Dill Weed in Your Garden by Jeffrey Blake

All photos by Jeffrey Blake

Dill weed (Anethum graveolens) is a valuable addition to your garden because of its culinary versatility, its ability to attract beneficial insects and pollinators, its low-maintenance nature, and its potential medicinal uses. Whether you're an avid cook or simply want to enhance your garden's biodiversity and aesthetics, dill is an herb worth considering for your garden space.

Want to grow some herbs inside this Winter? by Vicky Spelman

Poster by Vicky Spelman

Herbs grown indoors offer many benefits including fragrant foliage, various foliage colors and shapes, and a constant supply of herb leaves for cooking.

Need a Winter Boost? by Vicky Spelman

Courtesy of Pexels

Need a winter boost?  Try growing herbs inside.  Lots of the Gardening Centers have a stock of herbs already planted and growing inside – give them a call a see what is available.

Herbs grown indoors offer many benefits including fragrant foliage, various foliage colors and shapes, & a constant supply of herb leaves for cooking.

Herbs that grow well indoors include: chives, horehound, winter savory.

Herbs that DO NOT grow well in containers include: horseradish, fennel, lovage.

Courtesy of  Pexels

Unlike common houseplants, herbs need conditions to be just right for optimum growth, or their health will rapidly decline.  Rotate pots often so that each side gets enough light for uniform growth. Most herbs need six hours of direct sunlight - either a sunny location, or 6 to 12 inches from two 40-watt, cool white fluorescent bulbs for 14-16 hours. Rotate pots so each side gets light for uniform growth.

• Keep herbs in rooms that have at least a 65-70°F day and 55-60°F night temperatures.  Although most herbs can survive temps that are in the mid to low 40s, others cannot.
• Herbs also require a proper balance between a humid environment & adequate air circulation.
• Herbs should be grown in containers with a drainage hole & in a potting mix that will aid water drainage.
• Fertilize herbs with a low dose of water-soluble fertilizer every two weeks. A soapy solution, 1-2 tablespoons of a mild soap such as dishwashing soap to 1 gallon of warm water, can be used to control most insect pests. Spray infested plants with the solution once a week while pests are visible. Always wash leaves off before using.
• Repot when roots grow through the drainage hole.
• If you would like to place your herbs in containers outside during the late spring and summer months, acclimate them to higher light levels & intensities produced by the sun. Start by placing pots outdoors in partial shade, & then slowly expose them to more & more light every few days.
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  Penn State Univ – via Ext MG -Prepared by Kathleen M. Kelley, asst. professor of consumer horticulture and Elsa S. Sánchez, asst. professor of horticultural systems mgmt. 
  
  For additional information: Herbs

Preserving Herbs by Donna Duffy

Photo courtesy herb gardening.com

One of the joys of summer cuisine is the addition of fresh herbs. Fresh herbs are showing up at the Farmers Markets, and many are ready to harvest in home gardens. As a general rule, herbs grown for their leaves should be harvested before they flower. For most herbs, the best time to pick is early in the morning just as the dew evaporates, but before the heat of the day.  Herbs can be used fresh from the garden or dried and enjoyed later. Following are tips for preserving and storing herbs.

Don’t Miss the Boat: It’s Time to Plant Cilantro! by Amy Bubar

Cilantro, photo courtesy CSU Extension

I had the most delicious soup the other day at my favorite neighborhood eatery.  Creamy and rich, it also had the unmistakable fresh, bright essence of a certain herb, which served as the perfect reminder:  Now’s the time to plant cilantro!