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Post by hdoublej on Jun 3, 2015 21:16:52 GMT
I just bought pots of cilantro, basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary. Now, what do I do with them?  I was going to plant them outside but then I thought maybe I wanted to keep them in pots inside so I would have them year round. Do you keep yours inside or outside? Any tips for growing or keeping them would be great. Do I dry them at the end of the growing season if I keep them outside?
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caro
Drama Llama
Refupea 1130
Posts: 5,222 
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Post by caro on Jun 3, 2015 21:34:42 GMT
I keep mine outside but not in direct sunlight. They grow very well. I brought in my oregano and cilantro last year and put the pots in direct light. They lasted a few months then got leggy. I cut all the basil, chopped it and froze it in ice trays with water then after frozen, popped the cubes out and put in a ziplock bag. I use the cubes all year long. Just drop in whatever you are cooking.
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Post by Dictionary on Jun 3, 2015 21:34:56 GMT
Well I live in California so mine are all planted outside..I like having herbs on hand at all times. I have never dried mine, the only thing I don't usually have is Cilantro and Basil, those seem to die off during the winter. My thyme, oregano, mint, chives and sage all seem to stay year round. Some of mine are in pots others in the ground.
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Post by Woobster on Jun 3, 2015 21:59:21 GMT
I am so glad you posted! My neighbor brought me cilantro, basil, mint, and dill plants a couple of days ago. I plan to pot them, but have no idea what else to do with them. I'll be watching!
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Post by scrappysurfer on Jun 3, 2015 22:05:01 GMT
I keep mine on a windowsill above my sink that gets direct light part of the day. I hate to admit, but I bought my rosemary and cilantro from Walmart in those plastic wrapped pots you find in the produce section, you water them from the bottom as needed. I expected them to die after a few weeks but they are thriving!!! I love having them in my kitchen because seeing them often makes me remember to use them lol. I think they'll do well over the winter but we'll see!
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Post by Scrapper100 on Jun 3, 2015 22:12:10 GMT
Just a warning about mint it will spread. It sends out runners and will find it in places you don't want keep it in some kind of pot. I had been warned but my mil said that wasn't right well. It took years to get rid of it in the middle of our grass and in other planting areas. I think there may have been a little left when we moved 18 years later.
I keep most of my herbs in pots in the backyard. We have some chives in the ground from the previous owner and aren't going to move them same with cilantro.
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Post by cakediva on Jun 3, 2015 22:25:51 GMT
I'm growing basil, oregano, thyme, cilantro, rosemary & mint this year - in a box on my deck railing.
But I'm watching this thread - aside from planning to cook with them often, once I start to get an overabundance of them, I'd like ways to keep them.
Do you freeze them? How do you do it? I saw a bunch of ideas online for freezing them in ice cube trays with olive oil....
any other ideas?
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Jun 3, 2015 22:26:52 GMT
I have mine planted outside my kitchen window. As Dictionary said about hers in California, some of mine here in South Carolina grow year-round as well. My rosemary for example just gets bigger and bigger -- I have to prune it back annually. Other things I plant annually. I love my herbs and use them all the time in my cooking. Fresh herbs make such a difference to the taste of a dish. I'm also just not a houseplant person. I have one aloe plant in the laundry room and it lives mostly because they are just so darn hard to kill. |
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Post by Basket1lady on Jun 3, 2015 22:29:06 GMT
I've never had any luck with potted herbs indoors. But I do plant mine in pots outdoors. I have a large planter that is about 20" x 20" that has basil, thyme, rosemary, tarragon, marjarom, cilantro, parsley and chives in it. I have another pot with oregano (that was given to me after I had the big planter planted.) I also have another 16" round pot with basil and mint in it, as well as some petunias.
I pinch off the basil if it starts to bloom. Most herbs will get leggy without regular picking. If I'm not using them fast enough, I'll pick it, wash it, and let the leaves dry off (but not dry out.) Then I chop them up and freeze them in zip baggies. I don't put them in water--they do just fine. I use them all winter. It's not quite as good as fresh, but it's pretty close!
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Jun 3, 2015 22:29:32 GMT
Oh, as far as dealing woth over-abundance or end of the season herbs...
Chopping them into ice cube trays with a little water works great. Basil can obviously be made into pesto and kept that way. And most herbs can be dried between paper towels in the microwave with great success. Just google for how much time for the different types.
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Post by gale w on Jun 3, 2015 22:44:33 GMT
Just a warning about mint it will spread. It sends out runners and will find it in places you don't want keep it in some kind of pot. I had been warned but my mil said that wasn't right well. It took years to get rid of it in the middle of our grass and in other planting areas. I think there may have been a little left when we moved 18 years later. I keep most of my herbs in pots in the backyard. We have some chives in the ground from the previous owner and aren't going to move them same with cilantro. We've never planted mint but it grows wild all over our yard. I hate it. There are mint farms a few miles north of us. |
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Post by AussieMeg on Jun 4, 2015 4:10:49 GMT
I grow mine in my herb garden outside, as do most people I know.
I grow coriander (cilantro), basil, Thai basil, mint, Vietnamese mint, dill, chives, parsley, rosemary.... the rosemary goes NUTS and lasts forever. The coriander lasts the shortest amount of time before going to seed. Luckily I use a lot of it so it doesn't get a chance to go to seed too often.
I was actually hoping my mint would go nuts as well, because it did at the house I grew up in. But unfortunately it didn't grow much at all.
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Post by flanz on Jun 4, 2015 4:14:50 GMT
Just a warning about mint it will spread. It sends out runners and will find it in places you don't want keep it in some kind of pot. I had been warned but my mil said that wasn't right well. It took years to get rid of it in the middle of our grass and in other planting areas. I think there may have been a little left when we moved 18 years later. I keep most of my herbs in pots in the backyard. We have some chives in the ground from the previous owner and aren't going to move them same with cilantro. YES! Mint is very invasive and should be in pots! DH just planted some herbs in our outdoor pots and when he bought them, the fellow at the nursery (they're pros) told him cilantro and basil go to flower within a few short weeks and then you need to plant new plants.... Can anyone confirm? |
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Deleted
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Oct 6, 2024 17:33:17 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2015 4:21:41 GMT
Basil can be bad about taking over a yard so I'd keep it in a large pot. Whether or not to keep them inside or out depends on your climate. You should be able to find info on google about how well they will winter over in your planting zone.
I don't do anything special to the leaves/springs I freeze. I just wash them, dry well on some paper towels and pop in a freezer bag.
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Deleted
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Oct 6, 2024 17:33:17 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2015 4:26:55 GMT
Just a warning about mint it will spread. It sends out runners and will find it in places you don't want keep it in some kind of pot. I had been warned but my mil said that wasn't right well. It took years to get rid of it in the middle of our grass and in other planting areas. I think there may have been a little left when we moved 18 years later. I keep most of my herbs in pots in the backyard. We have some chives in the ground from the previous owner and aren't going to move them same with cilantro. YES! Mint is very invasive and should be in pots! DH just planted some herbs in our outdoor pots and when he bought them, the fellow at the nursery (they're pros) told him cilantro and basil go to flower within a few short weeks and then you need to plant new plants.... Can anyone confirm? Basil will go to flower if you don't keep the new growth nipped back. I break the tip ends of the stems to toss in my cooking. It forces the plant to create new branches which prevents the leggy-ness plus it keeps the plant from flowering and going to seed. Once it goes to seed it will die. It will grow all summer as long as you keep it from developing flowers and going to seed. |
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Post by imkat on Jun 4, 2015 7:11:41 GMT
Mint - is very invasive. It would take over my whole garden if I don't rip it out. I like it at the beginning of the season for muddling with tea and other drinks. I can't stand it once it flowers, as it attracts a lot of flies and bees that get crazy drunk with its nectar.
Sage and Chives - I was surprised to see these come back from last year. Both are spreading and flowering. Is there any maintenance I need to do? Will they come back next year too? I'm in zone 5.
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Post by Basket1lady on Jun 4, 2015 10:58:55 GMT
Just a warning about mint it will spread. It sends out runners and will find it in places you don't want keep it in some kind of pot. I had been warned but my mil said that wasn't right well. It took years to get rid of it in the middle of our grass and in other planting areas. I think there may have been a little left when we moved 18 years later. I keep most of my herbs in pots in the backyard. We have some chives in the ground from the previous owner and aren't going to move them same with cilantro. YES! Mint is very invasive and should be in pots! DH just planted some herbs in our outdoor pots and when he bought them, the fellow at the nursery (they're pros) told him cilantro and basil go to flower within a few short weeks and then you need to plant new plants.... Can anyone confirm? I've never replanted basil or cilantro in a summer. The key is to keep using them. I find cilantro doesn't do as well, but its still there in September. But basil? If you nip the flowering part off the top, it will grow until a freeze. I had basil until November last year. |
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Jun 4, 2015 11:37:08 GMT
That's not true. Just like most plants, they require a little maintenance. Keep pinching them back even if you don't use what you're pinching off. Better to toss a little away than lose the harvest possible for the rest of the season.
My chives come back each year and I really don't do anything to make that happen. This is the first year I've added sage to my herb garden so I don't know about it.
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angie w
Full Member
Posts: 107
Jun 26, 2014 2:35:35 GMT
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Post by angie w on Jun 4, 2015 13:16:58 GMT
my mint is really invasive too and so is oregano for me; it is part of the mint family.
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Post by genny on Jun 4, 2015 15:49:38 GMT
I have never been able to keep cilantro alive for some reason, but I adore having fresh herbs around!
All my herbs are outside in pots. rosemary does just fine and thrives in a pot or in the ground and in full sun. The rest of my herbs have always fared better in filtered light. I bring the all up on the covered porch in winter except the rosemary and Parsley (always does better in fall and winter for me).
I used to keep baggies frozen in the freezer for all the other herbs to use in winter. I got a dehydrator last year and dried a bunch. I have them whole in jars now, but was just telling my friend last week I planned to grind them down and use them in my other spice jars as I empty them.
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Post by Flowergirl on Jun 4, 2015 17:26:54 GMT
I'm in zone 5. Mine are all in containers. I move my rosemary and parsley indoors in the late fall. The parsley is usually spent by January, but the rosemary has been going for years now.
Martha Stewart's site has lots of good info about using/preserving herbs.
I agree with a previous poster that said pinch back your basil frequently. You'll start to see buds at the stop of the stems. Keep those pinched to stop flowering.
I also don't have luck with cilantro. It seems to go to seed REALLY fast on me. Good thing I don't really like it!
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4kids4me
New Member
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Post by 4kids4me on Jun 4, 2015 17:55:13 GMT
I planted my herbs in pots and put them on the deck close to the kitchen. They must be perennials because they come back every year.
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Post by hdoublej on Jun 4, 2015 18:11:18 GMT
Basil can be bad about taking over a yard so I'd keep it in a large pot. Whether or not to keep them inside or out depends on your climate. You should be able to find info on google about how well they will winter over in your planting zone. I don't do anything special to the leaves/springs I freeze. I just wash them, dry well on some paper towels and pop in a freezer bag. I'm in zone 7 so we experience all seasons and a huge range of temperature with those seasons. I'm going to have to do some research for sure. |
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Post by hdoublej on Jun 4, 2015 18:13:56 GMT
I'm in zone 5. Mine are all in containers. I move my rosemary and parsley indoors in the late fall. The parsley is usually spent by January, but the rosemary has been going for years now. Martha Stewart's site has lots of good info about using/preserving herbs. I agree with a previous poster that said pinch back your basil frequently. You'll start to see buds at the stop of the stems. Keep those pinched to stop flowering. I also don't have luck with cilantro. It seems to go to seed REALLY fast on me. Good thing I don't really like it! I didn't think of Martha Stewart's site. Thank you, I will check that out. |
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Post by mlynn on Jun 6, 2015 7:17:39 GMT
Cilantro does not transplant well. If you do not start it from seed, buy the seedlings in those pots that you plant and they disintegrate.
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I was going to plant them outside but then I thought maybe I wanted to keep them in pots inside so I would have them year round. Do you keep yours inside or outside? Any tips for growing or keeping them would be great. Do I dry them at the end of the growing season if I keep them outside?
