the drying screens.  Hang the
screens in the storage shed ceiling or another warm, dry place.  After
2-3 weeks, use a small blade-type coffee grinder to grind the dried
leaves -- store in dark-coloerd glass bottles and use in cooking.

-- Parsley and basil:  Cut stems with the leaves on.  Wash, pat dry,
stuff into freezer bags, freeze.  When you need parsley or basil in a
recipe, pull out what ever amount you need and chop/grind/mince while
it's still frozen.

-- mint:  Make mint juleps.

 


Thanks, folks, for those handy suggestions.

But I still need an answer to pruning/deadheading plants, rather
than drying them.

TIA

Hypatia

 

Higgs Boson wrote:

It isn't important, most people just let them go.

David