Ten Tips for Autumn Herb Gardening
All over the world, people use a variety of herbs for healing and for cooking. A few of the reasons why herbs are popular are their flavors, aromas, and the way they elevate a dish. Because of this, we enjoy having a supply of them and growing our own for convenience.
Some people think the only months that herb gardening can be done are spring and summer. This is a misconception, however, because most of the popular, fragrant herbs actually do better in the cooler, moist climate of fall. If you plan ahead, you can have flavors and herbs that are usually only available in summer for winter use.
The purpose of this guide is to help you implement 10 great tips to help start and keep a successful herb garden in the fall.
Choose the Right Varieties When Starting Your Collection
For a successful fall garden and growing herbs, it is essential to pick the right herbs for the season. There are certain plants that do better when the temperature is cool. Tender herbs may not do as well as some of the more hardy varieties.
Sage (Salvia officinalis)
This perennial herb has a strong, spicy flavor that matches perfectly with poultry, pork, and autumn vegetables like squash. Sage is very cold resistant and has a stronger flavor once winter approaches. Sage loves sun and well drained soil.
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
With very small leaves, thyme has a unique earthy minty flavor and is a great addition to many different dishes. This low growing herb can survive very light frost and is very strong. It is best to put it with other herbs in a sunny spot with good drainage, and it might stay green all throughout winter in warmer places.
Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)
This plant has a very strong and pleasant spicey, pine aroma to it which is great to use for cooking meats and veggies. Rosemary loves the sun and has to have good drainage for soil (no very wet soil). If in a colder zone, they are best to be planted in a pot if you want to be able to take it inside.
Mint (Mentha)
Varieties of mint like peppermint and spearmint are very strong and very fast spreading. For this reason, it is best to grow mint in a container to stop it from spreading too much. They grow very well to the point they keep producing and growing a lot throughout the fall. They like to have very wet soil and can tolerate a little shade.
Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)
The types of parsley, flat-leaf, and curly, are both biennial and do very well during the fall. The cooler weather gives the leaves an even better flavor. A light frost won't spell the end of their growth, and they will continue to relieve your kitchen of your constant need for fresh greens. Flat-leaf parsley and curly parsley, certainly some of the more unique greens to grow, do very well in the fall. It won't spell the end of their growth, and they do a great job during the fall.
You can also grow fall gardens with other herbs like chives, oregano, winter savory, and lavender.
Start with Healthy Transplants
While growing herb seeds in the fall is an option, it often takes a longer amount of time than simply starting with younger plants. This way, the herbs will grow more quickly, and have more time to grow before the first frost. This way, the herbs will also grow a lot more before winter. Overall, you can harvest more. The root systems of the roots get a lot more established and can quickly adapt to whatever soil the herbs are in, and gives the herbs a lot more time to root. This results in you being able to harvest it a lot more quickly than with older root systems or no established ones.
Embracing Container Gardening
Container gardening is one of the best strategies for fall gardening. Moving your herbs to the warm location as the temperature drops is as simple as carrying the container from one place to another. You get extra weeks or months of harvesting herbs. You also get to pick the type of soil as container gardening enables self-containment. That is important for herbs like rosemary and thyme that need extra care as they need good soil drainage.
Preparing the Perfect Soil Mix
Even though herbs don't need that much soil nutrition, they still need the right soil to thrive. A lot of the time, herbs prefer soil that is loose and can easily let water pass through it. When there is heavy clay soil in the area, it can lead to a very large amount of water being soaked in, like a sponge, which is not good because it can lead to the roots of the herbs to start rotting. To create this soil for the herbs, you can add a good soil mix to the soil in your gardening beds or to your containers. To add even more nutrients and to get the soil to drain better, you can add compost or rotting manure to the soil. This will create a good area for the herbs to grow their roots.
Make Sure There’s Enough Sunshine
Sunlight becomes even more important in the fall as days are shorter. In the late-summer heat, most culinary herbs produce the essential oils that give them their particular flavors and smells; in the fall, they need at least four to six hours of direct sunlight every day. Before planting, spend a day watching your garden or patio to find the most sun-filled spots. South-facing spots are often best. If you're growing herbs indoors, place the pots by the sunniest window.
Get the Hang of Watering
A common issue that beginner herb gardens face is overwatering. Cooler temperatures in fall make the soil dry out more slowly, so it’s important to change your watering routine. Before watering, make sure to check the soil first. A general guideline is to stick your finger a few centimeters into the soil. If it’s dry, it may be time to give the herbs a drink. Also, make sure your pots can drain their excess water.
Frost Protection Gardeners' Tips
Prepare to cover your plants with a frost cover, an old sheet, or a cloche overnight if frost is predicted. When the weather is colder, potted plants can be moved to a warmer location such as a garage, shed, or indoors. All are easy and quick to do.
Frost Sensitive Herb Care
With a light frost basil will die. Protect basil, as well as any other frost sensitive herbs by potting them up and taking them indoors to a sunny windowsill. When taking the plant be careful to keep the roots. After planting it in potting soil, water it and put it in a bright place. Proper light and moisture will allow for fresh basil harvest all winter.
Save Your Herbs Before it gets too Cold Out
If you're hoping to save your herbs for winter cooking, then be sure to take all of your herbs outside. This is also a good way to ensure that you have a good amount of herbs that you can preserve to tide you over until the herbs grow again. You can dry herbs out, or you can freeze them. This ‘emergency freeze’ preserves the herbs before the cold weather crushes them and stops their growth.
Dry Your Herbs for the Winter
You can keep some of the things you grow in your garden to enjoy the tastes in the winter. To air-dry herbs like thyme, rosemary, or sage, make a small bundle of them with a rubber band, and hang them upside down. They should be in a warm area with some air flow. Then, once they break into tiny pieces, you can store them in a box and away from the sun. With this method, you can keep a good amount of herbs for months.
The World of Plants is Waiting
Do you want to enjoy a productive and beautiful garden in the upcoming fall season? At TN Nursery, we have a 35-year track record growing and selling high quality native plants, trees, ferns, and perennials. Choose from numerous herbs and other companion plants for a garden that is beautiful and can be enjoyed all year long.
Please come to TN Nursery and see our great selection.
FAQs
Can you plant an herb garden in the fall?
Yes! It is a great time of year for planting an herb garden! The conditions at this time of year are ideal for most hardy herbs to plant. The fall weather is a little cooler, but the soil is still warm from the summer. The roots of hardy herbs (such as sage, thyme, and rosemary) will be able to get a good grip in the soil and will result in a stronger herb come winter time!
What to do with herbs in the fall?
Harvesting herbs is a big part of fall! During this time of year, you will want to get your herbs, preserve them, and protect them! You will want to harvest your herbs for use during the fall season and you can dry them for winter use as well! Tender herbs like basil will need to be potted and brought inside for the winter. The hardy herbs can be cut back a little and mulched to protect them over winter.
How to harvest herbs in fall?
You want to harvest your herbs regularly and not all at once. This means that you want to snip only what you need at a time and this helps your herbs to grow back fuller and bushier. You can do a big harvest before it gets super cold outside, but you want to cut your herbs during the morning after the dew has dried, but before it gets super hot outside. This helps to preserve the flavor of the herb better.
What should you do with your herb garden in winter?
For herb plants outside, prune and remove dead growth, and add a thick layer of mulch around the plants to help insulate the roots and keep the roots from freezing. If you have your herbs in pots, make sure to bring them indoors to a window that gets a lot of sun or keep them outside in a well-shielded place so that they can keep growing all through the winter.
