controls, while the second is left alone for the caterpillars.

Consider planting some herbs of non-culinary species in this bed as well. Herbs such as rue which serves as a food and nursery plant for swallowtail butterflies and members of the “Asclepia” (milkweed) family are primary sources of both food, nursery and shelter for such insects as Monarch butterflies and a wide range of beneficial insects. A final note on the milkweeds is that not only do they provide food, shelter and nursery for insects, but they also provide a great source of material for “natural” Christmas decorations and floral decorating material with their dried pods.

6) Once you have considered all of the items above and have beds and/or containers planted, you will need to care for your herb garden for maximum harvest. As stated earlier, most herbs do not require a great deal of care or high degrees of fertilizer. However, this does not mean that they need none at all. This care begins in the spring when new growth begins for perennial or biennial herbs or at planting time for annuals. Start with an application of fresh compost or well rotted manure. For perennial herbs such as thyme, sage, rosemary and other aromatics, add fresh compost around each plant and lightly mix it into the soil as a side dress when new growth begins. For annual herbs, add compost or rotted manure and dig it into the soil before planting.

Generally, this is adequate for most herbs, especially the aromatics. For all herbs, you should start with a soil test and only add fertilizers or individual elements to keep the soil well balanced. Excessive fertilizers, especially nitrogen should be avoided otherwise you will end up with lush growth and decreased flavor and aroma. For perennial herbs that have been growing in the same location for some time or for new planting areas, adequate herb growth can be achieved with 1/4 to 1/2 the nitrogen recommended for vegetables in your area. Sequential harvests of annual herbs will be facilitated by light applications of fertilizer after each heavy harvest. These fertilizers are best used as slow-release types in order to avoid excessive uptake at any one time. The pH of the soil should be kept in a range of 6.5 to 7.0 for the best herbs.

An organic mulch such as straw, shredded leaves, etc. should be applied to your herbs to help control moisture and suppress weeds. Mulch is essential for most of the aromatics as the roots tend to be fairly shallow and easily damaged from cultivation.

7) Pests, insects and disease are usually not a problem with aromatic herbs due to the high concentration of oils, which tend to repel most insects. Occasionally, aphids and spider mites can be problem. Aphids tend to be more prevalent in crowded conditions where rapid, succulent growth is taking place. Spider mites thrive during periods of hot, dry weather. Both of these are usually easily controlled by a strong blast of water from a garden hose. Should it become necessary to go beyond this, a good quality of insecticidal soap is usually enough.

Annual herbs can be another issue as the highly aromatic oils are not present at the same levels and caterpillars and other chewing insects can be a problem. For these, you may need to employ a regular schedule of spraying with insecticidal soap or hand picking the caterpillars.

Occasionally, fungal diseases will invade your herbs. These are generally best controlled by good sanitation practices.

Remove all weak, damaged or infected parts of the plant.

Keep plant debris and fall leaves cleaned up and removed.

Provide good air circulation.

Never handle the plant when it is wet.

Water early so that the foliage has a chance to dry before nightfall.

Avoid wetting the foliage if possible.

Thoroughly wash your hands and change your clothes after handling diseased plants.

Sanitize pruners or other tools after handling each plant.

If it becomes necessary, use a fungicide labeled for use on vegetables. Try one of the homemade fungicides outlined here.

8) Unless you are growing herbs simply for the ornamental value, harvesting herbs for later use is usually the primary goal of everyone who grows herbs and harvesting herbs for culinary use is the most widely used form of herbs grown today. The stage of growth as well as the means by which an herb is harvested and stored can mean the difference between a tasty addition to your cooking or a vegetative “filler” with little or terrible taste.

Herbs all have a particular point in their growth cycle when the essential oils or other elements are at their fullest. The part of the plant being harvested, whether leaves, flowers, stems or roots will also make a difference in when the herb is harvested. Unfortunately, no one article can provide instruction on all of the herbs available and grown by gardeners and some experience will be required

For many, especially the aromatics, this will be just as the herb is getting ready to flower. For some of these, such as thyme, the flavors will be maintained throughout flowering, but may diminish shortly after flowering and the plant starts to set seed. For others, such as basil, cilantro, fennel, parsley and others, setting flowers will cause the flavors to deteriorate.

If you have mulched your herbs properly, they will be relatively clean to begin with. But, they have been growing outdoors so they will have collected at least some dust that will need to be washed off. Additionally, if you have used any sprays on your herbs, whether organic or not, any residue remaining will need to be removed. Use an adjustable nozzle that can be adjusted to a fine spray and wash both the top the undersides of the leaves. This dislodges not only the dirt and spray residues, but also any “critters” that may be remaining. Allow the plants to dry overnight, or if you wash after harvest, you will need to pat them dry on a towel or paper towels before you start the drying process.

Here are some general instructions for harvesting leaves, flowers, roots and seeds:

Leaves and flowers.
These should be cut in the morning soon after the dew has dried from the plant. Do your harvesting on a dry, sunny day that has been preceded by at least two sunny, dry days for maximum concentration of oils. Cut flowering stems when the flower buds are just beginning to open. An exception to this is the mints, which develop their highest concentrations of oils when the flower spikes are in full bloom.

If your harvest is to be large quantities of herbs, use a mesh or other open-weave basket to allow air circulation. Never stuff your herbs into buckets or plastic bags. Harvest only as much as you can conveniently process and dry at one time. You can cut back most perennials to about one-half. Most annuals can be cut down to a few inches. If it is near the end of the season, consider pulling annuals entirely.

For drying, there are a variety of options available to the gardener. Today, any dark, well-ventilated room where the temperatures run between 70 to 90 degrees F can be used as well as the rafters of an open garage, shed or even a ventilated attic. You can use screen-covered frames (window screens work well) over which cheese-cloth has been applied (never place your herbs directly on the screen), a warm oven (if it can be set low enough with the door propped open) or specially designed dehydrators provided they have good temperature control. Some people even claim to have good success using a microwave. However, I’m skeptical of using a microwave due to the way it heats objects and the potential to damage the herbs at the cellular level.

Some herbs are best having the leaves stripped from the stems before drying and laid in a single layer on wracks. These include: basil, dill, lemon balm, lovage, mint, sage, lemon verbena and tarragon. Herbs that have small leaves can be dried left on their stems. These include: thyme, summer and winter savory, rosemary, oregano and marjoram. The leaves will be removed after thorough drying for storage. Herbs in this category are traditionally tied in small bunches and hung to dry. However, they can be laid in a single layer on wracks just as well. The advantage to hanging the herbs in bunches is that it frees up wrack space for other herbs.

Given the right conditions, herb leaves and flowers should be dry in three or four days. I n the event of cool and/or humid weather, it may become necessary to spread your herbs onto a cookie sheet and finish them off in a warm oven at 115-125 degrees for a few minutes. In order to achieve this, you may need to use a thermometer and adjust the door open. Do not exceed 125-130 degrees F. or the herbs may be damaged and turn your pan or pans around frequently to assure even drying. Once dry, store in airtight containers in a dry, cool, dark place.

If you are using a commercial dehydrator/ dryer, do not rely on the factory settings as these are often wrong and the temperatures that are actually produced will either be to high or to low. Choose a dryer that has an adjustable thermostat and then check the actual temperature of the air using a thermometer and adjust the heat accordingly.

The above instructions are for herbs that can be dried, but many herbs do not dry well and are best frozen. These herbs include basil, dill, cilantro and chives. To freeze herbs, start as with other herbs by washing and drying the leaves. Plunge the leaves into unsalted boiling water for 30 to 50 seconds or just until they start to become soft. Immediately remove the

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